Do you ever wonder how old are the fruits and vegetables that you’re eating?

You shop the perimeter of the grocery store, selecting healthy dairy, lean meats, and “fresh” fruits and vegetables. You follow all of the healthy eating guidelines recommended by health and wellness professionals.

But, in reality, how “fresh” is the product you’re buying?

Part of the answer is dependent on where you buy the product.

Apples

You’re likely aware that “apple season” in much of the United States is in the fall, so if you buy apples in April, July, or January, you’re probably aware that they’re either not farm-fresh or have traveled a long distance in transit.

According to Mashable’s compilation on how long these fruits and vegetables are stored before we bring them home, “apples are preserved in cold temperature and low oxygen, which slows down their ripening process.”

It can take as long as a year before they hit commercial stores.

That’s insane! Not as new as you might think, huh?

Bananas

Bananas are cooled after picking to prevent ripening, and after two weeks, they are treated with ethylene gas to begin ripening and their journey to the grocery store.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes that are out of season aren’t the best, but they may also have been stored for a long time.

According to The Guardian, tomatoes grown and harvested in California can be stored for up to six weeks before being sold, whereas tomatoes grown and harvested in the United Kingdom can be stored for as little as a week before hitting grocery store shelves.

Tomatoes are chilled after harvesting because the temperature is critical to their ripening.

Potatoes

Potatoes are “cured” in storage at high humidity and moderate temperatures.

It can be kept this way for up to a year before being shipped to stores. Even at farmers’ markets, potatoes are frequently stored for a period of time because they can be.

Carrots

The carrots you buy and bring home may appear to be the freshest of the fresh, but they may not be as recently grown and harvested as you believe.

Carrots are washed and cooled immediately after harvesting to maintain their crispness.

To prevent decay, they are stored at temperatures just above zero degrees Celsius and high humidity. Nine months before packing and shipping, they are washed within chlorine.

Lettuce

Lettuce doesn’t last for months, but it may not be as fresh as you think.

Lettuce is washed with chlorine and preservatives before being cooled and stored for up to a month.

Spinach

Spinach, like lettuce, is commonly several weeks old.

According to Naturally Savvy, spinach leaves are frequently picked several weeks before being packaged, processed, and transported to stores where they will be sold. If you only eat spinach because you believe it is super fresh and healthy, it may or may not be all that it appears to be.

Aloe leaves

Whole aloe leaves can be found in the produce section of some grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and farm stands. Fresh leaves are bright green, whereas old leaves have brown spotting. It’s easy to tell if the aloe you’re going to buy is fresh or if it’s been sitting around for a while.

Cranberries

Unlike many other fresh fruits and vegetables, which are stored for a long time before being sold, cranberries are frequently transported to grocery stores where they will be sold shortly after being harvested.

According to the Massachusetts Cranberries industry group’s website, fresh cranberries are available in September, October, and November, but not at other times of the year.

Orange juice

While not technically fresh produce, orange juice may not be as fresh as you think it is. Author Alissa Hamilton told Boston that when orange juice is processed and pasteurized, it is deoxygenated, which means it will last longer. It is then “…put in huge storage tanks where it can be kept for upwards of a year.”

If you enjoy orange juice, there may or may not be anything wrong with drinking it, but if you’re doing so for health reasons, Hamilton suggests reaching for an orange instead.

While it may or may not ultimately matter to you how old the produce you’re purchasing is, knowledge is power, as the saying goes.

These will help you realize that such fruits and vegetables are not as fresh as those picked from your own backyard.

Check out some of these lists in the video below!

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Sources: Mashed, Mashable, Unsplash/Roberto Carlos Roman Don