How to keep perishables from...... perishing?

Pangea250

Separate spinach and/or lettuce leaves & wrap them in layers of paper towels. I lay out a length of paper towel on my counter & then place 1 layer of leaves on it, then roll it up. Store that roll in an airtight bag in the fridge.

ETA: don't wash *anything* until you are ready to eat.

Francl27

That's why I do groceries twice a week

1stday13

Green bags work great!!( Debbie Myers Green Bags) can get them on line. My daughter & I both use them. Keeps fresh at lseast 2-3 Xs longer. :drinker:

ereck44

Thanks to everyone for your excellent ideas!

Mr_Knight

If your cheese in the fridge so long that it's molding, it sounds like you're simply buying too much for your needs. The solution to that is buying smaller quantities, more often.

elyelyse

If you can, cook a few freezable meals (caseroles, lasagna) within a day or two of shopping, stick em in the freezer and start working your way through your unfrozen stuff. The goal would be to eat what isn't frozen first, before it spoils...then you have a few more days worth of meals ready to defrost from the freezer before you need to shop again.

For fruits, sure fresh fruits are awesome, but have you ever frozen, then heated up berries? SO good. They get syrupy. Mix with plain yogurt. Or smush them up, let them cool, and treat them like jam.

ETA: there's nothing wrong with buying frozen fruits and veggies either.

jrhm

I use the green bags too; Also, if I have fresh spinach I like to eat it instead of lettuce so don't want it canned (yuk) or frozen. I put it in a green bag and check it every day to be sure that if a leaf is starting to go bad it doesn't rot the whole bag. I am going to try the idea about covering the stems of the bananas, I usually put the bunch in the frig (separated) and only put a couple out at a time. Celery, I take out of the store pkg, wrap in paper towels, then in aluminum foil and slid it back into the original bag; keeps a long time, if the tops start to turn, I just cut them off, lasts up to a month this way. When things like carrots, greens, onions etc start to look "funny" I cook them and freeze them in small amounts and add to soup. I have the green mats in my crispers and they work great. Grapes..I wash, separate into serving size bunches and put back into the box they came from with a paper towel on the bottom to absorb any moisture, keep about two weeks - or freeze them and eat directly from the freezer for a really great snack on a hot day. I agree that produce from different stores keeps a different amount of time. And, sometimes it is really cheaper to buy that big bag, use what you can and toss the rest than it is to buy in small amounts - seems wasteful, but, maybe find someone to share buying product with so each of you has a variety of "stuff".

pompoms40

Too keep cheese ,wrap it in tin foil or put some vinegar on a paper towel ring it out then wrap around the cheese. Then I put plastic wrap to seal the cheese )

jhenson11

In addition to green bags and being careful where you store things that interact with each other/need to be in paper rather than plastic, etc. etc. - If time is your issue and you can only make it to the regular grocery or farmer's market every two or three weeks, then perhaps consider a local delivery service. You may not find them everywhere, but some cities have local/organic deliveries, sometimes without delivery fees, that will bring produce to your door a couple of times a week. The prices can range from comparable with an organic grocery to a little on the pricey side, but you really pay for the convenience as much as the food. As a bonus you also get to support local growers (and cattle keepers, if you eat meat)! Yay!

I work at night and study in the day, outside of trying to keep a regular workout schedule, and have found this to be very helpful and totally worth any added expense. If you try this, maybe also see if there is any sort of city-wide local business discount: some places also give freebies with orders if such a program exists.

Ed98043

I belong to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) co-op that delivers fresh, organic produce to my doorstep every Sunday. It still goes bad if I don't eat it, but since you said one of your issues was having to go to the store frequently, it might be an idea to look at.

Some CSAs are seasonal and only locally-grown so they have limited choices and don't operate in the winter. Others like the one I belong to (Full Circle Farm, serves West Coast/Alaska only) source foods from all over North America including meats and other types of groceries and operate year-round. I pay weekly, some want you to pay seasonally. When I'm out of town or otherwise don't want a box I just put it on hold.

Here's a website that you can look at to see which CSAs serve your area: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

TravelDog14

Take a look at this list on how to treat some commonly stored fruits and veggies:

