solving my grocery and food waste problems for 2025
January 12, 2025 11:30 PM Subscribe
I need to figure out how to eat primarily whole, fresh, minimally processed, plant-dominant meals without either throwing away so much produce or going to the grocery store every day. Difficulty level: I cook for one, and currently have no access to garden plots or CSA shares.
What this means is that I have to go to the grocery store every 1-2 days if I want fresh fruits and veggies, to get a few meals/servings. (Not ideal for a busy working person, nor especially cost effective - I wish I could do all my shopping once or twice a week at most). But when I buy larger amounts, I end up throwing it away when it inevitably goes bad and then I feel guilty and wasteful.
While I like some canned fruits (pineapple, peaches) and some frozen ones (mangos, berries) as well as frozen corn and peas and canned olives and capers, a lot of what I eat tastes much better fresh (ideally 50 percent of my lunch and dinner plate is leafy greens, bell peppers, tomatoes, avocado, etc) but spoils quickly. I avoid dried fruits and smoothies/juices, and cannot stomach frozen green beans.
Is there a solution I haven't thought of?
What this means is that I have to go to the grocery store every 1-2 days if I want fresh fruits and veggies, to get a few meals/servings. (Not ideal for a busy working person, nor especially cost effective - I wish I could do all my shopping once or twice a week at most). But when I buy larger amounts, I end up throwing it away when it inevitably goes bad and then I feel guilty and wasteful.
While I like some canned fruits (pineapple, peaches) and some frozen ones (mangos, berries) as well as frozen corn and peas and canned olives and capers, a lot of what I eat tastes much better fresh (ideally 50 percent of my lunch and dinner plate is leafy greens, bell peppers, tomatoes, avocado, etc) but spoils quickly. I avoid dried fruits and smoothies/juices, and cannot stomach frozen green beans.
Is there a solution I haven't thought of?
I like to buy a variety of non-leafy veggies, chop them all, mix with some oil, salt and seasonings (I like cumin) and then roast them in a single layer at 425 for 30 minutes. I find this works with onion, squash, eggplant, bell peppers, potatoes, carrots, asparagus, brussel sprouts, zucchini, and more. I make enough for the whole week. It's great on its own, added to tomato sauce, as a cold salad with feta, on pasta, pureed into soup, with beans, or in a tortilla.
posted by obol at 12:17 AM on January 13 [19 favorites]
posted by obol at 12:17 AM on January 13 [19 favorites]
You happen to like only very perishable fruit and vegetables, them's the breaks. Even then, what are you doing to that lettuce and tomatoes to have them go bad in 2 days? Tomatoes on the counter and whole lettuce endive etc in the fridge last me two weeks when I don't find time to eat them.
For the second half of the week, look into longer lasting plant based foods. Root vegetables are a staple for a reason - including carrots as long as you buy them whole, as are pulses (if you can get fresh beans they are excellent). The cabbage family will last a month in the fridge easily, that includes your broccoli and sprouts and cauliflower.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 12:36 AM on January 13 [15 favorites]
For the second half of the week, look into longer lasting plant based foods. Root vegetables are a staple for a reason - including carrots as long as you buy them whole, as are pulses (if you can get fresh beans they are excellent). The cabbage family will last a month in the fridge easily, that includes your broccoli and sprouts and cauliflower.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 12:36 AM on January 13 [15 favorites]
For me this has mostly boiled down to developing an awareness of how long any given kind of food will keep without spoiling, and using up what I buy in the appropriate order. So for me, shopping less often is not so much about buying more stuff as buying more variety, and eating is about using up the quick-to-spoil stuff first so it never gets the chance.
That said: leafy greens are pretty high up on the list of things that spoil fast, and they are so much better when picked fresh from my own garden than when bought and refrigerated that if I were living somewhere without outdoor gardening space I would absolutely set up a small indoor garden just to keep a ready supply of those at hand.
LED grow lamp panels are cheap (search eBay for "225 LED grow lamp") and consume less than half a kWh per day when run off a suitable timer (search eBay for "digital timer power socket"). One of those panels makes more than enough light to let you operate a successful indoor salad and herb garden, if you surround the growing space with something that's flat white on the inner side so as to keep too much light from escaping to where it does no good.
A polystyrene foam vegetable box filled with a mixture of spent mushroom compost, perlite, charcoal and a handful of slow-release fertilizer pellets makes a perfect indoor garden bed. Sit it on a whole newspaper opened out so it extends an inch or two beyond all sides, which is itself sitting on plastic sheet (a garbage bag will do) over another newspaper so as to protect the underlying surface, and don't over-water it. Flat sheets of polystyrene foam also make pretty good reflective garden walls.
If you over-water just a little bit, the newspaper immediately under the foam box will soak up the excess and the projecting edges will wick it away and dry it out; over-water a lot, though, and you'll end up with a bit of a flood so don't do that.
For starters you could plant cos lettuce (or some other opening-out variety, not an inward-folding thing like iceberg), silver beet, rocket, parsley, coriander and celery. All of these respond well to having the outermost leaf or two broken off right at the base, and will throw out a continuous supply of new leaves from the centre.
posted by flabdablet at 12:43 AM on January 13 [7 favorites]
That said: leafy greens are pretty high up on the list of things that spoil fast, and they are so much better when picked fresh from my own garden than when bought and refrigerated that if I were living somewhere without outdoor gardening space I would absolutely set up a small indoor garden just to keep a ready supply of those at hand.
LED grow lamp panels are cheap (search eBay for "225 LED grow lamp") and consume less than half a kWh per day when run off a suitable timer (search eBay for "digital timer power socket"). One of those panels makes more than enough light to let you operate a successful indoor salad and herb garden, if you surround the growing space with something that's flat white on the inner side so as to keep too much light from escaping to where it does no good.
