[one more food question] fruits and veggies cause...welll... yah
1I know a few of you grow you own. Others, like moi, enjoy the farmer’s market.
When you get your haul home, or in the house, how do you store it?
Do you use ziplocks? random bags? dedicated veggie/fruit containers? something else?
And why?
- 6 comments, 21 replies
- Comment
Hah - the way the heading is worded - “fruits and veggies cause …” made me think this was going somewhere totally different.
And I store mine different places. Bowls outside the fridge for some fruit, fridge for all veggies; my mother always wrapped stuff like lettuce and celery in paper towels and put them back in the plastic bags. So I do that. Mushrooms though - I transfer them from plastic to a paper bag. My problem is getting stuff eaten in time.
Oh, I guess the bot had the same thought, looking again at the banner image!
@Kyeh guess I should have put a apostrophe up there huh
@Cerridwyn
yes
I had two baskets of freshly picked strawberries that I left in their wicker containers for a day.
the AC went out, they basically melted and oozed their way under the in-counter cooktop and down into the pots and pans cabinet below.
my house is now on the market, is what i’m trying to say
I just throw everything in a blender and eat gazpacho for a week
@capnjb methinks you need some
in that there blender!
@capnjb this is what i do with holiday leftovers
@capnjb @sillyheathen I would add the avocado chopped, as a garnish
@sillyheathen I’m not sure I’ve ever put avocado in gazpacho, but sliced avocado on a Triscuit with fresh lime juice and big flaky sea salt is about my most favorite lunch ever
Maybe just a pinch of cajun seasoning now and again 
@capnjb @sillyheathen @Kyeh My typical breakfast: toasted “everything” bagel topped with thin shavings of sharp Tillamook cheddar cheese, sliced ripe tomato and avocado (sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste). Yum!
@capnjb Each time I scroll past this picture I keep thinking salsa.
@capnjb @kyeh I just like any excuse to throw avocados at people.
@capnjb @sillyheathen Are you able to grow avocados in your little paradise up there?
@capnjb @Kyeh
I do have an avocado tree that I started from seed but it’s never produced fruit. But it’s also only about 4-5 years old.
@capnjb @sillyheathen Hmmm! So it could happen …
@capnjb @Kyeh keep your fingers crossed! Anything can happen!
It depends on your region and house etc. sometimes I actually harvest and don’t refrigerate because most fridges are kept colder than produce finds agreeable and can deteriorate faster. Now in the south or in areas where it’s much more hot and humid, that may not be the best. I typically will wash and spin any vegetation and if you have large zip top bags, you can store them in there with a paper towel. I always leave a 1-2 inch gap open in the center so the produce can breathe. I also have produce bins that I bought from Costco that are kind of amazing. My produce bins that are built in get far too cold and destroy produce so I typically keep meat and cheese in those.
The bins on the left are what I’m referring to.
@sillyheathen I have looked at those to quit using the plastic bags. Because they’re washable and reusable for a very long time. Do you like them? What brand did you buy? Are the Costco’s own brand or Oxo or Rubbermaid or who knows?
@Cerridwyn I’m really not sure. I shall investigate and get back to you. I liked them so much that I bought a second set.
Optimally, they all get stored away long-term.
Fresh fruits go in the “fruit tray” (an empty Amazon box; ideally it would have been an empty crate for lemons or mikan oranges) near the front door where I can pick them up and munch when it’s convenient. Usual suspects: apples, bananas, mandarins, peaches, pears.
Other fruits (berries, drupels, melons, etc.) go into a cooler in the sub-cellar that’s cool-enough all-year long. I’ll deal with scrubbing, peeling, pitting, and sealing … later. I just have to make sure I check back in a day or two before I forget completely and mold starts growing.
Dried, packaged fruits go into the “snack box” (several IRK bags) next to the fruit tray. (These names were derived from the original containers.)
Veggies are a bigger headache. Leafy veggie bunches go in a colander near the sink. They need to be washed and broken down, ready to be frozen. Cabbages or hardier leafy heads can go straight into the fridge crisper drawers where they get the dissection treatment later. Tubers and root vegetables (onions, garlic, potatoes) go directly into the crisper drawers if there’s room, otherwise they go in a pot on the counter/range so they’re hidden from the sunlight. Softer ground veggies (eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, avocado, squash) go into the fridge.
Ideally I’m chopping away at something an hour before bedtime, putting it into freezer bags, or vacuum sealing it in Ziplocs and placing it wherever-away-from-light (the oven; it’s pretty much 110% storage space at this point).
Mrs. H. has recently started storing fresh fruit in a quart sized glass jar w/ a spring sealed top. She puts a paper towel in the top if they are going to be stored for more than a week, and it’s unbelievable how fresh they stay! We buy in bigger quantities wherever possible, to save money, but that only works if one is going to eat the goodies, instead of throwing away in 3-4 days. We easily get 3 weeks out of strawberries stored this way.
@tohar1 Does she do anything else to the fruit? I’ve seen articles saying that you should soak them in vinegar and dry them thoroughly but it sounds like she just puts them directly in the jars? I’m curious what makes the difference to keep them for so long?
@Kyeh The jars are air tight. So it basically suspends the aging process. I know she does wash grapes (I think she uses baking soda? Don’t quote me on that one…), but I’ve never seen her do anything with the strawberries, other than in the jar & in the fridge.
@tohar1 Thanks! My strawberries have been going moldy so fast; I’m going to try this.