As a gardener, it’s a wonderful feeling seeing my fridge filled with red tomatoes, colorful peppers, deep green zucchini and cucumbers; and there’s nothing more discouraging than opening my fridge several days later to see my tomatoes rotting, lettuce wilting, and cucumbers mushy.
Some vegetables and fruits emit ethylene gases that will actually make your other fruits and vegetables spoil faster. So how you store your fruits and vegetables will determine how fresh your produce will stay. After spending so much time growing my fruits and veggies, I want to keep them healthy, crispy, and lasting long. How? Some people suggest using this product…But at $10+ a pop for 20 bags? Ouch! That’s pretty steep! I know they work, but I have a hard time choking down that kind of money. So here’s my solution and it works wonders! I’ve been doing this for quite a while…long before the Green Bags came out…and it’s much cheaper! By using Ziploc bags, Hefty, or something equivalent, you can get the same results. Walmart sells Ziploc 50 count quart-size bags for about $4–that’s more than double the bags and half the cost of what you’d get with the other product. Ziploc 28 count 1-gallon Sandwich Bags runs about $3. And the jumbo 10 count 2-gallon size bags are $3.50. Here’s what you do to get the most bang for your buck and less spoilage: First, take a storage bag large enough to accommodate the vegetable(s) you are going to store. Bend the bag in half and with scissors, cut three small slits across the width of the bag, like so: cut 3 small slits across the width of the bag Second, do NOT put “wet” vegetables into a bag. Dry them off before you store. The easiest way to do that is using paper towels. Third, store like vegetables together, i.e., tomatoes in one bag, lettuce in another bag, and so forth. Lastly, put the vegetables or fruits in the bags and store in your fridge! The slits allow the ethylene gas to escape and air in to keep the vegetables crisp. The plastic keeps the vegetables away from each other to help keep the gasses from spoiling the other foods. That’s it! It’s fast, easy, cheap, and simple. I’ve had many of my vegetables store up to 30 days! Let me know how it works for you.
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Willie T. KornegayGarden Stems is an online gardening resource to annuals, perennials, roses, trees, shrubs, and more, including useful tips from lay and professional gardeners. Garden Stems is an educational tool with beautiful images and introductions to some of the most leading plants in the market. Garden Stems is your gardening professional to create beautiful gardens with confidence--one plant at a time. ArchivesCategories |