A polystyrene foam vegetable box filled with a mixture of spent mushroom compost, perlite, charcoal and a handful of slow-release fertilizer pellets makes a perfect indoor garden bed. Sit it on a whole newspaper opened out so it extends an inch or two beyond all sides, which is itself sitting on plastic sheet (a garbage bag will do) over another newspaper so as to protect the underlying surface, and don't over-water it. Flat sheets of polystyrene foam also make pretty good reflective garden walls.
If you over-water just a little bit, the newspaper immediately under the foam box will soak up the excess and the projecting edges will wick it away and dry it out; over-water a lot, though, and you'll end up with a bit of a flood so don't do that.
For starters you could plant cos lettuce (or some other opening-out variety, not an inward-folding thing like iceberg), silver beet, rocket, parsley, coriander and celery. All of these respond well to having the outermost leaf or two broken off right at the base, and will throw out a continuous supply of new leaves from the centre.
posted by flabdablet at 12:43 AM on January 13 [7 favorites]
Red cabbage (and normal cabbage) will last for ages in the fridge. Easily a month. I'm seeing suggestions of *two* months online, in a crisper drawer.
Just slice off a few millimeters from the cut edge, where it's oxidised, before using the rest.
Tomatoes will apparently last 2 weeks in the fridge, if you haven't squished them.
For lettuce, I store them in the fridge in a kind of vase, so the roots or cut end is in water, and pull more of one half of the leaves off, so there's a better mix of inner and outer leaves.
These are all feasible to use over a week.
I wonder if maybe you're varying wildly between only getting enough for a meal, and then optimistically, a quantity that would take weeks to get through, and then having to throw the excess out?
If so, try less, just half a weeks worth of salad ingredients, and see how you go.
And even if the base of your meal is fresh, everything that can be frozen etc, use like that. For example, roast capsicum is quite nice in salad, even though it's not fresh.
posted by Elysum at 12:43 AM on January 13 [7 favorites]
Just slice off a few millimeters from the cut edge, where it's oxidised, before using the rest.
Tomatoes will apparently last 2 weeks in the fridge, if you haven't squished them.
For lettuce, I store them in the fridge in a kind of vase, so the roots or cut end is in water, and pull more of one half of the leaves off, so there's a better mix of inner and outer leaves.
These are all feasible to use over a week.
I wonder if maybe you're varying wildly between only getting enough for a meal, and then optimistically, a quantity that would take weeks to get through, and then having to throw the excess out?
If so, try less, just half a weeks worth of salad ingredients, and see how you go.
And even if the base of your meal is fresh, everything that can be frozen etc, use like that. For example, roast capsicum is quite nice in salad, even though it's not fresh.
posted by Elysum at 12:43 AM on January 13 [7 favorites]
Just slice off a few millimeters from the cut edge, where it's oxidised, before using the rest
or use it up from the outside inward, so that the only cut edge you ever see is the small one right down near the base where the leaf got broken off. This is also good practice for when it comes time to harvest from your indoor garden.
posted by flabdablet at 12:54 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
or use it up from the outside inward, so that the only cut edge you ever see is the small one right down near the base where the leaf got broken off. This is also good practice for when it comes time to harvest from your indoor garden.
posted by flabdablet at 12:54 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
This storage bag for fresh produce has reduced my waste by a lot. Things last for weeks if the thick linen inner bag remains damp. They quickly pay for themselves in saved produce costs and shopping time.
posted by Thella at 1:07 AM on January 13 [4 favorites]
posted by Thella at 1:07 AM on January 13 [4 favorites]
My solutions are: a good leafy greens storage system, and meal planning.
I can't find a reference for it just this moment, but in the 90s I learned the "salad that lasts all week" prep method. In short, you buy a week's worth of greens and immediately bring them home and process them: wash, dry (very important), break them down for storage, and then refrigerate. It's genius because I suspect most people have the instinct to make a huge batch of a prepared, dressed salad, but the liquid is what kills the storage life. If you have all the ingredients ready to put together each day into a salad, then your greens will last all week. I love heavy duty greens like collards and hale, so I buy them at the Saturday farmers market, wash all the grit off, spin them mostly dry, pat-and-air dry then as best I can, then roughly chop them. Once chopped, I can compress them into a big storage bag that sits in the fridge, happily, all week. I pull from it as needed. While things are drying, I'll chop peppers or celery or make the dressing for the week, and that's all stored separately and assembled as needed.
I have the tiniest refrigerator, barely larger than a dorm fridge, so I keep a lot of durable veg at home (roots, winter squash, onions, sweet potatoes) and then I only buy fresh veg for the week as it fits my meal planning. This is a big one for me. If I don't specifically know what I'm going to prepare, I'll end up buying odds and ends that are less likely to be used. I like my farmers market because I roughly know what's going to be in season at any given time. I plan the week's meals accordingly. I also know I'm going to eat 6-10 apples a week, and maybe 3-4 oranges, so I'm always keeping an eye on my stocks of those. If I have 10 apples and 5 oranges at home, I won't impulse buy that tasty looking cut pineapple unless I'm going to eat it immediately and not store it.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 1:15 AM on January 13 [15 favorites]
I can't find a reference for it just this moment, but in the 90s I learned the "salad that lasts all week" prep method. In short, you buy a week's worth of greens and immediately bring them home and process them: wash, dry (very important), break them down for storage, and then refrigerate. It's genius because I suspect most people have the instinct to make a huge batch of a prepared, dressed salad, but the liquid is what kills the storage life. If you have all the ingredients ready to put together each day into a salad, then your greens will last all week. I love heavy duty greens like collards and hale, so I buy them at the Saturday farmers market, wash all the grit off, spin them mostly dry, pat-and-air dry then as best I can, then roughly chop them. Once chopped, I can compress them into a big storage bag that sits in the fridge, happily, all week. I pull from it as needed. While things are drying, I'll chop peppers or celery or make the dressing for the week, and that's all stored separately and assembled as needed.
