Learned the hard way why you never store lemons near your cash register

I work an early morning shift at a small deli counter downtown, and last Tuesday I noticed our citrus garnish was always turning soft and moldy by noon. Turns out, the heat from the register lights and the constant handling was speeding up the rot way faster than I thought. I read a quick tip from a produce guy on a food service forum that said lemons need airflow and cool temps, not a warm spot near the register. So I moved them to a little rack over by the prep sink, and they're lasting a full day now without getting mushy. It's such a simple thing, but it saves me from having to toss out a whole bag every shift. Anyone else have a weird storage trick that saved you money on wasted ingredients?

2 comments

2 Comments

fionaw5415d ago

Wait, the register lights actually cook the lemons?!

ross.sean14d ago

In my experience, yeah, those register lights get surprisingly hot over time. @fionaw54, the lemons basically get a slow roast sitting under them all day. Your mileage may vary depending on the setup, but I've seen them get pretty warm.