Vegetable Shelf Life

Apologies if this has been posted before but what do they do to "fresh" supermarket fruit and veg to stop them going manky?   

If I pull a lettuce or raddish on my plot it's good in the fridge for about 2 days.

If I buy the same things from my local SainsMorrSommerAscos its still palatable after 10 days.

Now I know the supermarket stuff will not be as healthy as my own stuff (I know whats gone into producing it for a start).....I just would like to know how stuff I buy lasts longer even though its probably grown in a similar way to my veg.

Hi,

If you are taking a whole lettuce take it roots and all. Shake of as much soil as possible and clear any poor leaves from the base. Do hot wash but do check out for slugs and snails etc. When you get home get a bowl (or whatever alternative you have available) of water and sit the lettuce, roots only, in this. Will keep pretty good for a week to 10 days.

If you're picking leaves only. Do not wash, put in frige in a sealable plastic bag (reusable freezer bags are good) with as much air pushed out as possible. Should be ok for about a week.

Hope this helps M

I wash my lettuce as soon as it is picked, spin it until it is dizzy (on the point of throwing up) and then put in a sealed plastic bag with all the air pushed out in the bottom of the fridge. Lasts about 8 or 9 days like this. Generally I try to pick just what I need fresh as it is better that way but I will be taking a big bag of leaves with us when we go on holiday and like this I know they will last the week and I can use it straight from the fridge with no need to wash

I use the 'lock and lock'boxes that keep veg airtight.  Ive got a lettuce in one in the fridge from last sunday that is still as fresh as a daisy

I would love to see a lettuce throw-up

I agree about the lettuce - wash it, spin it, put it in a ziploc (I actually blow some air in it to puff it up so the lettuce doesn't get squashed). It stays nice and crisp for a long time!

Reading all the above I am clearly out of step with the general view as far as salad stuff is concerned.  Lettuce and salad leaves, if they are not eaten the same day I will compost them anyhow and pull another head/cut another bunch of leaves in a vain attempt to try and keep up with over-pessimistic succession sowing!

You may wish to Google further but I found this

After harvesting, the carrots are washed in chlorinated water, just like our drinking water, and cleaned to remove dirt and mud. Some finished baby carrots are washed, or dipped, by a further chlorine solution to prevent white blushing once in the store.  There is no evidence that this is harmful, but it is worth knowing about!.  However organic growers use a citrus based non toxic solution called Citrox.

on www.carrotmuseum.com

Look here for up-to-date info

http://www.food.gov.uk/safereating/rad_in_food/irradfoodqa/