Keeping it fresh

How do you keep vegetables fresh? 

My organic grocery is not near my home so I run by there once a week or less and the food always goes bad before I eat it all.  Before the end of the week I am out of fresh produce. I have a thermometer in my fridge to by sure to keep it at the right temperature. My freezer is small and I would rather eat fresh.  

Jicama always rots before I finish it. Should it be refridgerated?

I am tired of throwing away tomatoes. My husband says they rot form the inside so if there is a spot on them he throws them out. is he right? Should they be refridgerated?  

Ideas on keeping celery crisp and green?

I am always running a loosing battle with microgreens. spinach, lettuce. 

Oh - and don't get me started on sprouts!  they are always slimey!

All suggestions welcome.

With my veggies, I always spend some time after grocery shopping to do a few small things that keep them fresh.

Lettuce/Spinach - rip all the leaves off the core/heart of it and wash them well.  you can either rip them up further, or leave them in big leaves.  then, dry them off (not totally) and wrap them in a clean dish towel, put it all in a large container and refrigerate.  This will keep them fresh longer and minimize the amount of prep time for salads and sandwiches later.  if you buy prewashed spinach, take it out of the plastic.

Celery - sometimes it helps to separate the stalks and keep them in a tall container standing up in water.

Tomatoes - buy them on the greener side and leave them out in a fruit bowl.  They won't get all mushy and translucent like they do in the fridge.  I don't know if they rot from the inside but I would just cut them up anyway when they get spots and see.

Not sure about the sprouts - just eat them first!

tupperware.. and keep it away from the back of the fridge...  it'll freeze and be all watery.   

watch out for that "organic"  ideal..   some investigators have been discovering that most organics are just regular products with a label on it...  beware. 

i just go for the regular fresh produce...   just keep it dry.. put it in tupperware that's dry and away from the back of the fridge..  make sure the fridge settings are around 3 or 4...  not overly TOO cold.. veggies don't like it that dang cold.

i can keep celery in the fridge IF i keep it clean and dry for 2 weeks..   don't chop it up too much...   don't break it up just make sure it's dry no wetness..  water and cold love one another and hate hard cells... it's gunna soften the veggies.

tomatoes if i'm careful...  i can keep them in a week or a week and one half...   i keep them in the drawer with other maters...  nothing harder or nothing softer...  

unbag also...   if the veggies aren't cut just put them in something with a good seal or the drawer like the apples...  maters, peppers...   that are sturdy in nothing at all just let them sit, no tumbling now, they don't like that crap!    and gentle application and removal of the ripest first will help lengthen the time of storage.

never freeze.. it just don't work that way... unless you blanch and then there goes the important steaming minerals.   :(

things like avocados...  if they're still green...  tomatoes...   some fruits...  i keep out until semi ripe then store in cold. 

spinach is tender....  i usually keep it in the bag it come in.. or a large crisper tupperware and that has to be DRIEST of most leafy greens. 

kale is stury...   don't have to be as fussy...  and unless the vegetables are really, really filthy, don't wash until you need to use the portions.. then remove the portions you want and wash them then prepare for digestion.

i know bug poop and dirt can be gross but i find sometimes washing can ruin the vegetable  (unless it's a special case where you must wash because it'll degrade the plant)  leave it alone...  until ready to be eaten.

long as you get the moisture off...   it'll last.. takes practise and not all veggies take the same care...   practise makes perfect..

i've forgotten all about this.. i've been doing it for so long.. sheesh..

the only problem i have is folks who bruice the items or shove into the back of the fridge then i get all huffy and make them eat the frost bitten stuff.. boy they don't like that!   ha ha!

:D

I shop once a week too, and I buy a mix of things that will hold up for a whole week and things that won't. Then I eat the ones with a shorter fridge life first.

i always cut the bad spots in tomatos out. as well as other fruits. the spot can be deep at times, but you can still have quite a bit of tomato left and i don't like to waste foods unless i need to.

lettuce (and any fresh herbs) will last at least a week longer if you wrap them in paper towels (or a dish towel) before putting back in the plastic bag in the fridge.

I don't refrigerate tomatoes, onions, citrus or apples until such time that I cut into them.

I always refrigerate tomatoes (more because I like them cold than for any other reason) and they last at least a week and a half.  Also, I can tell you that the idea that tomatoes with spots on them are rotten from the inside out is totally untrue.  Just cut the spots off.

I refrigerate all of my produce, now that I think about it, and it always lasts a full week.  Spinach, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, peaches, bananas: all in the fridge!  :-)

try to keep leafy greens from touching plastic so it can "breathe" and not wilt, also you'll want to keep them dry and not rinse until right before use. (filling the plastic bag with air can work pretty well)

strawberries: do not rinse until you are about to eat them, refrigerate

Sprouts: get the kind that have the spongey material on the bottom, it absorbs the moisture, Don't rinse till you eat

baby carrots: add a little water to keep fresh

celery: don't cut up until you're ready to use them

Tips for storing fresh produce

Thanks for all the great tips : ) 

These produce bags are supposed to work very well:  Reusable Bags.

I just ordered some, so I cannot yet report on their effectiveness.  But the website does contain some good reviews!

Oatmeal_bliss:  I have been using the Evert fresh green bags that are shown on the link you listed.  They are fabulous!  In my opinion, they are worth the cost because I reuse them and they really make my produce last longer.  I buy mine at our food co-op.