Storing Produce

I have also read that rotting fruit will hasten the ripening process of the fruit near it. Here is a link that explains it better than I can :)
http://chemistry.about.com/b/2007/05/10/fruit-ripening-et...

This isn't exactly what you are asking for but...try buying smaller amounts. Just buy what you plan to eat or cook right away. Is there a small market that you can stop at more frequently?

Also, maybe take a look at any settings you might have on your crisper in your fridge, and try changing them.

Personally, I think keeping everything in the fridge is the best bet if you're confused. I've tried keeping potatoes out of the fridge in a cool dry place and they sprout right away.

I too have had issues with using my fresh produce before it spoils. I recently started buying more organic fruits and veggies. I have noticed that they stay fresh much much longer and taste better! Just a suggestion that now works for me. Oh, and the extra cost seems to work out as I'm not throwing large amounts of food in the trash. Good Luck!

I read if you wrap celery in foil and put it in the fridge it lasts much longer. Also when I buy grapes I take them off the stems, wash them and put them in a ziploc bag and keep them in the fridge. They seem to last longer that way. I keep broccoli and Cauliflower in the fridge in the veggie bin. I keep potatoes and squash on the counter in a nice tupperware container I got that has a vent on it...........this seems to keep my produce nice longer. Good luck!

The Green Bags are fantastic. I was having the same problem as you...but not anymore !!!
Also dont get them through the TV commercial or online as you can get them in Bed Bath and Beyond and not pay shipping. You can also save one of the many coupons they mail and use 20% off too !

I have a few tupperware containers that are made for produce and such. They are amazing. I actually got them because I have a hard time eating veggies and I tend to let them just sit in the fridge and rot but i was forcing myself to slowly eat them while I was pregnant. They kept my carrots fresh for what seems like forever!!! I have a Bearded Dragon (a lizard type thing) she eats fruit and mixed salad and stuff like that but she can't eat it all at once... so I now use the containers for her and the bag of lettuce will last over a week (if she doesn't eat it all before that) I love these things they are amazing. My mom loves them too! here is the link to the tupperware page... good luck!!

http://order.tupperware.com/pls/htprod_www/tup_show_item....

Hi T.,
I have 2 suggestions. Grapes keep better in the refrigerator, but don't wash them untl you are about to eat them. I have read this for berries, too.
For lettuce, I use a salad spinner. I clean a whole head, spin it multiple times to remove the water and leave it in the spinner in the fridge. It keeps a long time. THe salad spinner is ~$30.

Produce should be eaten within a week. If you buy fresher produce, it stays fresher longer. I find the stuff at produce markets much fresher and higher quality than the mass groceries. They are also often cheaper. Depending on where you live, look for a produce grocer. It makes a difference. I also try to buy stuff that last longer - carrots, romaine lettuce, grapes, apples, etc. Delicate items only last few days regardless of what you put it in.

I use Green bags and they do work! I am someone who buys it cuz it "sounds sooo good" at the time, and then after having a few bites, I forget about it and it ends up being the nastiest thing I've ever seen in my life!

But, since I bought the green bags, and using them either in the main portion of the fridge or in the bottom tray (not really a Crisper bin), I've noticed an extended life in my produce.

A fresh head of broccoli has lasted me almost 2 weeks, if not more before it started "turning". Various peppers are usually good until about the 2 week mark, and by then I've usually finished them, or I'm wasting very little.

I use them for my bananas on top of my fridge, and they don't brown as fast, but they still do ripen. (The peels get very soft but they aren't brown yet) My son eats a banana every morning and I use one in my breakfast shake, so we have to buy a lot at once. Usually by the end of a week or week and a half the banana's are "shake material' only.

My strawberries last longer (and gave a bag to my mom to prove it to her as well, she had the same results) and my grapes are now lasting me the whole 2 weeks in between paydays.

According to the bags, they can last longer on some foods, but I try to use up all my produce in at least 2 weeks (between paydays)

I hope that helps you out!

