Aloha

I would love some feedback/helpful advice on solutions to help keep my produce lasting longer.
* what should & should not go in the fridge/freezer (nuts, seeds etc)
* what should & should not be put/stored close together or in containers (apples, bananas etc)
* how to keep my leafy greans to stay fresh longer (wash/prep, bags w/ holes, containers, loose, etc)
* are there some good containers out there someone found?

any creative ideas would be much appreciated..

We all know a raw/organic lifestyle isn't cheap, and our food can go bad fast

thank you

Most vegetables can be damaged by the defroster in most modern refrigerators. The defroster prevents frost by limiting the air moisture in the fridge. This action can quickly wilt green leaves of all kinds, celery, and carrots. If you have crisper drawers that are actually airtight their contents are protected. Anything else in a relatively airtight container (even a plastic bag) will be protected. My crisper drawers are broken and don't provide much protection, so I dampen a towel and drape it across the contents of the drawer before closing it. Every day or two the towels need re-dampening.

Most fruits seem to be much less vulnerable to dehydrating.

Also... most nuts will benefit from refrigeration, but people differ about that. If you have the room, why not?

I've heard that apples give off a chemical that can speed the aging of carrots. I haven't experienced this myself, but as I said above carrots are prone to dehydrate and get floppy in the fridge if not sealed up, so I always keep mine in plastic bags.

I never refrigerate bananas, unripe fruits or tomatoes. (Well, if they look like they might spoil I will put tomatoes in the fridge.)

Greens will spoil faster if they're stored too wet. (Just as they will if you allow the fridge to dry them out.) You can dry them in a salad spinner or with a towel, but even then they may have enough liquid to trickle to the bottom of the container and start to rot at the bottom. If you feel that your greens are moist you can put a dry towel in the container under all the greens. If you buy greens in non-commercial bags (like at a farmers market) be sure to check the greens before putting them in the fridge. Farmers sometimes bag up greens right after washing and there may be too much water in there.

I use special containers for all of my produce. Some of them are tupperware made special for produce, and recently I purchased some on QVC <[www.qvc.com];

They claim that produce should not be kept in plastic bags due to the interaction of the bags with the naturally produced ethylene gas that produce gives off. I have found also that produce tends to get slimey or moldy fast in plastic bags.

I have been using these containers for about two weeks now and am very satisfied with them.

The other thing I like is a special green bag I got some time ago, that is supposed to do the same thing as these containers. I mainly keep my bananas in them and them seem to last longer.

My greens stay fresh and crisp longer in Evert Fresh bags:
[www.amazon.com]

They really do work!

Thank you!

i'm gonna check out the websites i've been given on here..
and everyones advice has been MUCH appreciated!

keep me posted if you find out anything else..

Happy storing!
Jenna