I have the tiniest refrigerator, barely larger than a dorm fridge, so I keep a lot of durable veg at home (roots, winter squash, onions, sweet potatoes) and then I only buy fresh veg for the week as it fits my meal planning. This is a big one for me. If I don't specifically know what I'm going to prepare, I'll end up buying odds and ends that are less likely to be used. I like my farmers market because I roughly know what's going to be in season at any given time. I plan the week's meals accordingly. I also know I'm going to eat 6-10 apples a week, and maybe 3-4 oranges, so I'm always keeping an eye on my stocks of those. If I have 10 apples and 5 oranges at home, I won't impulse buy that tasty looking cut pineapple unless I'm going to eat it immediately and not store it.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 1:15 AM on January 13 [15 favorites]
Most fruit and veg will keep more than 2 days in the fridge. If yours doesn't you need to revisit the quality of produce you buy and how you store it.
I'd expect every item you mention as ideal plate to last a week, acknowledging that avocados can be unpredictable and are fine until the moment when they are not. I have peppers in the fridge that I bought 10 days ago and they are going strong - they may be slightly less crisp than when I bought them but that is not the same as spoiling. Peppers and tomatoes get one or more spot where they basically turn to mush when they spoil, even before you can see actual mold.
The same is true for most fruit - I have an apple and an orange I bought before Christmas that I still plan to eat. Grapes keep for ever in the fridge - they just shrivel up a bit over time/begin life as a raisins. The only thing that I find to spoil from one day to the next is very soft berries like strawberries or raspberries. Blueberries and most stone fruit should be ok for more than 2 days.
So perhaps revisit how you store food. And I may be wrong but also re-consider what constitutes spoilt. Be honest with yourself here - if you will not eat anything that is not perfectly crisp that will require you to go shopping every 2-3 days but that's not a food safety question, that's personal preference.
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:56 AM on January 13 [3 favorites]
I'd expect every item you mention as ideal plate to last a week, acknowledging that avocados can be unpredictable and are fine until the moment when they are not. I have peppers in the fridge that I bought 10 days ago and they are going strong - they may be slightly less crisp than when I bought them but that is not the same as spoiling. Peppers and tomatoes get one or more spot where they basically turn to mush when they spoil, even before you can see actual mold.
The same is true for most fruit - I have an apple and an orange I bought before Christmas that I still plan to eat. Grapes keep for ever in the fridge - they just shrivel up a bit over time/begin life as a raisins. The only thing that I find to spoil from one day to the next is very soft berries like strawberries or raspberries. Blueberries and most stone fruit should be ok for more than 2 days.
So perhaps revisit how you store food. And I may be wrong but also re-consider what constitutes spoilt. Be honest with yourself here - if you will not eat anything that is not perfectly crisp that will require you to go shopping every 2-3 days but that's not a food safety question, that's personal preference.
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:56 AM on January 13 [3 favorites]
Cooked leafy greens freeze beautifully. Make a big batch of collards or chard or other braising green and portion it out into single servings to freeze. Add flavor enhancers and sauces as desired when you thaw the greens out for your meal, so you can maximize variation. Though I find a base of sautéed onions or shallots rarely goes wrong with braised greens.
Bell peppers last surprisingly long in the fridge. I’m very unsure what you are doing for them to go bad within a couple days. I’m pretty sure I’ve got a lovely orange bell pepper in my fridge from two weeks ago that’s only slightly wrinkled. If you leave the peppers intact and store in the crisper drawer in a plastic bag you should be able to have most peppers for a while, especially when you’re shopping in season, which is quite a long while in most places these days. I also tend to eat about half a bell pepper in a meal, and often store the other half in a zip top baggie in the fridge with the stem and seeds scooped out. I’ll usually eat the other half for a crunchy snack in the next couple of days, and if it’s gone a bit too long I usually only need to trim off a slightly wilted edge. You can also batch prep peppers if you like them cooked, either by roasting them or sautéing, again keep the flavors simple so you can add different spices and sauces later. They freeze nicely this way. Roasted peppers that have been frozen and thawed can still be used in cold applications like salads or in a veggie dip, they just won’t be crunchy. Tons of flavor though.
Tomatoes are a little trickier. Cherry tomatoes are available in reasonable condition almost year round now, and usually last on my counter for at least a week, longer when they are more fresh and have traveled less. I never keep cherry tomatoes in the fridge, the cold is too much for them. But because they are little, there is also never a sliced chunk of tomato left over. I just keep them in their clamshell on the counter in a dry out of the way spot and rinse a handful when needed. When it’s tomato season I of course buy big glorious ones, but usually those are the base of a meal, like a stuffed heirloom tomato with tuna salad, or a big caprese, or a fresh tomato sauce for pasta, or a grain salad where the tomato liquid helps plump the grains. That way I still don’t have cut open tomatoes to store. Canned tomatoes are very good and are packed with nutrition and available year round and are nonperishable - look into the brands available to you and pick ones you like best so you can always have tomato flavor available for dishes. I find that whole canned tomatoes are a good way to have more vegetable fiber and texture than crushed or puréed.
