Keeping Vegetables Fresh for Longer

In doing a big shop just once a month the big shop is where I stock up on my month's worth of fresh produce.  How can I have produce without it spoiling?  I have a whole series of tricks I've learned over time and I promise you I generally still have lovely lettuce as I near the end of the month.   So let me share what I've discovered about keeping produce.   And today, I'll stick to vegetables. 

I'll start with lettuce because that's the mainstay of my salads and I do love a good salad.  In summer months I might buy six heads of romaine.  In winter months, I tend to be good with just a three pack of romaine.

I start by looking for the freshest romaine on the shelf.  I carefully inspect the package for any signs of decay, an abundance of dirt, etc.  I also check for the packages that are heavy for their size.  If a package is light, then it's not a mature head and that means less lettuce.

Now and then I buy iceberg lettuce.  Nothing makes a better wedge salad than a head of iceberg.  In that instance I inspect carefully, too but I tend to buy the biggest and lightest head,  Iceberg tends to have a large core when the head is densely packed and that core can be very bitter.

How do I keep lettuce for most of a month without it spoiling?  I keep it cold on the trip home and then put it right into the crisper drawer when we get home.  I put only lettuce in one drawer.  I never put in tomatoes or other produce with the lettuce.  Just lettuces.   When I am ready to make my first salad, I open only one package, cut the stem ends off the romaine (or core the iceberg), wash well and allow to drain on a clean towel for several minutes.  While the lettuce is still damp but not dripping wet, I wrap each head I'm not planning to use in a clean flour sack or linen or cotton napkin.  I wrap it fairly tightly, tucking in the ends and rolling the cloth about the lettuce.  Then I place this in a zippered plastic bag and put it right back in the fridge.    Once I make a salad, I do the same with any remaining portion of the head I'm using.

This method of washing and wrapping and storing is the exact same for cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower.  I wait until I'm ready to use these items and then I wash, take what I need for that first meal and store the rest while still slightly damp and well wrapped.  

Obviously, I don't unwrap it daily to inspect it.  I think the real key is to keep it wrapped and not mess about with it unless I'm planning to use it, but I do keep in mind that broccoli and lettuce will break down.  I can't wrap it and leave it for weeks on end, but as a rule I'm going to be mindful of what's in the fridge and the need to use it.  

Just as a quick note, if you buy those boxes of greens or bags of fresh spinach, tucking a couple of dry paper towels into the box/bag will absorb the excess moisture that will cause those greens to break down on their own, but the moisture retained by that paper towel will also help keep the greens from drying out completely.

When do I discard lettuce?   Occasionally I find that some hidden damage in the lettuce has created a place for bacteria to grow and that spot is soft/slimy and discolored.  I can be picky.  I generally don't keep cut lettuce on hand unless I am attempting to eat a salad a day.  I don't like the look of rust on lettuce, but it's not harmful to eat it.  However, because I know myself, I seldom make a cut lettuce because once I see that rust, I just don't want to eat it.  I try to be very careful not to discard lettuce unless it's obviously bad lettuce.

On occasion, I do prep lettuce ahead.  In order to keep it fresh for longer, I've found that allowing the cut pieces to dry a little more (a salad spinner would be terrific...I just haven't invested in one new or used) on a clean towel, then put a folded paper towel in the bottom of a plastic box.  I put the lettuce on the paper towel, lay a single layer of paper towel across the top, snap on the lid and that usually will keep the lettuce well for several days without any rust appearing.  

Cabbage might mildew a little on the cut edge as you use it.  Do NOT toss that cabbage.  TRIM it.  A thin slice taken from the previously cut edge will reveal cabbage that is still sweet and tasty to eat.   

When do I toss cabbage?  When it's moldy, not mildewed.  Mildew can be trimmed from cabbage and from cauliflower very safely.  I do try to eat cauliflower before I eat cabbage, because it is far more attractive if it's not trimmed too deeply.  Cabbage just holds well, both red and green heads.

Broccoli doesn't tend to mildew but it will continue to ripen and will turn yellow as it ages.  For this reason, I tend to use broccoli earlier in my month.  I like to buy broccoli with stems.  Stems will keep well far beyond the broccoli head.  They can be frozen and chopped and cooked or they can be shredded fresh and added to stir fry, soup or slaw.  I keep the stems the same way I do the broccoli.  Once washed, I wrap them and place in a plastic bag.  When I'm ready to use, I trim the dry cut ends and trim the sides then chop/shred.

