Fresh fruits and vegetables are crisp because their cells are packed with water, so says Fine Cooking magazine. In fact, most produce consists of at least 70% water. For delicate lettuce leaves, losing as little as 5% of that moisture causes wilting. That's why baby salad greens so often turn limp.
The crisper drawer in your refrigerator is designed to retain moisture within fruits and vegetables. To achieve just the right amount of moisture in the air, crisper drawers are vented with levers or dials to adjust the humidity and air flow. For the crispest vegetables, especially leafy ones, keep the vent one-third to one-half open to ensure a humid environment yet allow some ventilation.
For crisp fruit, keep the vent closed to minimize the amount of oxygen that flows into the compartment. It may sound strange, but ripe fruit breathes on a cellular level. Plant cells take in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide. During the final stages of ripening, cell respiration increases by as much as five times, so closing the crisper vent slows down respiration and increases storage life of the fruit.
Now you know!
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