Avocado is fussy in most places that aren’t growing them nearby, and if you’re looking to save money and lower food waste I would suggest alternatives most of the time. Think about what you like about avocados. For example, cashew pieces or cashew cream can provide similar creaminess and richness. Using flavorful olive oil where you want good fats works beautifully with acidic avocado-friendly flavors like lime and tomato. Bananas are a reliable fruit with a soft creamy texture. Almonds have a nice light sweetness, and have a great chew when they are blanched and peeled.
Long storing fruits include apples and pears. If you think you dislike them, spend some time trying different varieties. For me, I love Bosc pears, but hate Bartlett pears. I love Braeburn apples but find most versions of honeycrisps to be too sweet. Conveniently, Boscs and Braeburns are both cold weather long storing varieties! There’s also citrus of course. Cara Cara oranges are delightfully pink inside and have a deep but delicate flavor, much better than navel oranges. Satsumas and mandarins, especially the big bumpy sumo mandarins, are easy to peel and enjoy as a snack or top a salad or some roasted fish with very little fuss and good amounts of fiber and vitamins. All of these should store for at least a couple weeks, and likely at least a month, in your fridge, when kept whole. Other fruits that store well include jicama (like if an apple and a radish had a big beautiful baby), persimmons (keep them out on the counter, they take forever to ripen, but are exquisite when they do), cranberries (you have to develop a taste for these but they last forever), pomegranates (even the arils will last a good length of time in the fridge, especially stored in cold water), and surprisingly blueberries should last at least a week if they aren’t overripe when you get them. Bananas of course can be bought green and eaten days later when they ripen on the counter.
For fresh greens, a head of lettuce should last in the fridge for a week or so. Store it wrapped loosely in a damp paper towel, inside a plastic bag. I sometimes like to wash and spin all my lettuce leaves, and store them in a big gallon zip bag with a damp towel on the bottom and top. But you can just wash the leaves as you use them, too. Hardier lettuce like romaine should last longer, delicate butter lettuce maybe a few days, with a range in between. Raw cabbage is very tasty when slivered thinly. I prefer savoy or nappa cabbage because I am fussy but pretty much any cabbage is going to last months in the fridge, and you can just cut off any oxidized parts as needed. Baby bok choy is a good single serving alternative to a larger cabbage, try it slivered up with a ginger dressing, very crunchy. Kale lasts for weeks in the fridge and if you don’t want to cook it ahead of time and thaw with your other braised greens, you can massage it raw with oil. I like lacitano kale best, especially for raw kale salad applications. There are also things like endive, chicory, and radicchio which last weeks in the fridge. For green herbs, store them upright in a glass of water inside the fridge door, or wrapped in a damp paper towel inside plastic like the lettuce.
posted by Mizu at 2:45 AM on January 13 [5 favorites]
Bell peppers last surprisingly long in the fridge. I’m very unsure what you are doing for them to go bad within a couple days. I’m pretty sure I’ve got a lovely orange bell pepper in my fridge from two weeks ago that’s only slightly wrinkled. If you leave the peppers intact and store in the crisper drawer in a plastic bag you should be able to have most peppers for a while, especially when you’re shopping in season, which is quite a long while in most places these days. I also tend to eat about half a bell pepper in a meal, and often store the other half in a zip top baggie in the fridge with the stem and seeds scooped out. I’ll usually eat the other half for a crunchy snack in the next couple of days, and if it’s gone a bit too long I usually only need to trim off a slightly wilted edge. You can also batch prep peppers if you like them cooked, either by roasting them or sautéing, again keep the flavors simple so you can add different spices and sauces later. They freeze nicely this way. Roasted peppers that have been frozen and thawed can still be used in cold applications like salads or in a veggie dip, they just won’t be crunchy. Tons of flavor though.
Tomatoes are a little trickier. Cherry tomatoes are available in reasonable condition almost year round now, and usually last on my counter for at least a week, longer when they are more fresh and have traveled less. I never keep cherry tomatoes in the fridge, the cold is too much for them. But because they are little, there is also never a sliced chunk of tomato left over. I just keep them in their clamshell on the counter in a dry out of the way spot and rinse a handful when needed. When it’s tomato season I of course buy big glorious ones, but usually those are the base of a meal, like a stuffed heirloom tomato with tuna salad, or a big caprese, or a fresh tomato sauce for pasta, or a grain salad where the tomato liquid helps plump the grains. That way I still don’t have cut open tomatoes to store. Canned tomatoes are very good and are packed with nutrition and available year round and are nonperishable - look into the brands available to you and pick ones you like best so you can always have tomato flavor available for dishes. I find that whole canned tomatoes are a good way to have more vegetable fiber and texture than crushed or puréed.
Avocado is fussy in most places that aren’t growing them nearby, and if you’re looking to save money and lower food waste I would suggest alternatives most of the time. Think about what you like about avocados. For example, cashew pieces or cashew cream can provide similar creaminess and richness. Using flavorful olive oil where you want good fats works beautifully with acidic avocado-friendly flavors like lime and tomato. Bananas are a reliable fruit with a soft creamy texture. Almonds have a nice light sweetness, and have a great chew when they are blanched and peeled.
Long storing fruits include apples and pears. If you think you dislike them, spend some time trying different varieties. For me, I love Bosc pears, but hate Bartlett pears. I love Braeburn apples but find most versions of honeycrisps to be too sweet. Conveniently, Boscs and Braeburns are both cold weather long storing varieties! There’s also citrus of course. Cara Cara oranges are delightfully pink inside and have a deep but delicate flavor, much better than navel oranges. Satsumas and mandarins, especially the big bumpy sumo mandarins, are easy to peel and enjoy as a snack or top a salad or some roasted fish with very little fuss and good amounts of fiber and vitamins. All of these should store for at least a couple weeks, and likely at least a month, in your fridge, when kept whole. Other fruits that store well include jicama (like if an apple and a radish had a big beautiful baby), persimmons (keep them out on the counter, they take forever to ripen, but are exquisite when they do), cranberries (you have to develop a taste for these but they last forever), pomegranates (even the arils will last a good length of time in the fridge, especially stored in cold water), and surprisingly blueberries should last at least a week if they aren’t overripe when you get them. Bananas of course can be bought green and eaten days later when they ripen on the counter.
