Apple Picking and Market Hauls: How to Get Produce Home

Early October is the sweet spot for orchards and farmers markets. Apples, pears, winter squash, cider and the last of the tomatoes all land at once, and it is easy to come home with more than you planned. The trick is having a way to carry it and a plan for where it goes once you walk in the door. Here is a simple setup that keeps a big haul from turning into a countertop pile.

Carry it in something that holds its shape

Soft tote bags collapse the moment you set them down, which is how pears end up bruised and berries end up at the bottom. A framed basket stays open while you load it and keeps everything upright on the drive home.

The Oxfold Folding Insulation Picnic Supermarket Shopping Basket is built on a lightweight aluminum frame with durable, waterproof 600D Oxford cloth, so it sits open on its own and wipes clean when something leaks. It measures 43 x 27 x 23 cm, and there is a zippered compartment on the outside for your phone, cash or wallet, which matters at a market stand where you are juggling both hands. When you are done, it flattens and folds in half to fit in a car trunk or a backpack. It works the same way for groceries, picnics and garden supplies, so it does not live in a closet eleven months a year.

Sort the haul before it hits the counter

Give yourself ten minutes at the kitchen table and most of the waste disappears:

• Pull out anything bruised or split and set it aside to use first, in a crisp or a pot of sauce this week.
• Keep apples and pears in their own bin rather than mixed in with leafy greens and herbs.
• Leave winter squash, onions and potatoes unwashed and in a cool, dark spot. Wash them right before you cook instead.
• Rinse berries only when you are about to eat them.
• Label anything you portion out and freeze, so October cider doughnut plans do not become a mystery bag in January.

Give the pantry overflow a real home

Market trips rarely stop at produce. Once the flour, oats, cornmeal and coffee beans start stacking up for fall baking, loose bags are the first thing to spill.

The Airtight Food Storage Container holds 1500 ml and comes in a transparent design with a space-saving shape, so you can see what you have left without opening anything. The containers are all the same size, which means they stack evenly instead of leaning on each other, and they handle liquids as well as dry goods.

For the bags you would rather not decant, the Seal and Pour Bag Clips clamp onto a plastic or paper bag and add a 2.6-inch rotating nozzle on top. Turn the lid and pour out oats, popcorn, coffee beans or pasta, then turn it back to seal. They are made of food-grade PP, and they are reusable and washable, so one clip moves from the granola bag to the dog food bag whenever you need it.

Take the trip, bring the basket, and give the haul somewhere to land. Shop the full VIGOR collection to set up your kitchen for the season.