Keeping Stir-Fry fresh

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faemelusine
faemelusine Posts: 14 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Any ideas how to make uncooked mixed stir-fry veg keep in the fridge from Sunday through to Friday?
I love stir-fry and its so low in calories, but I live in a semi-rural area so only get to a decent shop once a week (unless I want to spend money on petrol).

I've tried removing it from its packaging, but by the end of the week its always a soggy mess.

I'd be grateful for any ideas!

Thank you :D

Replies

  • BigBoneSista
    BigBoneSista Posts: 2,389 Member
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    Feeeze it on daily portion. It should thaw out quickly.
  • sillymesillyyou
    sillymesillyyou Posts: 18 Member
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    You can get a special storage bag from Lakeland Plastics which keeps fresh fruit and veg for longer. Have a trawl round their website.
  • BeeHummingbird
    BeeHummingbird Posts: 41
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    I use frozen veggies for stir fry they are really the best, there is such a great range out there now days and they are good to go just throw them in at the last minute and no waste
  • kkellam1
    kkellam1 Posts: 182 Member
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    I love stir fry myself and it's pretty much a daily part of my diet, for the same reason you mention above. Quick, healthy and low cal.

    But I need to ask...why not just use fresh veggies and cut them yourself as you cook them? The whole veggies will stay fresh pretty long in your fridge and you can mix and match the stirfry to contain whatever you choose, rather than having the store dictate what goes in your frying pan?
  • faemelusine
    faemelusine Posts: 14 Member
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    Hi,

    Thanks for the responses.
    I guess I'm mostly talking about veg like Beansprouts and Water chestnuts, I do add other veg in myself.
    I'll check out lakeland but I'm always wary of buying things that I don't know how well they'll work.

    Would beansprouts freeze without turning to mush when defrosted? Freezing would be the best option for me if it'd work, I didn't think it would though.
  • nerdyandilikeit
    nerdyandilikeit Posts: 2,185 Member
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    I use frozen veggies for stir fry they are really the best, there is such a great range out there now days and they are good to go just throw them in at the last minute and no waste

    I do this, too! I get frozen mixed veggies and try different ones to keep it interesting. Kroger has some really great varieties!
  • jo_marnes
    jo_marnes Posts: 1,601 Member
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    I have no idea how to keep bean sprouts that long - not worth trying probably! Just have your stirfry earlier in the week. Or add something else instead of beansprouts!
  • faemelusine
    faemelusine Posts: 14 Member
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    I have several stir-fries in a week, thats why I need them to last.
    I think it's definately worth trying.

    I'll have a go at freezing them and see how that works out.
  • BigBoneSista
    BigBoneSista Posts: 2,389 Member
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    I found this on the web:

    I've stored my fresh-from-the-garden brussels for a few years now, and have always had good results. Sometimes it's been a 3 or more days after harvest, but they've always been stored on the cold porch during that time.

    They do need to be blanched first. I have seen a couple of websites that claim you can just pop them in the freezer, and maybe that is so if you plan on using them within a couple of months, but for long time freezing, you do need to blanch them.

    Prepare them first of course, by washing off all the dirt or any pesticide you or the grower may have used. Trim the woody bottom and peel off any worn looking outer leaves.

    I blanch them by putting them in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on their size. Then I immediately place them in ice water for the same amount of time. After letting them drain for a minute or two, I put them in freezer bags marked with the date, suck all the air out, and voila.

    I use a steamer basket to aid in the process. It makes it easy to just place all the brussels in the basket and use it to transfer them in and out of the boiling and then iced waters, and then the final draining.

    Of course after they have been frozen they are not as good as fresh, they may be soft, but I have never found them to be "mushy". The key is not to blanch them too long.

    We pop them in with crockpot dinners or saute them directly from the freezer bag with some butter and salt and pepper.

    I hope this helps.

    and

    Freezing Brussels Sprouts

    1. Select green, firm and compact heads. Examine heads carefully to make sure they are free from insects.

    2. Trim, removing coarse outer leaves.

    3. Wash thoroughly in cool water.

    4. Sort into small, medium and large sizes.

    5. Water blanch small heads 3 minutes, medium heads 4 minutes and large heads 5 minutes.

    6. Cool promptly in ice water,

    7. Drain and package in Ziploc or vacuum bags, leaving no headspace (excluding as much air as possible).

    8. Seal and freeze.
  • Thamantha
    Thamantha Posts: 102 Member
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    Have you considered buying dried beans and sprouting them yourself to get a fresh supply of bean sprouts for your stir-fry? You can get sprouts from many different varieties, but i believe mung beans are the most commonly used.

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