For fresh greens, a head of lettuce should last in the fridge for a week or so. Store it wrapped loosely in a damp paper towel, inside a plastic bag. I sometimes like to wash and spin all my lettuce leaves, and store them in a big gallon zip bag with a damp towel on the bottom and top. But you can just wash the leaves as you use them, too. Hardier lettuce like romaine should last longer, delicate butter lettuce maybe a few days, with a range in between. Raw cabbage is very tasty when slivered thinly. I prefer savoy or nappa cabbage because I am fussy but pretty much any cabbage is going to last months in the fridge, and you can just cut off any oxidized parts as needed. Baby bok choy is a good single serving alternative to a larger cabbage, try it slivered up with a ginger dressing, very crunchy. Kale lasts for weeks in the fridge and if you don’t want to cook it ahead of time and thaw with your other braised greens, you can massage it raw with oil. I like lacitano kale best, especially for raw kale salad applications. There are also things like endive, chicory, and radicchio which last weeks in the fridge. For green herbs, store them upright in a glass of water inside the fridge door, or wrapped in a damp paper towel inside plastic like the lettuce.
posted by Mizu at 2:45 AM on January 13 [5 favorites]
I buy sturdier lettuces (romaine etc), wash, then wrap in a tea towel and store in the produce drawer in the fridge. Keeps for a week. Your veggies should be lasting for 3-4 days in the fridge (and longer for heartier ones like cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprout, carrots). I don't refrigerate tomatoes but they last a few days at room temp, I eat them a lot so I'm happy to buy them twice a week. If your veggies are spoiling in 2 days I'd try a different grocery store to see if the quality improves. Soft fruits are a different beast. I stopped buying raspberries because they spoil so quickly. Blueberries last for a good 5+ days. I also now buy radishes instead of cucumber for salad crunch since they last a lot longer in the fridge (remove the greens)
posted by emd3737 at 3:02 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
posted by emd3737 at 3:02 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
How are you currently storing each of your veggies?
Tomatoes and avocados are climacteric (they will ripen off the plant) so you can buy some firmer ones and let them ripen on your counter. RIPE avocados can be put into the fridge to stop them from going bad. I personally find that putting tomatoes in the fridge changes the taste and texture in a way I don't like.
Greens and bell peppers and the like should go in the fridge protected in some way (like a produce drawer or some kind of wrap or the ideas people give above) from the slightly dehydrating environment of the fridge and not near apples/tomatoes/other fruits that produce ethylene gas.
posted by needs more cowbell at 3:04 AM on January 13 [2 favorites]
Tomatoes and avocados are climacteric (they will ripen off the plant) so you can buy some firmer ones and let them ripen on your counter. RIPE avocados can be put into the fridge to stop them from going bad. I personally find that putting tomatoes in the fridge changes the taste and texture in a way I don't like.
Greens and bell peppers and the like should go in the fridge protected in some way (like a produce drawer or some kind of wrap or the ideas people give above) from the slightly dehydrating environment of the fridge and not near apples/tomatoes/other fruits that produce ethylene gas.
posted by needs more cowbell at 3:04 AM on January 13 [2 favorites]
Also - if you have not tried this, letting some frozen veggies (broccoli, in particular) defrost completely in the fridge and then just lightly reheating them preserves their color and texture and makes them feel more similar to fresh in stir-fries, I find, versus using an active source of heat to defrost them. This has been a big help to me personally for winter vegetable consumption.
posted by needs more cowbell at 3:08 AM on January 13 [2 favorites]
posted by needs more cowbell at 3:08 AM on January 13 [2 favorites]
I struggled with rotting produce all my life until I met my partner and adopted his approach to meals.
Previously I would think about what to make for supper, then take the ingredients out of the fridge.
Whereas he just opens the fridge, takes out anything that needs "progressing", and then once all that stuff is on the counter he figures out what to make from there.
It sometimes results in a hodgepodge of a meal, but can actually be nice for inspiration and creativity, and things do get used up before they go bad!
posted by EarnestDeer at 3:17 AM on January 13 [10 favorites]
Previously I would think about what to make for supper, then take the ingredients out of the fridge.
Whereas he just opens the fridge, takes out anything that needs "progressing", and then once all that stuff is on the counter he figures out what to make from there.
It sometimes results in a hodgepodge of a meal, but can actually be nice for inspiration and creativity, and things do get used up before they go bad!
posted by EarnestDeer at 3:17 AM on January 13 [10 favorites]
I'm a cookbook editor, and I edited a fantastic book a couple of years ago called PERFECTLY GOOD FOOD. It's full of great tips on how to use all the parts of produce (even the leaves/stems/etc.), how best to store it for longer life, how to rescue it when it's on its way out (and not just "make vegetable soup"!), and more. I learned so much from it! Maybe see if your library has it before purchasing to see if it looks like it might be helpful.
posted by wisekaren at 3:31 AM on January 13 [11 favorites]
posted by wisekaren at 3:31 AM on January 13 [11 favorites]
How to Clean and Store Fresh Produce from Serious Eats.
I live a lot like EarnestDeer, but another thing I do, and I'm doing today, is to cook for my freezer. Today, I'm making hortopita, but as little hand pies, so I can thaw one or two at a time. I'm using frozen spinach, dill, parsley and the leaves from a kohlrabi. I also have all the ingredients for a minestrone, and may make that for freezing too. I love minestrone and could eat it every day. Don't put in the pasta, though. You add the pasta when reheating, otherwise it just absorbs all the liquid and becomes stodgy.
