This genius trick will ensure your produce never goes bad before you use it

Here is a question from a real woman who wanted answers to the roadblocks that she's come up against when trying to cook for herself: your produce always seems to go bad.

Either it rots quickly outside of the refrigerator, or I refrigerate it and it comes out tasting mealy (I'm looking at you, tomatoes!). How do I know where to store everything so that it lasts the longest time possible? Haley Whitchurch, Louisville, KY

Mealy refrigerator tomatoes are the worst! But even worse than that is produce going bad before you get to use it, so we can feel your pain.

We could write out a list for you of where to store everything you could possibly buy, or you could scour Google and all of its conflicting information, but the answer you seek is already in front of you (yes, we are produce gurus sometimes) at your grocery store! Who is more interested in keeping produce tasting and looking good for as long as possible than the people trying to sell it to you?

Speaking of tomatoes, here's how to slice and dice them:

It doesn't matter if you're in Georgia or Wyoming, a grocery store produce section is always laid out the same way'a line of cold storage on the walls, with room temperature storage in the middle.

There's your guide! Did you get it from the edges of the store (greens, carrots, herbs)? To the refrigerator it goes! Produce items from the middle of the store potatoes, onions, citrus fruit, and yes, tomatoes are happy campers right at room temperature. Some, like onions and citrus, will do just fine in the refrigerator, if your counter space is limited.