How do your veggies/fruits keep fresh longer?

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Lexee15

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Hello all,

Here I am again with another domestic question:o. I went grocery shopping the other day and bought the usual amount of groceries that will last me a couple of weeks. What I didn’t realize is that I’m going to be out of town all week next week:doh2:!!!

Now, I’m in a pickle:blush:, how do I save my fruits and veggies:confused: ??? I don’t want to get back and have to throw them away:nope: :crying:!!! I know I can give them away and if there is nothing that can help me keep my fruits and veggies until I get back I will do that, but I’d like to save them so we can consume them when we get back.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I might be able to preserve my fruits/veggies? I’ve been online and have seen some stick-up thingies that you can put in your crisper that extends the life of fresh fruits/veggies, I also saw some green bags or something like that. The problem is I have to order online so I won’t get them in time, I leave on Sunday (the 9th). Do they sell any of these items at Target or the grocery store? And, most importantly, do they work?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
 
I put my veggies and fruits in the fridge. They usually keep for a week or more. I never buy them ripe. I always buy them when they are still hard. I’ll put them in a brown bag at room temp if I want to ripen them faster. If I put them in the fridge, they will last.
 
Grapes last longer, if you buy them with the stem and keep the stem portion in some water.

Parsely lasts longer if you put the ends in a cup with water in the fridge. Cover with a plastic sandwich bag.

I keep bananas out on the counter until they get spotty, then I put them in the fridge. The ripening process stops once they are in the fridge. So even if the peel turns black, the inside of the bananas will stay the same way.

Before my green peppers get moldy. I chop them up and put them in the freezer.

I freeze tomatoes whole with the peel. When I’m ready to cook with them, I just run them under hot water and the peel comes off in seconds.

I have a small blender that I use to chop garlic finely (add a teaspoon of canola or veg oil) and keep in the fridge until I am ready to use it.

Hope these ideas help. I have tones more. But I hate large posts.
 
Depends on what kinda of fruits/veggies…

If they’re easily packable fruits I’d pack them for your trip! Eat 'em up on the plane (or however you’re getting to your destination)…

For veggies I just keep things in the crisper in the fridge. Usually peppers and carrots can be brought “back to life” if they dry out… you can slice those up and put them in a cup of water and leave them in the fridge… that’ll rehydrate them and they’ll be good to go.

I’ve never been able to save lettuce. That stuff turns way too quickly!

Or, hand them out to neighbors or friends! If anyone offered stuff like that to me I’d be glad to help them out of their dilema! 😃
 
This may not work for you, & the amount of time you need, but I can’t resist sharing:

When you empty a box of cereal, save the liner bag. Rinse or just shake it out & use that for your fruits and veggies.

Something about the preservative coating/residue that keeps the cereal fresh also helps save the stuff that normally goes into our rotter–oops, I meant crisper!🙂

Honest, it really does work!
 
Depending on what you bought, perhpas you should cook up a few veggie dishes and freeze them. Whole fruits can be taken with you as snacks. Chopped fruits can often be frozen and then used in slushies and the like.
 
kage_ar said:
What veggies and fruits do you have?
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I have some broccoli, baby spinach, cucumbers, red and green peppers, lettuce, salad mix, mushrooms, cauliflower, green onions, strawberries, blueberries, apples, bananas, pears, nectarines, peaches, apples, tomatoes, fresh pineapple chunks, grapes (washed and no stem), I think that’s it. Not to mention my bread, I have whole wheat, white, ww bagels and ww hamburger buns.

Hope this helps with any suggestions. I only have a few pieces of fruit left, I think we’ll finish those up before we leave…not too sure about the veggies though:o.
 
Spinach, you could cook and freeze…

The salad/lettuce - feel like salad for dinner? Doubt those can be kept.

The rest of the veg - should be okay to freeze.

Or - make veg soup and freeze that.

Fruit - berries can be frozen. Eat the rest 🙂

Another option, run out and buy one of those neat o vaccuum bag gizmos.
 
green onions can finely chopped and frozen
blueberries can be frozen (I use them in muffins).

bread, whole wheat, white, ww bagels and ww hamburger buns can all be frozen.

pears are like bananas, they don’t ripen once they are in the fridge (but they will rot over time, so it depends on how long you leave them there).
 
