Grocery shopping on your lunch break and leaving fruits & veggies in your car.

mitri23

I like to shop for fruits and veggies on my lunchbreak and leave them in the car for a few hours. I live in the Chicago area so in the winter and fall it never concerns me. But when the temperature starts warming up I am concerned the fruits and veggies I buy will go bad. I was just wondering what most people think a safe temperature would be to leave food in the car for 4 hours.

lishie_rebooted

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100824230145AAJbyIu

arditarose

Why don't you at least bring them inside to work with you?

MaryCS62

If you're going to shop on your lunch hour, bring an insulated bag or cooler with ice packs in it. Problem solved!!

mistikal13

I have a great market right across the street from my job, so I also shop on my lunch break. In the summer it's so cold in my office that I bring the bags up with me.

mitri23

All good suggestions thanks but I am shopping for a family of 5 and usually have several bags. So a cooler would not cut it and my job situation would not allow for me to bring it into the office. I actually went shopping today and left the windows open a bit and pierced holes in the bags to prevent condensation so we'll see how it goes.

debsdoingthis

If your store sells reusable bags, they may also sell cooler bags. Just load your groceries in at the till. They work great and no need for any "paper or plastic". Tuck a cold pack in each bag on the day you're going to shop.

bbontheb

We've had to do this (not at work but leave in car) and I bring a cooler. I would double it and bring two, or some insulated bags (sometimes sell in grocery stores for meat etc). I wouldn't leave them in car for 4 hours just because the ones I buy (spinach etc) would be gross after. Also don't put the bags in the cooler -take the produce out in their own bags etc and put in cooler. I tried to dump the grocery bag all in to save time and hardly anything fits because of the lack of proper packing.