Keeping Veggies Crisp?

[Calypso]

Does anyone have any tips on keeping veggies crisp and fresh? Especially those of you with large herds.. how do you do it?

I have tried washing and drying (using a salad spinner) and putting them in ziplocs, using the crisper box from Tupperware, leaving things in the produce bags I brought them home in and just washing what I need when I need it, and, my latest experiment.... lining the crisper drawer in the fridge with paper towels and washing and drying the veggies (this week it was Romaine, green leaf and parsley) and drying thoroughly and then putting them right into the drawer.

The last way was definately the most convenient.. open the drawer, grab a couple of handfuls and we're good! The veggies stayed pretty fresh that way also. But, the drawback is that I couldn't add anything to the drawer so as it got lower and lower and I bought more stuff it had to sit in the bags on the shelf. Plus, I wasn't able to give much of a variety from day to day (other than things that didn't need to go in the crisper: baby carrots, green pepper, banana peel).

Calypso, I've tried bagging them, I've tried drying them out. I don't have any fancy equipment though!

The best thing that has worked for me is just leaving the veggies in tact until I'm ready to wash and feed them to the pigs. Putting them in the crisper in the normal grocery bag.

[patnjackmom]

The one thing that I learned from a farm stand is that with stuff like parsley and lettuce, keep in original bags with a little bit of water, and try to keep them upright. They stay longer, just like flowers do.

You can also try Fridge-Smarts (made by Tupperware). They might be a bit pricey, but extremely valuable in the longrun.

Check out www.mytupperware.com/kerrymcallister for more information on how you can order Fridge-Smarts.

They aren't that tall, but you can break down (and slice) veggies such as lettuces and bell peppers and stick them in.

(BTW, that is my moms webpage...that is where I got that information from).

Good luck!

Charlie

[LilyGrace]

I can't figure it out. I wash and spin dry all leafy veggies and put them in ziplocks, then in the drawer in my fridge. Unless the veggies have fragile leaves (for instance, red lettuce, basil) they last a whole week for me.

Root veggies (like carrots), I wash, then store in tupperware with a bit of water at the bottom.

Oh, have you used the fancy ziplock bags with the zipper thingy? That's what I use. I used to use the other type, but I found the zippered ones to be better.

[Calypso]

Thanks for the tips, Everyone!

GPD, I have heard good things about those Fridge-Smarts. I'll take a look at your mom's site and check them out. Thanks! Of course, if I went with something like that I think the pigs would need to have their own fridge!

LG, I haven't tried those yet. I'll pick some up next time I'm at the store. Thanks!

[Leinani]

I always wonder about what other people use to keep their veggies fresh also.

I remember someone mentioning that they purchased some vegetables from a health food store and the plastic bag that it came in kept the food very well. She didn't know what type of bag it was but she kept reusing it. I think Glad or one of those brands is coming out with a bag that is supposed to keep fruits and veggies fresh.