createFresh vegetables going bad
Help, my vegetables bought fresh from the farmers market keep going bad. I keep them in the plastic bags and in the refrigerator. Why are my fresh vegetables rotting so quickly? Are the farmers selling old veg as new?
I agree. The farmer’s aren’t conning you — most of the time. The key is to allow your refrigerator to work well. The newer ones are actually designed to work really well and the crisper keeps veg crisp by allowing the moisture to escape. But then if your farmers market is like mine you come home with lots of great veg in plastic bags. Our natural inclination is seal them up tight and this is where we get in trouble. Veg naturally releases moisture and this needs to escape.
So if you want to keep your veg fresh, It is very important to remove the items from the bag or at the very least keep the bag open. This way the moisture escapes and the veg will stay fresh longer. it is all the trapped moisture that causes the rot.
In my experience I have found that I can load up over the weekend and my veg stays fresh in the crisper throughout the week. No bags needed.
This is great advice. It took me a long time to break the habit of sealing up fresh vegetables nice and tight in plastic bags.
No more bags! Thanks. That was a big help I opened all the bags to let them breathe and my vegetables lasted — well only ‘till thursday. They were so fresh we ate them all before the week was out.
What an enjoyable time to look through to this post thanks for all the effort which you did for us.
vegetable are meant to be rotten no matter how fresh they are. however, if they are put in a proper place like refrigerator or vegetable stand then probably we can prolong the life of a vegetable.
You can keep your vegetables fresh easily in refrigerator. There is one thing you can do don’t use shopping bag while putting your vegetables in the refrigerator.
I don’t imagine you are being conned by the farmers. That wouldn’t serve their interests well. And, if you are buying from farmers’ markets, their job is to sell you perfectly ripe fruit and veg.
Different vegetables need to be treated in different ways. Sealing in plastic bags prevents air from circulating, which may not be a good thing.
My experience is that every refrigerator is different and, despite conventional wisdom, I have found a process of trial and error is the best way forward. For example, carrots wilt in my refrigerator in a day or so. I therefore only buy them the day I need them. But broccoli can sit in my crisper draw for a week or so without any problem. Go figure!
Lettuce always stays freshest out of a bag. Some vegetables (particularly those already pre-washed) enjoy a wrap in paper towel before being refrigerated.
Potatoes, onions, other root vegetables can do well in a dark area of your kitchen (a veg drawer perhaps).
As a rule of thumb, though… if your life-style can allow for it, buy the fruit and veg you need on the day of consumption (or use it within a day or two).
Oh, and for any veg not suited to fresh eats, a good vegetable Harvest time vegetable stock will be the order of the day!