Another thing you can make ahead or in batches is stuffed bell peppers, or stuffed anything.
Think about eating the season, too. Right next to my computer right now is a celeriac, a fat leek, some fresh red onions and garlic. There are so many delicious options there, I can hardly decide.
posted by mumimor at 3:48 AM on January 13 [2 favorites]
I live a lot like EarnestDeer, but another thing I do, and I'm doing today, is to cook for my freezer. Today, I'm making hortopita, but as little hand pies, so I can thaw one or two at a time. I'm using frozen spinach, dill, parsley and the leaves from a kohlrabi. I also have all the ingredients for a minestrone, and may make that for freezing too. I love minestrone and could eat it every day. Don't put in the pasta, though. You add the pasta when reheating, otherwise it just absorbs all the liquid and becomes stodgy.
Another thing you can make ahead or in batches is stuffed bell peppers, or stuffed anything.
Think about eating the season, too. Right next to my computer right now is a celeriac, a fat leek, some fresh red onions and garlic. There are so many delicious options there, I can hardly decide.
posted by mumimor at 3:48 AM on January 13 [2 favorites]
Just an aside, but one of the signs our fridge was dying was that stuff in the produce drawers wasn't lasting as long, we had a gas leak so the freezer was still fine though over zealous and we'd get weird freezing, but the bottom was too hot...
Hope this isn't the case for you.
posted by freethefeet at 4:49 AM on January 13 [3 favorites]
Hope this isn't the case for you.
posted by freethefeet at 4:49 AM on January 13 [3 favorites]
Best answer: If all of your produce is routinely dying after two days, I would stick a thermometer in your fridge, because my guess is that it’s not maintaining a proper temp.
If that’s not the issue, these Freshworks containers really do extend the life of produce.
posted by moosetracks at 5:15 AM on January 13 [5 favorites]
If that’s not the issue, these Freshworks containers really do extend the life of produce.
posted by moosetracks at 5:15 AM on January 13 [5 favorites]
Vegetables going bad after two days is very strange to me. While we are a household of more than one, we shop every 7-10 days only because we don’t have enough fridge space to hold all the veggies we’d need to go longer, and it is rare that we toss more than one mushy potato in a sack, or a wilted outer lettuce leaf. Some tips I can think of:
-Consider how your produce is being transported. If things are going bad that quickly I’m wondering if they are getting dented on the way home. And get a refrigerator thermometer to check that things are being kept cold.
-Delicate stuff: Eat soft-skinned berries first, they do go bad quickly. (If you want berries every day, maybe get frozen.) Keep an eye on anything ripening on the counter (mangoes, avocado, tomatoes) daily and put them in the fridge if they feel right but you aren’t eating them immediately. Don’t even bother with bagged lettuce, that stuff is bad before I get it home half the time. Wrap a damp paper towel around the stem end of a lettuce head before putting it in the fridge. Romaine will usually stay good for two weeks, most others will be reliable for a week.
-Sturdier stuff: come up with a couple of recipes you like that use a lot of bits and pieces. We like stir fry, salad, quiche, and “roasted stuff” for those purposes. Check to see if anything looks like it should be used first (either because it’s delicate or because it’s the oldest thing in there). You’re having that for dinner, at least.
-The last day before a grocery shop might be a little more dire, we are more likely to be mostly eating frozen veg that day along with the last pepper or whatever is left.
It does take some experience to gauge how much you will realistically eat in a week, but going four days between shops seems like a decent starting goal.
posted by tchemgrrl at 5:16 AM on January 13
-Consider how your produce is being transported. If things are going bad that quickly I’m wondering if they are getting dented on the way home. And get a refrigerator thermometer to check that things are being kept cold.
-Delicate stuff: Eat soft-skinned berries first, they do go bad quickly. (If you want berries every day, maybe get frozen.) Keep an eye on anything ripening on the counter (mangoes, avocado, tomatoes) daily and put them in the fridge if they feel right but you aren’t eating them immediately. Don’t even bother with bagged lettuce, that stuff is bad before I get it home half the time. Wrap a damp paper towel around the stem end of a lettuce head before putting it in the fridge. Romaine will usually stay good for two weeks, most others will be reliable for a week.
-Sturdier stuff: come up with a couple of recipes you like that use a lot of bits and pieces. We like stir fry, salad, quiche, and “roasted stuff” for those purposes. Check to see if anything looks like it should be used first (either because it’s delicate or because it’s the oldest thing in there). You’re having that for dinner, at least.
-The last day before a grocery shop might be a little more dire, we are more likely to be mostly eating frozen veg that day along with the last pepper or whatever is left.
It does take some experience to gauge how much you will realistically eat in a week, but going four days between shops seems like a decent starting goal.
posted by tchemgrrl at 5:16 AM on January 13
When veggies show the first signs of going bad, throw them all in a blender and make a smoothie. If you don’t wanna drink it that day, just put it in the freezer. A lot of vegetable bulk reduces down to almost nothing so the smoothie isn’t actually gonna be all that big. With smoothies made mostly of greens. I’d like to add a big squeeze of lemon juice and some light salt.
posted by waving at 5:57 AM on January 13
posted by waving at 5:57 AM on January 13
As others have implied, I think you mostly need practice, to figure out how much you eat and how long each type of food lasts in your storage conditions.
More meal planning may help.
If you eat any of the vegetables cooked, they will last longer after cooking.
If you haven't already, experiment with recipes using cooked frozen vegetables to see if you like any of them.