Lexee15 said:
I have some broccoli, baby spinach, cucumbers, red and green peppers, lettuce, salad mix, mushrooms, cauliflower, green onions, strawberries, blueberries, apples, bananas, pears, nectarines, peaches, apples, tomatoes, fresh pineapple chunks, grapes (washed and no stem), I think that’s it. Not to mention my bread, I have whole wheat, white, ww bagels and ww hamburger buns.

Hope this helps with any suggestions. I only have a few pieces of fruit left, I think we’ll finish those up before we leave…not too sure about the veggies though:o.
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Apples & pears will be fine for weeks in the refrigerator.

Broccoli, cucumbers, peppers, cauliflower - may stay fine for a couple of weeks in “crisper” drawer of refrigerator

Lettuce, salad mix, baby spinach, mushrooms, green onions, blueberries, washed grapes - maybe a week

Strawberries will last a few days in the fridge if they were ripe; if they weren’t ripe they won’t be any good regardless.

Pineapple chunks - a few days.

Tomatoes - don’t put them in the refrigerator, they will lose their flavor. IF they had any to begin with. This being tomato season though, I presume they are good.

Bananas - they will turn brown if you put them in the refrigerator, although I’ve heard it may not affect the flavor.

Peaches & nectarines - if they are not ripe yet, putting them in the fridge will make them turn mealy. If you let them sit out a couple of days to ripen, then stick them in the fridge, they may be fine for a week or more.

Your bread will last for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator; longer in the freezer.
 
StephanieC said:
This may not work for you, & the amount of time you need, but I can’t resist sharing:

When you empty a box of cereal, save the liner bag. Rinse or just shake it out & use that for your fruits and veggies.

Something about the preservative coating/residue that keeps the cereal fresh also helps save the stuff that normally goes into our rotter–oops, I meant crisper!🙂

Honest, it really does work!
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So do you then put them in the fridge (the ones that need frigerating, that is)??? I’m definitely going to try this!!
 
Yes, put them in the fridge/crisper as you would usually do. Just fold the bag loosely.

Just for fun, do a home “experiment” the next time you go shopping. Throw some lettuce in the cereal bag, and do what you would normally do with another bit of lettuce–then see which lasts longer!🙂 (I know the cereal bag lettuce will.)

Seems to work best if you just quickly rinse the bag, or just shake out the cereal “dust.” Washing thoroughly with soap would defeat the purpose of taking advantage of the preservative coating.
 
Lexee15 said:
I have some broccoli, baby spinach, cucumbers, red and green peppers, lettuce, salad mix, mushrooms, cauliflower, green onions, strawberries, blueberries, apples, bananas, pears, nectarines, peaches, apples, tomatoes, fresh pineapple chunks, grapes (washed and no stem), I think that’s it. Not to mention my bread, I have whole wheat, white, ww bagels and ww hamburger buns.

Hope this helps with any suggestions. I only have a few pieces of fruit left, I think we’ll finish those up before we leave…not too sure about the veggies though:o.
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The broccoli, peppers, cauliflower, strawberries, and blueberries can be cut up and frozen in Ziploc freezer bags.

The baby spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes can be cooked and frozen. (Add cheese and fresh cream to make a nice spaghetti sauce.)

The cucumbers, lettuce, salad mix, and bananas have to be eaten right away, I think. I have never heard of any of these lasting more than a few days, anyway.

The rest can be cut up and immersed in cold water in plastic storage containers, or else dried slowly in the oven to make raisin snacks.
 
You can freeze eggs too. Not a fruit or veggie, but hey, there you have it.
 
StephanieC said:
Yes, put them in the fridge/crisper as you would usually do. Just fold the bag loosely.

Just for fun, do a home “experiment” the next time you go shopping. Throw some lettuce in the cereal bag, and do what you would normally do with another bit of lettuce–then see which lasts longer!🙂 (I know the cereal bag lettuce will.)

Seems to work best if you just quickly rinse the bag, or just shake out the cereal “dust.” Washing thoroughly with soap would defeat the purpose of taking advantage of the preservative coating.
Click to expand...
Alright lady, You’re ON!! LOL – I’m all over it.
 
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