Storing Cooked Vegetables

Cooking can destroy or dissolve out some nutrients from vegetables and fruits. On the other hand, cooking is a useful technique to temporarily halt or slow the deterioration of flavor, texture, color, and nutritional content. Cooking also stops the activity of enzymes that break down the texture of raw produce. For this reason, chefs often choose to cook many vegetables, and some fruits, as a way of holding them.

Once vegetables are cooked, refreshed, and drained, they must be kept relatively dry to prevent nutrient loss and to further discourage microbial growth. Cooked vegetables should be kept in freshly sanitized, covered containers lined with clean, dry, lint-free towels to absorb moisture. Tender vegetables should be placed in shallow layers so they don’t squash under their own weight. Most cooked vegetables may be stored at 3°–38°F (1°–3°C) three to four days. If you have excess cooked vegetables that will not be used within three days, your best bet is to freeze them right away. Although there will be some loss of texture, the vegetables will remain safe to serve and can be used in soups or purées.