I find romaine hearts last WEEKS with no special storage; just refrigerated in the plastic bag they come in.
posted by metasarah at 7:19 AM on January 13
More meal planning may help.
If you eat any of the vegetables cooked, they will last longer after cooking.
If you haven't already, experiment with recipes using cooked frozen vegetables to see if you like any of them.
I find romaine hearts last WEEKS with no special storage; just refrigerated in the plastic bag they come in.
posted by metasarah at 7:19 AM on January 13
If you're buying pre-washed greens, my MIL noticed that some brands are just really bad at drying them and they get slimy very quickly.
For leafy salads I either use romaine or kale or spinach - the latter two because if they start going wilted I can throw them into something else. Do you like soup? For one person it can get a bit tiresome because most soups end up being about 4 servings, but if you do like it, converting wilting vegetables into a minestrone or a blended autumn soup around Thursday can provide lunches for the end of the week and the weekend - no shopping required and can be very vegetable-forward.
I agree with the above that it's probably mostly meal planning so you get your strawberries on Monday, blueberries on Wednesday, and apples on Friday kind of thing.
posted by warriorqueen at 7:27 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
For leafy salads I either use romaine or kale or spinach - the latter two because if they start going wilted I can throw them into something else. Do you like soup? For one person it can get a bit tiresome because most soups end up being about 4 servings, but if you do like it, converting wilting vegetables into a minestrone or a blended autumn soup around Thursday can provide lunches for the end of the week and the weekend - no shopping required and can be very vegetable-forward.
I agree with the above that it's probably mostly meal planning so you get your strawberries on Monday, blueberries on Wednesday, and apples on Friday kind of thing.
posted by warriorqueen at 7:27 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
One thing it took me forever to learn is that my fridge has crisper drawer settings and it matters how they are set. Martha explains it all, but basically closed vent for salad and things that wilt, open for apples and things that release ethylene.
They make freestanding crisper like bins like the Freshworks and SaladSavers to keep greens fresh longer. I find that buying heads of lettuce tend to last longer.
posted by advicepig at 7:30 AM on January 13 [3 favorites]
They make freestanding crisper like bins like the Freshworks and SaladSavers to keep greens fresh longer. I find that buying heads of lettuce tend to last longer.
posted by advicepig at 7:30 AM on January 13 [3 favorites]
When we got a farm share, the farmer was very clear that if we wanted mixed greens to last longer, wash and dry them right away, after that you can bag them back up with a paper towel.
posted by advicepig at 7:31 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
posted by advicepig at 7:31 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
The other thing I'd think about is having one or two staple meals you like that you can fix out of the freezer veg and things that last. For us, that's carrots and frozen peas. I might make a red curry with them as the star. I might roast the carrots and some canned chick peas with olive oil and yellow curry powder, then toss in some barely rewarmed frozen peas.
Get the things that don't last, but eat them first, and then have a few of these to get you through.
posted by advicepig at 7:35 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
Get the things that don't last, but eat them first, and then have a few of these to get you through.
posted by advicepig at 7:35 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
I think in general this is a problem solved by meal planning, though as someone with a sort of...down-at-heel grocery store, I agree that sometimes produce just has no shelf life especially in winter. The main thing I would do in your shoes is take those fresh things (apart from the avocado) and figure out a way to cook them that you like.
When I was living alone I would frequently make a big saute of spinach or kale*, peppers, cabbage, mushrooms, tomatoes. This was obviously best on Day 1 but perfectly serviceable on Days 2 and 3. I'd have stuff on hand like rice, quinoa, eggs, tortillas to add to it for variety.
If what you basically want is fresh cold salads you can try to follow Best Practices on keeping veggies but you're going to be fighting an uphill battle with the salad you describe. Salads with cooked potatoes, blanched beans, endive and kale etc. will last longer.
*kale is much hardier and longer lasting than the other leafy greens, btw.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:44 AM on January 13
When I was living alone I would frequently make a big saute of spinach or kale*, peppers, cabbage, mushrooms, tomatoes. This was obviously best on Day 1 but perfectly serviceable on Days 2 and 3. I'd have stuff on hand like rice, quinoa, eggs, tortillas to add to it for variety.
If what you basically want is fresh cold salads you can try to follow Best Practices on keeping veggies but you're going to be fighting an uphill battle with the salad you describe. Salads with cooked potatoes, blanched beans, endive and kale etc. will last longer.
*kale is much hardier and longer lasting than the other leafy greens, btw.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:44 AM on January 13
For lettuces, in addition to the advice above, I find that arugula lasts a long time as long as you get it in the clamshell and check that it's not already wet/soggy/wilted/mushy at the bottom. Also, Gotham Greens clamshell lettuces last an absurdly long time, idk how they do it but if you have them in your grocery store I recommend them, even though they are more expensive.
You don't have to switch fully to sturdier vegetables; with some meal planning if you buy a mix of kinds of veggies you can make sure to eat the quicker-spoiling ones on days 1-3 and save the hearty stuff for the rest of the week, with maybe a mostly pantry/freezer meal for the last day or two before a grocery shop.
posted by misskaz at 9:09 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
You don't have to switch fully to sturdier vegetables; with some meal planning if you buy a mix of kinds of veggies you can make sure to eat the quicker-spoiling ones on days 1-3 and save the hearty stuff for the rest of the week, with maybe a mostly pantry/freezer meal for the last day or two before a grocery shop.
posted by misskaz at 9:09 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
Lin Lam video on which veg/fruit are more useful frozen
posted by clew at 10:42 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
posted by clew at 10:42 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
I agree with everybody that vegetables shouldn't be going bad in 1-2 days in the fridge.
