If you buy fresh produce, and carefully store it, it can be almost as good as fresh-picked. Oranges like to be left loose in the refrigerator, while grapes prefer paper wrapping. Onions take to dry storage, while most herbs do their best in moist environments. Here are some suggestions of how to store fruit and vegetables so they can offer you optimum flavors and nutritional value.

When storing food with high moisture content in plastic, putting a napkin in to absorb excess moisture will help prolong the food's vitality. To minimize your overall use of plastic, reuse plastic bags or, if you have a tight vegetable crisper drawer, you may be able to get away without even using plastic where plastic wrapping is suggested.

The following recommendations assume you're starting out with moderately fresh produce. Freshly picked produce can keep twice as long as the listed storage times - so buy local when available.

FRUIT STORAGE

Apples: Refrigerate unwrapped for up to 2 weeks. To ripen, wrap in newspaper and store at 32°-34° F.

Apricots: Refrigerate unwrapped 2 to 5 days. To ripen, put in a paper bag at room temperature.

Bananas: Store at room temperature until rich yellow and/or spotted. Refrigerated they turn brown but remain good up to one week. Freeze whole peeled or mashed bananas and use within one month.

Cherries: If soft, refrigerate unwrapped up to one week; if firm, up to 3 weeks.

Citrus: Refrigerate unwrapped for up to two weeks. Dark and sunken skin does not affect fruit.

Coconut: (whole) Refrigerate up to 2 months. At room temperature, store up to 2 weeks. (Room temperature dries out the fresh fruit.)

Cranberries: Refrigerate in paper bag up to two weeks. Freeze in plastic for several months.

Figs: Fresh: extremely perishable; refrigerate unwrapped and use within a few days. Dried: store in a cool, dry place.

Grapes: Refrigerate in paper bag up to 2 weeks.

Kiwis: Refrigerate loose 2 to 4 weeks. Keep away from apples and bananas as ethylene gas drastically quickens ripening process.

Mangoes/Papayas: Refrigerate ripened fruit, un-wrapped, for up to 2 weeks. To ripen, store at room temperature until somewhat soft, with slight aroma. Premature cold can shut off the ripening process.

Melons: (Cantaloupe, Honeydew, etc.) Refrigerate ripened fruit up to one week. To ripen, store at room temperature until soft and light colored (cantaloupe) or rougher skinned (honeydew).

Nectarines/Peaches: Refrigerate in a paper bag or loose 2 to 3 weeks. To ripen, store at room temperature one to two days.

Pears: Refrigerate unwrapped up to 3 weeks. To ripen, store at room temperature. Allow to sit at room temperature a few hours before eating for best flavor.

Pineapples: Refrigerate unwrapped up to 5 days. To ripen, store at room temperature. It's ripe when center leaves pull out easily.

Plums/Prunes: Refrigerate in a paper bag for up to one week.

Strawberries: Refrigerate in ventilated container up to 5 days.

Watermelon: Store whole fruit at room temperature until ripe. Refrigerate ripened or cut fruit up to one week.

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STORING VEGETABLES

Artichokes: Refrigerate unwrapped 3 to 4 days. Handle gently as they bruise easily. Slight brown color is OK.

Asparagus: Refrigerate in plastic, with cut ends in water, up to 3 days.

Avocados: Refrigerate ripened fruit, unwrapped, 5 to 7 days. To ripen, store at room temperature in a brown paper bag.

Beans: Refrigerate in plastic up to 4 days.

Beets: Cut off greens and refrigerate the roots in plastic up to 3 weeks. Refrigerate greens, unwashed, in plastic up to one week.

Broccoli: Refrigerate in plastic or with crushed ice up to one week.

Brussels Sprouts: Refrigerate unwashed and in plastic for up to 3 days.

Cabbage: Refrigerate in plastic up to 2 weeks. If cut, rub lemon on exposed faces to deter discoloration.

Carrots/Parsnips: Refrigerate in sealed plastic container up to 2 weeks.

Cauliflower: Refrigerate stem side up, in plastic, up to 2 weeks.

Celery: Refrigerate in paper up to 3 days.

Corn: Refrigerate in a paper bag up to 3 days.

Cucumbers: Refrigerate in plastic 7 to 10 days. Waxed cucumbers keep better than unwaxed.

Eggplants: Refrigerate in plastic up to one week. Very fragile, eggplants bruise easily.

Garlic: Store in cool, dry place up to 5 weeks. When refrigerating, keep sealed to
protect other foods from its pungent odor.

Greens: (Kale, Collards, Mustard) Refrigerate in plastic 2 to 4 days.

Herbs: (Parsley, Dill, Watercress, Basil etc.) Refrigerate in an airtight container or in a glass of water with plastic bag over the herb, or with crushed ice. Basil: Store at 40° F or above to avoid blackening which occurs when too cold. Freeze all herbs up to 6 months and then use as if fresh. To freeze: wash, chop; put in the freezer in plastic or ice cube tray.

Leeks: Refrigerate in plastic up to one week.

Lettuce: Iceberg: refrigerate in plastic up to 2 weeks. For other lettuces, refrigerate in a covered container or in plastic up to one week.

Mushrooms: Refrigerate unwashed in a moisture-tight container or plastic up to one week. Blanch and freeze up to 3 months. Fancy mushrooms keep less well. Dried mushrooms can be reconstituted in hot water.

Okra: Refrigerate in paper for 4 to 5 days. Bruises easily. When cooked in iron, copper, or brass, the vegetable turns black, but with no effect on flavor.

Onions: Store unwrapped in a cool, dry place up to several months; Bermudas and Spanish onions, 1 to 2 months. Refrigerated in plastic, they keep only 2 to 4 weeks.

Peas: (English and Snap) Refrigerate in plastic up to 4 days. Do not shell English variety until ready to use.

Peppers: Refrigerate up to one week. Fresh chilies strung on thread and hung to dry will keep about one year.

Potatoes: Store in cool, dry place away from light for one month or more.

Radishes: Refrigerate in plastic for up to one week.

Rutabagas/Turnips: Refrigerate in plastic up to one month. Dice and freeze up to 6 months. Store most kinds in a cool place for 3 to 6 months.

Scallions: Refrigerate in plastic up to one week.

Squash: Summer: refrigerate unwrapped 4 to 7 days. Winter: store most kinds in a cool place for three to six months. Delicota and Table Queen up to one month.

Tomatoes: Refrigerate 1 week or more. To ripen, store in paper bag at room temperature with stem side down. Enclose a banana or apple to hasten ripening. Remove from cold one hour before eating for best flavor.

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