A couple months back I checked out those Debbie Meyer Green Bags and did a review on them. They do work great...Although, if you're tired of throwing away rotten fruits and vegetables and want alternative solutions, here are a some simple [tags]save-produce[/tags] tips that will make your produce last much longer.
Our fridge temperature is probably one of the last things that's ever on our mind. The temperature inside your fridge should be between 32F and 41F. If it's too warm, food won't be chilled correctly and bacteria will start to multiply. While if its too cold, ice particles will form within the food.
Avoid storing fresh produce in the plastic packaging in which it's sold. Air should circulate around fruit and vegetables to prevent them from sweating and becoming soggy.
Apples: Remove unblemished apples to prevent them from contaminating the others with their rot.
Lettuce: This is one exception to the no-plastic rule because it seems to thrive if it's kept loose in a large plastic bag in the fridge. A good way to revive limp lettuce is to slice off a sliver of the stem and place the lettuce in a bowl of cold water. Individual leaves can be revived if you sprinkle them with cold water, wrap them in a tea towel and pop them in the fridge for an hour or so.
Carrots (and beetroot and turnips): Cut off any green, leafy tops because these will continue to draw
nutrients from the roots. Like all root vegetables, carrots will last longer if they're kept in a cold, dry, dark place with good ventilation.
Lemons: After you've cut a lemon in half, place the halves cut side down on a saucer. Then cover them with an inverted glass and store them in a cool place.
Celery: Celery starts to lose its flavor as soon as it's washed. The best way to store a piece of celery is to stand the stalk upright in a glass of water before placing it in the fridge.
Mushrooms: Store mushrooms in a cool, dark place, but not the fridge. I find that they last longer if they are wiped dry and laid on a piece of paper towel.
Onions: Onions are easy to store. Just put them into a vegetable basket or wire rack. The trick to preventing them from rotting is to keep the bulbs apart so that air can circulate around them.
Potatoes: Stop potatoes from sprouting by storing them in a cool, dry place with a few apples. If you've peeled too many or have peeled them in preparation for cooking, put them in a bowl. Then cover them with water, and place the bowl in the fridge.
Tomatoes: Some people like their tomatoes rock hard, while others prefer them soft. Green tomatoes, along with any that haven't fully ripened, are best stored in a dark place. Exposing them to sunlight simply makes them soft not ripe. To ripen them, place them either in a brown paper bag with an apple or in a drawer, stalk side up, and leave them until they've turned rosy red.
Saving money on food is pretty important these days with the way things are going with the economy. Now you can stretch your dollar a little further and keep your produce in your fridge rather than the trash can! Yesss! By the way, if you've ever seen those infomercials on the Smart Spin storage system, I actually got those about a year ago now and I left a Smart Spin review for you!
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When I spotted a box of 3 green storage bags for $9+ at my grocer’s I might have purchased them but didn’t because they cannot be reused and I felt the price was too high for such a short term use. I was a professional chef and so I know a good deal about foods and storage. For what they are worth, here are my storage tips:
to prevent fresh fruits from bruising, I rotate them at least once a day. . . . my husband buys 1/4 pound of coffee beans at a time (!) and grinds them himself each day at home because he claims his morning brew tastes best that way. . . I buy a few bananas every few days – I peel and freeze them in hot months, with surprisingly good results (mashed bananas are great in my homemade frozen ices) … I never chill tomatoes because they turn rubbery . . . for many years now, whenever I purchase lettuce, I immediately rinse it well, leave it to drip dry it in the dish drainer, then wrap it in an immaculate linen towel and store it in a large plastic bag – after a few hours the lettuce crisps beautifully and it keeps perfectly for at least a week or more, depending on the variety . . . I keep white potatoes in a closed wicker basket in the c0olest area of the pantry or in the fridge which sometimes improves their sweetness …. sweet potatoes ruin in open air and spoil quickly even if refrigerated . . . onions stay nice on a tray in the pantry with plenty of air around each one. . . gourmet mushrooms keep perfectly in my fridge for 10+ days if I transfer them immediately after purchase from their market package into a brown paper bag (I wipe them with a damp towel just before using them) . . . I freeze fresh ginger and grate it into dishes – keeps for months, unlike any other storage method I’ve tried for ginger . . . I always keep fresh garlic in a closed kitchen cabinet, but sometimes I peel and refrigerate individual cloves in a clean dry plastic container … when I buy plastic boxes of berries, I always turn the closed box upside down to relieve pressure on the fruits packed in the bottom . . . I wash fruits and vegetables just before using, never sooner because moisture spoils them . . . I always refrigerate breads and store-baked goods as they quickly mold in my air-conditioned southern kitchen . . . I keep all dry foods such as rice, flour, pasta, bread crumbs, cornmeal and sugar in tightly sealed metal, glass or plastic containers and mark with the date so I can detect oldies at a glance . . .
