How do you store fresh vegetables, other than potatoes for more than 3 or 4 days?

Question

And does freezing, really destroy important vitamins, nutrients and enzymes that the body needs after thawing for use?

I need more fresh vegetable in my diet and I cannot seem to keep them more than a few days before they go bad.

Answer 1

I buy frozen veggies, they are picked at their prime and quick frozen and good for you. Lettuce I have a keeper, cellery I clean and wrap in paper towels and put in the veggie drawer, if it looks like it is going then I dice and freeze in a zip lock, I buy green peppers on sale and dice and freeze. Just some suggestions.

Answer 2

It's good to read that you are taking such good care of yourself!

Vegetables begin to lose nutrients as soon as they are harvested. That's why fresh from the garden veggies are the best....however, not all of us have our own gardens, so the fresh veggies we pick up at stores may not be at their peak. This is why I use a combination of fresh veggies from my Farmer's Market, from my grocery store, and frozen veggies. In some cases, the frozen veggies retain more of their nutrients; especially when the 'fresh' produce has traveled a long way or has been stored for a week or more before you buy it.

Depending on the vegetable; 3 to 4 days may be about right for the length of time you can store fresh at home. Different vegetables require different ways to store; and even when properly stored some only last a few days. I can usually keep tomatos at room temp for about a week. Carrots and celery in the crisper drawer of my refrigerator usually last at least a week. Leafy greens last a few days in the fridge. Yellow squash and zucchini only last a few days; but winter squash and sweet potatoes will last more than a week stored in my pantry.

When you buy fresh fruit or veggies; be sure that there are no bruises or cuts, it isn't over-ripe, and is locally grown when possible.

I always keep bags of frozen veggies in my freezer. Lima beans, spinich, collards, turnip greens, string beans, peas, etc. It's so easy to toss a handful in a recipe or warm it on the stove or in the microwave.

I rarely use canned veggies because of the salt content; however I do use no salt added canned tomatoes and keep a few cans of other veggies and fruits in case we have a power outage. The nutrients are still high in canned products, it's just the salt and processing that I want to avoid.

If you can't get to the market twice a week for veggies, then use a variety of fresh and frozen. I don't believe freezing veggies takes away more nutrients than transporting and storing fresh veggies.

Answer 3

I keep the fresh veggies in the crisper section of the fridge. Luckily, a small grocery store near me sells smaller packages of fresh vegetables -- enough for 3 or 4 days at a time. I have read articles by nutritionists who say that frozen vegetables have just as much nutrient content as the fresh ones. You might want to consider buying bags of frozen vegetables. It's very handy for when one wants to use only as much as is needed for a meal, without worrying about the rest going to waste. Plus, the frozen veggies are already cleaned and chopped, so that saves some work, too.

Answer 4

Well tomatoes and potatoes and onions or any other veggie that is 'out' in the grocers and not chilled can be kept out in the kitchen until use.

Other green veggies? - there are special veggie bags for refrigerator storing that are plastic yet have some air vents made for that purpose.

To save money what I do is wrap the veggie in a paper towel or two, then place them in a large plastic bag...keeps the moisture from forming,thus giving more fridge time before they begin to go bad.

You can also 'blanch' the veggies first...bring some water to boil and place them in the water for a very short time - remove - then store in a fridge container.

Freezing does not remove the nutrients...in fact frozen veggies can be just as healthy.

Answer 5

Unfortunately each fruit and vegetable reacts differently when it has been picked/plucked/cut from it's environment.
For instance, okra reacts badly with moisture so you should stored in a paper bag, while lettuce should be stored in plastic to seal in water.
Corn should not be stored at all since its enzymes are braking down the sugars as soon as it's been cut, and so should be used immediately.
Some cooking programs should tell you about storage of the ingredients they are using, my favorite is Good Eats.

Also if you want to improve your health, maybe knowing what to so with the vegetables will help more than just buying them and letting them live their last days in the fridge :) In other words, cooking is the best way of storing vegetables.

Answer 6

If I know I will be using them within a few days I store them in the salad compartment in the fridge, but for longer, freezing is best, they don't loose any goodness, I read just recently it is better to freeze them as soon as possible after being picked, as just storing them can loose more of the vitamins and nutrients
edit: I meant to add, the cooking of them is very important wally, as you loose most of the goodness that way, steaming is best, eating raw is better, except carrots, apparently they release their goodness when cooked

Edit: after reading dr ivy response, it just show you what I know...not a lot lol, so take no notice of what I put, what you mean you haven't!! lol

Answer 7

You should keep them in the drawer of your fridge designed to keep fruits and veggies. If you put them in a closed zip lock baggie they can mildew. I usually put them in a bag and just leave it open, or a paper bag, so that it can breathe. Paper bags can get soggy though. They also make bags that are designed for this now (it allows air exchange through the bag).

If your veggies get wilted, here is a trick. Just take out a plastic container and put some water in it, then throw the veggies in, and put it back in the fridge. It will make them hydrated again. This works on anything from green beans to lettuce

Hope that helps! =)

Answer 8

Veges shouldnt last that long, buy them fresh regularly and eat with in a few days.
Freezing is fine but blanch the veges first and no nutrients will be lost.
Dont ask me why thats just what the book says.!!!!

Answer 9

Don`t buy massive quantities and they will keep fine for several days if you choose really fresh ones. In the fridge down in the veggie drawers. Not potatoes though just keep them in the coolest place in your appartment.Freezing is good and does not harm the good properties in them.

Answer 10

I use a FoodSaver and it works great for extending the life of produce! I'm giving someone a set of the Debbie Meyer "Green Bags" for Chrismas, and am anxious to see how well those work.