Keeping veg and fruits fresh

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Edithrenee
Edithrenee Posts: 546 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was wondering does anyone have a good idea on how to keep vegs and fruit fresh longer? It seems when i buy them they go bad in three or four days, I hate to grocery shop so hoping maybe there are tricks that i know nothing about.

Or how about tricks on getting your vegs and fruit, what do you buy, how to keep fresh longer, is there a certain thing that you buy in cans instead? Really need help on this..I love vegs and i can eat them all day everyday however i will buy stuff for salad and in a few days before i can eat it all it is rotten.

thanks in advance you guys.

Replies

  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
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    How about those green bags designed for this purpose?

    In general, check the age/type of fridge in your home. My Maytag fridge is 3 years old and it keeps produce fresh for almost 2 weeks but we get through almost all of it in 1 week so that all the vitamins and taste aren't totally gone.
  • thankyou4thevenom
    thankyou4thevenom Posts: 1,581 Member
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    The first thing is always look at the way they're stored/shelved in the supermarket. They keep things in the way that keeps them freshest the longest.

    I tend to take my veg straight out of any packaging in the fridge and store them on kitchen roll. it seems and I don't know why to make them stay fresher for longer.
  • beaner1st
    beaner1st Posts: 229 Member
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    I am a big believer in the green bags. I take my vegetables out of their original wrapping and put them in the green bag right away. They usually last 1-2 weeks.
  • jwaitman
    jwaitman Posts: 367 Member
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    Only buy stuff at the store during the off season. During season go to a farmers market where the produce really is fresh. It will last longer and taste better.
  • silkysly
    silkysly Posts: 701 Member
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    I buy Great Value, No Sugar Added, Frozen Mixed Fruit. I also buy asparagus, cut it & freeze it. Frozen foods keep their nutritional value longer than fresh. Birds Eye has a lot of different frozen veggies to pick from too.
  • LittleFootHafner
    LittleFootHafner Posts: 302
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    I usually buy salad/lettuce for only a few days, because I find the same thing as you!
    Once the salad/lettuce is gone, I go for meals with other vegetables.

    Carrots & brocolli usually last at least a week in my fridge.

    Also - try frozen veggies - they are frozen immediately to ensure that they keep their nutrients, and do not have added salts and stuff like some cans do. They are also rather good, and much less work... cheaper too! ;)

    I try to buy my fruit and cycle it through.
    Eat yellow bananas first, and grab a few green ones so they will be good in a couple of days.

    Buy a cantaloupe, then let it ripen on the counter for 1-2 days. Afterwards, cut it up and store it in the fridge.
    It's lasts the remainder of the week that way.

    Store peaches/plums, etc in the fridge until the day before you will eat it, they will last longer that way.

    Buy apples and oranges for later on in the week, as they usually store the best!

    GOOD LUCK!
  • Edithrenee
    Edithrenee Posts: 546 Member
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    The first thing is always look at the way they're stored/shelved in the supermarket. They keep things in the way that keeps them freshest the longest.

    I tend to take my veg straight out of any packaging in the fridge and store them on kitchen roll. it seems and I don't know why to make them stay fresher for longer.

    Thanks um sorry this sounds stupid but what is kitchen roll?
  • msranney
    msranney Posts: 14
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    Make sure you are using the right humidity settings on your drawers I found that makes a huge difference.

    Here's a link with the best ways to store each specific fruit/veggie:

    http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1103
  • LeslieMartina
    LeslieMartina Posts: 160 Member
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    I have green bags and ordered a lettuce keeper from amazon. You can use it for other veggies though. It makes a HUGE difference. My stuff stays crisp all week. http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-International-LKS-06-Lettuce-Keeper/dp/B000OUY2QO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317389914&sr=8-1
  • Edestiny7
    Edestiny7 Posts: 730 Member
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    Consumer Reports showed that those green bags only keep bananas fresher longer. Everything else was either the same, or actually rotted faster.

    I keep lemons, pears and bananas on the counter until the bananas and pears are ripe, then I move the pears to the fridge, and the peeled, bagged, bananas to the freezer for smoothies. I keep apples, romaine, spinach, celery, & carrots in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Mainly I keep it all in the fridge to prevent fruit fly outbreaks. So the counter is only for ripening.

    If you are looking for an equivalent nutritionally to fresh, frozen is your next best bet. Canned is last.
  • msranney
    msranney Posts: 14
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    Here's the list about humidity:

    Vegetables
    Vegetables needing high relative humidity between 85 percent and 95 percent include asparagus, beets, broccoli and cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, beans, peas, radishes, corn and turnips. Greens, scallions and lettuces also need high humidity, but should be kept separate, the University of Tennessee Extension recommends. Keep things dry, below 85 percent humidity, for pumpkins, squash, onions and garlic.

    Fruits
    Fruits that like high humidity include apples, sour cherries, peaches, pears, plums, apricots, avocados and berries, while a medium level is recommended for grapes, sweet cherries, melons and citrus fruits, the Purdue horticulture department advises.

    .
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    The only true way is to only buy what you are going to eat within a couple days. If you only have to run to the store for veggies it won't take too much time. Just don't walk around the store and impulse buy.
  • pghfan
    pghfan Posts: 119
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    Consumer Reports showed that those green bags only keep bananas fresher longer. Everything else was either the same, or actually rotted faster.

    I keep lemons, pears and bananas on the counter until the bananas and pears are ripe, then I move the pears to the fridge, and the peeled, bagged, bananas to the freezer for smoothies. I keep apples, romaine, spinach, celery, & carrots in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Mainly I keep it all in the fridge to prevent fruit fly outbreaks. So the counter is only for ripening.

    If you are looking for an equivalent nutritionally to fresh, frozen is your next best bet. Canned is last.

    I disagree with Consumer Reports. I bought the green bags and did a little experiment. I put 1/4 of a head of lettuce in one and 1/4 of the head in paper towel. After a week or so, the one in the paper towel was brown and unrecognizable. The one in the green bag looked exactly like when I put it in! I'm a believer, they work for everything I have tried them for, fruits and veggies!
  • thankyou4thevenom
    thankyou4thevenom Posts: 1,581 Member
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    The first thing is always look at the way they're stored/shelved in the supermarket. They keep things in the way that keeps them freshest the longest.

    I tend to take my veg straight out of any packaging in the fridge and store them on kitchen roll. it seems and I don't know why to make them stay fresher for longer.

    Thanks um sorry this sounds stupid but what is kitchen roll?

    345px-Paper_towel.png

    I think it's called paper towel in America.

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