Farmer's Guidelines for Storing Fresh Produce
Please note that these are guidelines, not rules.
Seasonal conditions may dictate different storing capacities for crops.
All fresh vegetables should be eaten as quickly as possible for best nutrition & flavor.
Artichokes Store in a loose bag in the refrigerator, one week +.
Beans Do not wash until ready to use. Store in a loose bag in the refrigerator, 3-5 days.
Soybeans Do not wash until ready to use. Store in a loose bag in the fridge, up to 1 week.
Beets Top to maintain moisture in beets. Leaves should be used within 3 days, roots will last for weeks.
Bok Choy Store in a loose plastic bag in the fridge, up to one week.
Broccoli Store in a loose plastic bag in the fridge, up to one week.
Brussels Sprouts Store in a loose bag in the fridge, one week +.
Cabbage Loose bag in the fridge, may last a few to several weeks. Peel off outer leaves for use to maintain longer storage.
Carrots Plastic bag in the fridge. Put a few holes in the bag for long term storage to increase air circulation.
Cauliflower Do not wash until ready to use, or wash and cut up head, storing as florets. Up to one week in the fridge.
Celery Loose bag in the fridge, may last a few to several weeks.
Corn Eat as soon as possible, or freeze. Sugars in corn turn to starch quickly.
Cucumber Loose in a bag or in crisper in fridge, up to one week.
Eggplant Loose in a bag or in crisper in fridge, use as soon as possible for maximum texture, but storable up to one week.
Fennel Loose bag in the fridge, may last up to a few weeks.
Fresh Herbs Store in a loose bag in the fridge, remove rubber band to increase air flow. Soft-leaved herbs (basil, cilantro) should not be washed until ready to use. Use or dry within one week.
Kale Wash, trim stems, and pat dry (leaves whole) for quick use. Store in a closed plastic bag in the fridge. One week +.
Leeks Loose bag in the fridge, may last a few to several weeks. Peel off outer leaves to maintain longer storage.
Lettuce Lettuce may be washed and gently spun dry, then kept in the fridge for quick access, but keep leaves whole until ready for use to minimize browning. Washed and spun dry, loose, 3-5 days. Whole head, unwashed, 1 week +. Softer lettuces (Brunia, Lolla Rossa especially) will not last as long as Romaine types.
Melons Leave out on counter until ready to use.
Onions & Shallots Fresh: Loose in a bag or in crisper in fridge, may last several weeks. Dry: Keep in a dry dark place to prevent molding and sprouting. May last up to several months with proper storage. Sort frequently and use those with blemishes first.
Green Onion Remove rubber band and store in the fridge, loose in bag until ready to use, up to one week.
Parsley Store loose in bag in the fridge. Gently pat dry if needed for longer storage. May also be hung out of direct light and left to dry.
Parsnip Plastic bag in the fridge. Put a few holes in the bag for long term storage to increase air circulation.
Peas Do not wash until ready to use. Store in a loose bag in the refrigerator, 3-5 days.
Peppers Do not wash until ready to use. Store in a loose bag in the fridge up to one week.
Radicchio Do not wash until ready to use. Store in a loose bag in the fridge & peel off leaves as needed. One week +.
Radishes Top to maintain moisture in radishes, loose bag in the fridge, use within a week.
Rutabaga Plastic bag in the fridge. Put a few holes in the bag for long term storage to increase air circulation.
Salad Greens See lettuces, 3-5 days.
Spinach May be washed and gently spun dry, then in a closed bag in the fridge for quick use, but I recommend leaving leaves whole until ready for use. 3-5 days.
Summer Squash Loose in a bag in fridge, one week.
Winter Squash Store in a dark dry place to prevent molding and over ripening. May store through December or longer. Sort frequently and use those with blemishes first.
Swiss Chard Store in a closed bag in fridge. Remove twist tie to increase air flow. May be washed and gently spun dry for quick use. One week.
Tomatoes Much speculation on this one. Some recommend not refrigerating, as it breaks down flavor, but they will keep longer in the fridge. The varieties we grow are frequently more tender than store types, which are selected for shipping and storage.
Flowers Trim stem ends and place in fresh water. Changing water every day or two may prolong flower life. With lilies and gladiolas, trim off dead flowers to encourage the others to open. You may also pull off the anthers of the lily blossoms when the flowers first open to avoid pollen messes.

The above is from this website: http://boistfortvalleyfarm.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipe=STRG

bwogilvie

Check the temperature of the refrigerator should be at 36 degrees

It should be under 40 F at its warmest spot, but above freezing in your crisper drawers and meat/cheese storage (which are usually at the bottom. Get a fridge thermometer and measure in several places by leaving the fridge closed for a while, then opening the door and *quickly* reading the thermometer. You need to read quickly because the warm air entering from the kitchen will cause the thermometer to rise, but air has a low specific heat, so there's no problem getting warm air into the fridge from time to time.

Also, don't leave things out at room temperature any longer than necessary.

hookilau

I plan meals around the perishables in my house. This means fresh produce and occasionally meats, though I usually freeze meats to allow for some flexibility.

You could purchase smaller amounts and go to the market twice weekly instead of once, or simply plan your meals around the produce. I also make sure to use a large amount for every meal. We have salads with every meal, so I'll chop & clean 2 or 3 romaine hearts & put them in the fridge, along with chopped peppers, onion, tomato & cucumber (all in separate containers).

Then when it's time to make a salad, I just grab a handful of this and handful of that.

I don't buy the bagged stuff anymore cause it goes bad too quickly. By the time I get it, it seems to only last about 3 days before some of the leaves at the bottom start to putrefy. :sick:

I only buy things like romaine, butter lettuce, etc. Whole stuff. Don't rinse until you are ready to use, and wrapping in paper towels to absorb any excess moisture will make it last longer too. That was an old trick we used to use at an Animal Hospital I used to work at, we needed fresh produce daily for the tortoises & parrots and this is what we did so it didn't rot out too soon :blushing:

Good luck...eat more veggies!!

shutyourpieholeandsquat

I buy baby spinach in the big plastic boxes and that stuff lasts for WEEEEEEKS without getting bad.

cwolfman13

eat them faster....