Carrots keep fairly well just as they are in the bag.  No need to fuss much with carrots.

Celery can be kept well for quite a time if it's washed and wrapped when you get it home.  I cut away the root end (wash well and freeze for making broth), trim the top leaves (dry or chop fine and freeze to use to seasons soups, stir fries and roasts).  Once the celery is drained, I wrap tightly in cotton or linen and then wrap in foil and place that back in the bag the celery came in.  The number one issue with celery is that it will become bitter if left long term without using.  

Tomatoes should be refrigerated if they are ripe.  If left on the counter they will continue to ripen and get soft quickly.  Don't wash until ready to use.  Once cut, store in a glass container with a tight fitting lid.  Tomatoes will keep about two weeks at most and then the dry air in the fridge is going to start to cause them to wrinkle so plan to use sooner rather than later.

Zucchini and cucumber are both to be washed before use.   When I've had leftovers I've had good success by wrapping the cut end with waxed paper or cling film, then wrapping the  rest of the vegetable.  Placed in a vegetable keeper with a dry paper towel in the bottom they should hold up well for another week or so.   If you find soft spots on yellow squash, zucchini or cucumber cut away.  Discard if the vegetable skins become slimy to the touch and any mold appears.

Bell peppers keep well overall.  Eventually the dry air in the fridge will begin to cause them to wrinkle.  I find that when they are nearing that point, I can seed, chop or slice and freeze.   Not for fresh eating at that point, but perfect for cooked dishes.  If a bell pepper gets a soft spot cut that section away, wash well and use or freeze any remaining portion.

For mushrooms, I try to leave the package undisturbed until I am ready to use the mushrooms.  I open the package carefully if I can (I don't buy cling film and like to reuse the package wrapping).  I remove what I plan to use then carefully fold a dry paper towel and place atop the mushrooms before I pull the cling film back over the container to shut it tightly.  In the event that I cannot do this, I will slide a punnet into a quart sized zippered bag removing as much air as possible.

These are the vegetables I typically buy and keep on hand in my fridge.  Occasionally I might purchase corn on the cob (keep wrapped until ready to use but use as soon as you can), Asparagus (I find storing the stalks upright in a jar of water with a plastic bag over the top will keep them crisp and fresh) or herbs (same as storing the asparagus.   Green beans don't require special handling but I do keep my eye on them as they can be wet in their packaging and that will lead to a breakdown of the beans.

Oh yes, I did want to add that I used to refuse to buy avocados in quantity because once they ripened that was it.  My Oily Home (sister to Farmhouse on Boone) said that she always buy them in quantity when they are on sale and stores them in the fridge drawer, then takes out what she needs a day or two before she wants them to ripen and soften.  Mind you hers is a family of seven so she can certainly use far more than I can (John doesn't eat them) but I have bought those bags at Aldi when best priced and they do keep very well as a general rule if they are nice and firm when purchased.  I did have a couple that got dark inside and just were less than prime but I've had far more success than failure with Avocadoes since she shared her tip.

I do buy potatoes in ten pound lots each month and one or two 3-pound bags of onions as well.  Do NOT store potatoes in the fridge!  The cold will convert the potato into starch and they will be less than prime for your dishes.  

For potatoes and sweet potatoes, I store them in a basket in a cool dark cabinet.  For me that place happens to be on a shelf with canned goods in the kitchen area.  I store onions in the same cabinet, in a separate basket and they are situated at the other end of that cabinet on a bottom shelf.  If potatoes and onions are stored together or too near each other the gases will cause the onions to sprout and the potatoes to sprout more quickly.  Mind you that potatoes and onions sprouting is a perfectly natural thing.  Check them over at least once every five days and remove any with soft spots.   If the onion nor the potato is rotten through you can trim away the bad spot and use right away.  Toss oozing, obviously moldy items.

If potatoes sprout, trim away those sprouts and use the potatoes as per usual.  Watch for deep green on the peels.  That indicates that the potato was exposed to sunlight at some point.  Be sure to pare potatoes well if you see any green peel.  While not deadly the green does indicate that the potato has begun to develop chlorophyll which is not poisonous to you but it may cause a slight headache if eaten.  

That's how I keep vegetables well in my home.   Next week I'll share about fruits.