Some things I haven't already seen mentioned:
Deep cleaning and sanitizing the fridge can make a big difference in how long produce stays good. I clean the fridge lightly more regularly but only do the deep clean 2x a year and after there is a noticeable difference in how long my produce lasts. By deep I mean under all the shelves, edges, drawers etc ... everywhere. Even doing this once could help if there's a long buildup.
Someone above mentioned broccoli and cauliflower lasting weeks in the fridge ... this is not my experience. However, I have found if you wash, dry, cut it into florets and put it into sealed containers it does last that long.
Frozen cauliflower rice is useful to find veg towards the end of the week (when you shop weekly). Some brands are awful though, so, if you don't like it, try another.
Cauliflower mash is also great and lasts a long time in the fridge once made (I used 1 head of califlower, cooked and food processed with 1/2c sour cream and 1 tsp onion powder).
If you have a Trader Joe's they have produce in small quantities often prepared already. The Jicama sticks and Jicama wraps are great. The sticks last awhile in the fridge (check the date when buying, though). The wraps do not last at all once opened but I find they freeze extremely well and thaw on the counter in minutes.
If you have Costco, I find their produce lasts a long longer than the grocery store. Blueberries from costco last easily a month in the fridge. Their washed organic spinach lasts at least two weeks. Cucumbers (the ones individually wrapped in plastic) last a month. Baby carrots last at least a month. Asparagus lasts weeks, etc, etc.
posted by miscbuff at 11:17 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
Some things I haven't already seen mentioned:
Deep cleaning and sanitizing the fridge can make a big difference in how long produce stays good. I clean the fridge lightly more regularly but only do the deep clean 2x a year and after there is a noticeable difference in how long my produce lasts. By deep I mean under all the shelves, edges, drawers etc ... everywhere. Even doing this once could help if there's a long buildup.
Someone above mentioned broccoli and cauliflower lasting weeks in the fridge ... this is not my experience. However, I have found if you wash, dry, cut it into florets and put it into sealed containers it does last that long.
Frozen cauliflower rice is useful to find veg towards the end of the week (when you shop weekly). Some brands are awful though, so, if you don't like it, try another.
Cauliflower mash is also great and lasts a long time in the fridge once made (I used 1 head of califlower, cooked and food processed with 1/2c sour cream and 1 tsp onion powder).
If you have a Trader Joe's they have produce in small quantities often prepared already. The Jicama sticks and Jicama wraps are great. The sticks last awhile in the fridge (check the date when buying, though). The wraps do not last at all once opened but I find they freeze extremely well and thaw on the counter in minutes.
If you have Costco, I find their produce lasts a long longer than the grocery store. Blueberries from costco last easily a month in the fridge. Their washed organic spinach lasts at least two weeks. Cucumbers (the ones individually wrapped in plastic) last a month. Baby carrots last at least a month. Asparagus lasts weeks, etc, etc.
posted by miscbuff at 11:17 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
Yeah definitely frustrating if your produce isn't lasting more than a day or two. Lots of good advice about proper storage--I've also for a long time thought that the super processed lettuce packages definitely don't last as long as headed lettuce. But also, how much attention are you paying to seasonality when you're choosing produce?
Even with our global food shipping, fresh foods still have seasonal variation. For example, right now in New England the best quality fruits are citruses and pineapple. Winter veg is all about cabbage, squash, and root vegetables. Soft, juicy fruits like berries don't travel well, so even though they may be coming from the same regions, the quality is less, and they go bad faster. Ditto with soft leaf lettuces. Even with perfect storage conditions a tomato that has already traveled thousands of miles before reaching your grocery store is already older than you might think.
posted by radiogreentea at 3:50 PM on January 13 [3 favorites]
Even with our global food shipping, fresh foods still have seasonal variation. For example, right now in New England the best quality fruits are citruses and pineapple. Winter veg is all about cabbage, squash, and root vegetables. Soft, juicy fruits like berries don't travel well, so even though they may be coming from the same regions, the quality is less, and they go bad faster. Ditto with soft leaf lettuces. Even with perfect storage conditions a tomato that has already traveled thousands of miles before reaching your grocery store is already older than you might think.
posted by radiogreentea at 3:50 PM on January 13 [3 favorites]
When I lived in a place with an unsafe water supply, we had to sanitize all our vegetables by putting them in a sink of water with a capful of Milton Fluid. An added benefit was that they stayed fresher much longer. I still use this method from time to time if I have a lot of vegetables that I want to keep for a while, but since it's a chemical solution, you--like me--might not want to do it all the time.
posted by rpfields at 7:05 PM on January 13 [1 favorite]
posted by rpfields at 7:05 PM on January 13 [1 favorite]
I tend to get 'living' lettuce (the kind with roots) and no joke, I've had some last 3+weeks with minimal problems. I also tend to buy greens I can use cooked once they get wilty-- kale, arugula, spinach all tend to be great for this.
Seconding gardening for greens as well-- it doesn't yield huge swaths of lettuces, but it's fast and very easy to learn on a modest scale. Plus it's really satisfying to pick 'cut and come again' varieties.
PS: Thanks to wisekaren for editing that book! I own it and love it, highly recommend it for learning how to stretch food past its prime.
posted by actionpact at 9:49 AM on January 14 [1 favorite]
Seconding gardening for greens as well-- it doesn't yield huge swaths of lettuces, but it's fast and very easy to learn on a modest scale. Plus it's really satisfying to pick 'cut and come again' varieties.
PS: Thanks to wisekaren for editing that book! I own it and love it, highly recommend it for learning how to stretch food past its prime.
posted by actionpact at 9:49 AM on January 14 [1 favorite]
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posted by kschang at 12:14 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]