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Conference turris::cooks

Title:How to Make them Goodies
Notice:Please Don't Start New Notes for Old Topics! Check 5.*
Moderator:FUTURE::DDESMAISONSec.com::winalski
Created:Wed Feb 19 1986
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:4127
Total number of notes:31160

563.0. "VEGGIES: Problems with Fresh Produce" by CURIE::GUERRA () Mon Mar 23 1987 17:57

    
    Has anyone else been having problems with fresh vegetables that
    you buy at the grocery store lately?  I've been finding that they
    haven't been that great to begin with, and then everything has been
    going bad really quick.  I thought maybe it's because it's winter
    time and nothing fresh has been coming from this area so everything
    is being shipped in from tim-buck-to.
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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563.1They can be foundPICA::DROWNSthis has been a recordingMon Mar 23 1987 18:2311
    
    
    
    Where are you shopping? I find the selection and freshness of veggies
    to be very good at the Merrimack Alexanders.
    
    Nothing stays fresh in my veggie bin...yuk!
    
    Summer IS coming - check out PICA::GARDENING and grow your own!
    
    bonnie
563.2That's PICA::GARDEN...KUNTRY::MITCHAM-Andy in AtlantaMon Mar 23 1987 19:470
563.3Idylwilde FarmsPARSEC::PESENTIJPWed Mar 25 1987 11:428
I don't know where you are located, but in Acton, Mass, there is a farm stand 
called Idylwilde Farms.  It sells HIGH quality veggies for a price.  I find 
their stuff outlasts the regular Grocery fare by a lot.  E.g., I have had a 
head of red leaf lettuce in my crisper in a plastic bag for 2 weeks, and don't 
have brown slime on it yet.  (And my crisper ain't terribly good.)

						     
							- JP
563.4FARMSTANDS THE ANSWER?ROMNEY::GUERRAWed Mar 25 1987 14:155
    
    Sounds good, but I live in Charlton (west of Worcester) and work
    in Marlboro......Acton is too far for me.  Thanks anyways!  I guess
    I'm going to have to find a farm stand in my area (God knows there's
    enough farms where I live!) that has good fresh vegies.
563.5IDLEWILDE FARMS IS THE BEST....STOWMA::MATTHEWSAMON & BOWIE's MAMAWed Mar 25 1987 15:5141
    I also think Idlewilde Farms is the best, by far.  I moved to southern
    Mass. almost 6 years ago from Acton and I missed going there.  I
    now work in OGO so I go there every week to buy my Veggies.
    
    A few tricks I found for keeping things fresh.  I don't wash my
    Veggies until they are needed.  The only thing I wash ahead of time
    is lettuce.
    
    After I have thoroughly washed the lettuce, I spin it to
    the point of being "slightly damp".  I put it in a large tupperware
    bowl, fold a paper towel and lay it on top of the lettuce, cover
    the bowl, burp it and turn in upside down and keep in Frig.  Don't
    ask me why it works but it does.  I mentioned this to the owners
    of Idlewilde and they said it was called something like "thermal
    hydration".  The towel keeps the moisture off the lettuce but keeps
    the environment damp.  I make salads everyday so my lettuce never
    lasts more than a week but it is just as crisy and fresh as the
    day I bring it home.
    
    I rarely buy Iceberg lettuce, mostly leaf-types, so I am not sure
    how good it would be for that type.
    
    I have also started putting a damp papertowel in my bin in the frig
    and that also seems to help.  I have a Sears frig. with a special
    drawer with a rubber gasket that seems to seal in the moisture.
    
    I have found that every grocery store I have ever shopped in has
    horrendous fruits and veggies.   I am more than willing to pay the
    higher prices at Idlewilde because the quality is great.  Why pay
    less for produce at the Grocery store just to have it turn bad
    after a few days.  Idlewilde's prices are not that much more.
    
    My husband and I only eat fresh veggies so it is important that
    they taste good.  I haven't bought a can of veggies in almost 4
    years.  Frozen is not as bad but I still stay away from them.  Corn
    is about the only frozen vegtable I buy (only during the winter).
    
    I wish there were more Idlewilde's around the state.  They could
    make a fortune if they did.  Perhaps they might start franchising
    someday - wouldn't that be great.  I would invest in one in a second.
    
563.6REGENT::WOLFWed Jun 24 1987 16:514
    For .4 there is a farm stand on Rt 20 in Marlboro on the eastbound
    side after Hosmer St. and after steve's/Deangelos. My wife has had
    good luck there. One thing to be careful of is vegetables in a
    frostfee refrig...
563.7FROST FREE FRIGCURIE::GUERRAWed Aug 19 1987 14:472
    
    What happens to vegetable in a frost-free frig?
563.8FROST FREE DAMAGE...SKYLRK::WILDEAnalysis, Mr. Spock?Wed Aug 19 1987 16:0610
TEXTURE CHANGE!! Frost free fridges can ruin veggies fast if they are
not placed in well sealed wrapping....I use zip lock bags with all air
pushed out..

     Broccoli goes to limp rubber in approx two days if not wrapped.

Don't buy mushrooms until you plan to use them and don't plan on keeping
raw shrooms for more than a day.

But, I really like not having to defrost, so....