Your video on preserving fresh foods in special containers was quite interesting, thanks. A box of 3 green one-use storage bags costs $10 here, – too costly, in my opinion, for such limited use. I was a professional chef and so I know a good deal about foods and storage. I’ve learned over the years that there are 3 factors in food spoilage: AIR, MOISTURE and TIME. For what they are worth, here are my storage tips:
to prevent fresh fruits from bruising on our table, I rotate them at least once a day. . . . I line my refrigerator bins with bubble wrap which cushions carrots and other raw vegetables . . . my husband buys a half pound of coffee beans at a time and grinds some himself each day at home because he claims his morning brew tastes best that way. . . I buy small batches of bananas every few days – unused ones are peeled and frozen with good results (mashed bananas taste great in my homemade frozen ices) … I never chill tomatoes because they turn rubbery . . . when I purchase lettuce, I immediately rinse it well, let it drip dry in the dish drainer, then wrap in a clean tea towel and store in a large closed plastic bag – after a few hours the lettuce is crisp and ready for use and it will keep for at least a week . . . I store white potatoes in a closed wicker basket in the c0olest darkest area of the pantry or in the fridge which sometimes improves their sweetness …. sweet potatoes ruin here in open air and spoil quickly even if refrigerated so I buy only a few at a time and cook them asap . . . onions keep well on a tray in the pantry with plenty of air around each bulb . . . raw gourmet mushrooms do fine in my fridge for 10+ days if I transfer them immediately after purchase from their market package into a brown paper bag (I wipe them with a damp towel just before using) . . . I freeze raw unpeeled ginger root and grate it into dishes – keeps for months, unlike any other storage method I’ve tried for ginger . . . I keep whole bulbs of garlic in a closed kitchen cabinet, but sometimes I peel and refrigerate individual cloves in dry containers … when I buy berries in clear plastic boxes I turn the containers upside down before refrigerating to relieve pressure on berries packed at the bottom – I discard spoiling berries before they contaminate their pals . . . I wash fruits and vegetables just before using, never sooner because moisture will quickly spoil them . . . in my climate, I must refrigerate baked goods or they will mold, even though our home is air conditioned . . . I keep all dry foods like flour in tightly sealed canisters and mark with the date and routinely discard anything past its prime . . . I avoid buying sprouts that look soggy because they are doomed to spoil . . . I avoid buying deli items like seafood salads unless they will be consumed within 24-48 hours and I never buy chopped raw greens such as lettuce and cabbage because they brown unless consumed immediately; once vegetables are cut they can’t be washed without losing nutrients, and they are so often recalled by manufacturers due to widespread contamination that I figure, why take a chance? As a friend of mine said, “I don’t care what the package says: it isn’t washed unless I wash it.”
Never thought of not storing mushrooms in the fridge. Seems like they would go bad faster if they weren’t cold. Very useful tips though.
.-= Micah´s last blog ..Samsung RFG293 Refrigerator Review =-.