T.,

I'm sending you an article I found years ago online. The lettuce suggestion works really well for me.

Also, I use a salad spinner to dry my lettuce. I used to have a good one (by OXO). It cost about $30. After a couple of years the top broke and I replaced it with a cheaper, crappy one I had to spin by hand. If you plan to buy one, know that all spinners are not created equal. The OXO dried my lettuce really well, and the newer, cheaper one is absolutely worthless.

Okay, here's the article...

Fresh Produce 101

Psssst! Could you use an extra $300? You might want to take a look in your garbage.

A survey conducted by The Garbage Project and Glad, the food storage people (www.glad.com), revealed that the average household throws away 150 pounds of rotten produce each year. At a conservative estimate of $2 a pound, each household is losing about $300 by tossing out produce that’s become more suitable for a biology project than human consumption.

In a survey of 1,000 households, Glad found that while 83 percent considered themselves knowledgeable about the best ways to store produce, only 32 percent knew the proper way to store apples; 38 percent the best way to store strawberries.

And so My Dear Readers, in an effort to raise our collective PIQ (produce intelligence quotient) what follows is a crash course in the proper care and storage of fresh fruits and vegetables.

General: Most fruits will ripen at room temperature. However once ripe, they should be refrigerated. With few exceptions, do not wash fruits or vegetables before storing because washing hastens spoilage. Rather, wash just before eating.

Apples: Store in the refrigerator; do not overcrowd, allow for good air circulation. Unwashed, will last at least 3 weeks.

Bananas: Store at room temperature unbagged; suspended from a hook is ideal. Do not refrigerate. Once ripe will last 3 to 5 days. Can freeze: Peel, slice and spread on cookie sheet. Once frozen, bag them.

Raspberries: Do not wash until ready to use. Store in a plastic container with a tight fitting lid. For optimum length of life, arrange berries in a single layer. Will last for 2-3 days in the refrigerator depending on how ripe they are.

Strawberries: Do not wash, do not remove stems. Store in a sealable bag. To achieve maximum fresh life, arrange strawberries in a single layer in a plastic container with tight-fitting lid. Will stay fresh for 4-5 days.

Grapes: Do not wash. Leave on stems and store in zip-type bag in the refrigerator. Unwashed will stay fresh for 2-3 weeks. Washed? One week if you’re lucky. Always wash just before eating.

Avocados: Ripen at room temperature on the counter then store in the refrigerator. Will stay fresh and wonderful for up to 5 days.

Lettuce: Here’s an exception to the washing rule: Wash well under cold running water. Drain well. Store in sealable plastic bag in the refrigerator (insert a paper towel in the bag to absorb moisture). Will remain fresh and crisp for 7-10 days.

Tomatoes: To ripen store at room temperature, stem up and away from sunlight. Store in plastic sealable bag in the refrigerator. Will stay from for up to a week once ripe.

Potatoes, dry onions: Never refrigerate. Store in dark, cool space like closet or pantry. Require good air circulation. To get onions to last for a month or longer: Cut one leg from a clean pair of pantyhose. Drop an onion into the toe, tight a knot close to the onion. Drop in another. Repeat until filled. Hang from a nail in the pantry. Need an onion? Cut right below the lowest knot. Suspended with air circulation encourages long life for onions. Works well with garlic and potatoes too.

Okay, so no more rotten produce into the garbage, deal?

I wash and shake my lettuce, then wrap it in a dish towel with no bag. Romaine lasts longer than others. Also your crisper drawer can make a difference. Once I got a new fridge it made a big difference. Fruits like low humidity, veggies high, so if you wash before you store, you need to dry fruit completely. Tomatoes taste better not ever refridgerated, and don't store onions or potatoes in the fridge and never together. Potatoes turn green when they're cold and some chemical from onions is bad for potatoes. I'm going to try those green bags. They sound great. We do smoothies with fruit thats less than perfect, but still okay.