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How to store produce for longer

Newbie here (and a male, on top of that) - so expect lots of stupid questions. I always try to search first and post only after it didn't yield anything.

I have a feeling this must have been asked before but I could not find anything.

I have been working for the last 2 weeks on going 100% raw - been a vegetarian for a few years now. Bought a lot of organic produce this week - they sure aren't cheap. Now I am worried that I cannot finish them fast enough and they are going to go waste. Are there any tricks to storing them so they last longer? Can I chop them and freeze them - would they still be considered raw?

I am looking for a long term no-stress solution. I don't want to worry about what produce is going to rot and what I should consume in what sequence and stuff like that.

Comments

  • ZemphiraZemphira Raw Newbie

    I had that problem as well when I first started (less than 2 months ago) and one thing that really has helped me is to try and make a list of recipes and/or meals for the week before I go grocery shopping. That way, I'm only inclined to purchase what I need.

    Now I know that sometimes, certain produce (e.g. red peppers) go on sale and I might be inclined to stock up a bit, so what I ended up doing was buying some

    Debbie Meyer Green bags which seem to help extend the life of some of the produce. Freezing things you're not planning on using soon is also an option, you just really need to plan ahead and pull things out if you're going to use them soon.

    I hope this helps, I'm sure some of the more experienced folks can give you more advice. Welcome and good luck!

  • Some vegetables and fruits you can also dehydrate before they go bad and use later .

    Also storing vegetables that have some roots in a little water as 'pot-plants

    Some wilted vegetables bounce back to life when cut and put in water for an hour or more.

  • ras-saadonras-saadon Raw Newbie

    As was said you can freeze some stuff for storage, freezing food kills about 30-60% of the enzymes but other then that, as far as I know, it doesn't harm the food, I hardly ever eat food that has been frozen, but sometimes it is necessary, other then that I must admit it is a bit of a problem, especially with organic produce that has shorter life, when I go shopping I just don't buy a lot, enough for around 2-3days, and always has a stock of nuts, seeds&sun dried fruits, on weekends sometimes I get stuck without fresh fruits&veggies, but thats why I always has a stock ready, I also think its better then spending a lot of money and having it go to waste.

  • nsns

    Thanks everyone for all the advice and info. I bought the Debbie Meyer Green bags.

    Also, check out Extra Life produce saver from www.DGLProducts.com. The cashier at the Organic store where I bought these said that they work great. And these might work out cheaper than the Debbie Meyer bags.

  • I absolutely LOVE the GREEN BAGS!!! They are amazing and my produce never goes bad before I get to it now! They sell them at whole foods...get them now! They will change the way you think of produce!

  • I like the green bags but my favorite are these vegetable keepers I bought..they have a divider you can use that separates food in them and the storage container allows for air circulation so NONE of my fruits are now going bad..here is a link but I am sure you can find them many places

    http://www.thehomemarketplace.com/HomeMarketPlace/Shopping/ProductDetail.aspx?CID=Food+Storage&SCID=Food+Storage&ProductID=0000144824

  • SuasoriaSuasoria Raw Newbie

    I am using the green bags but I'm not as in love with them as Ericaswfs...or my mom, who also LOVES them. The two things I really wanted them for - tomato and lemons - don't seem to work as intended.

    I will say that our produce used to be very short-lived but about ten years ago we got a new fridge and that made a huge difference! Suddenly things that used to go bad in 4-5 days were lasting two weeks.

  • sarawsaraw Raw Newbie

    I don't know how popular this might be, but I bought some fridgesmarts put out by Tupperware. These WORK!!

    romaine lettuce lasts for well over a month, and I've kept kale, and chard in them with great success.

    Already, my containers have paid for themselves. I LOVE them, but I realize that a lot of people are against putting their food in plastic storage containers.

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