Storing veg in fridge

[haza1981]

Hi Guys,

Is it wrong to keep Veg in the fridge? I have heard mixed things about veg and fruit in fridge. One of the reasons I ask is I had a patty pan squash in the fridge and it went soft quite soon. Now considering people store these over winter in sheds I thought this was wierd.

[Mrs T]

Good question! I wonder that too... I'd put my carrots in the fridge and they went limp (not what you want from your carrots!)... the ones I harvested at the weekend are still out on the kitchen counter (not going limp) because I'm really not sure how best to store them... Sadly there's not enough to think long term, through the winter shed type storing - just want to keep them fresh for a week or so...
Hope we get some answers??!!!

[bearded bloke]

I wonder if it may be that they need movement of air around them

[Croila]

Maybe it's connected to whatever it is that makes bananas go instantly black in the fridge? I've also noticed carrots go nasty pretty quickly in the fridge.

[PAULW]

Take the tops off the carrots then put into a locking freezer bag sqeezing the air out, I had carrots stored for over three weeks like this and they were still firm when removed.

[Mrs T]

Take the tops off the carrots then put into a locking freezer bag sqeezing the air out, I had carrots stored for over three weeks like this and they were still firm when removed.

Brilliant!!!
Will give it a go

[Croila]

Three weeks?!! Oh I am definitely going to try that - thank you!

[arpoet]

When commercial growers harvest crops the first thing they have to do is reduce the field heat so the stuff will keep in prime condition for longer. We gardeners often forget this rule and wonder why stuff soon goes limp.

If i want to save Veg for a few days, or more, i pop em into bags and place them at the bottom of the fridge.
I took a load of french beans on holiday with me and well over a week later they were still sweet and tender.

There was a program on TV last year about beans from Kenya and as they are grown miles from refridgeration, they pack the beans into double skinned sheds that has charcoal in the gap. When water is poured over the charcoal it draws the heat from the shed and the beans. Without this they would be rotten by the time they arrived to the packing houses many miles away let alone arrrive in your local store still looking fresh.
Roger

[Croila]

Ah, that programme sounds pretty interesting - wish I'd seen it! Thank you for the information

[Alison]

Hi Guys,

Is it wrong to keep Veg in the fridge? I have heard mixed things about veg and fruit in fridge. One of the reasons I ask is I had a patty pan squash in the fridge and it went soft quite soon. Now considering people store these over winter in sheds I thought this was wierd.

Are you sure the patty pan ones were winter squash, the ones I have are a summer variety and will only store for as long as a courgette.

Re carrots, pull as I need and store in paper bags in a veg rack without scrubbing. Keep well for a couple of weeks if necessary but don't normally pull that many.

[Suky]

The other option is the stayfresh plastic bags sold at Lakeland. Leafy veg, salad, beans and carrots keep very well in these and are reusable too (at least a few times anyway).

[LolaLou]

Take the tops off the carrots then put into a locking freezer bag sqeezing the air out, I had carrots stored for over three weeks like this and they were still firm when removed.

Yup I do this too (I twist the green tops off, I don't slice them off). I also put a spritz of water in there (not so that there is any kind of 'pool' of water in the bottom - the carrots need to just be slightly damp rather than wet!). I kept carrots like this in the fridge for about 3 months last year and about 6 weeks this year (didn't last longer as we ate them!!). I had exactly the same problem with them 'limping' out after about half an hour before I stored them like this. I'm not sure if the nutritional value stays but they stay firm and tasty so I don't mind!

[Snadger]

Yup I do this too (I twist the green tops off, I don't slice them off). I also put a spritz of water in there (not so that there is any kind of 'pool' of water in the bottom - the carrots need to just be slightly damp rather than wet!). I kept carrots like this in the fridge for about 3 months last year and about 6 weeks this year (didn't last longer as we ate them!!). I had exactly the same problem with them 'limping' out after about half an hour before I stored them like this. I'm not sure if the nutritional value stays but they stay firm and tasty so I don't mind!

Why not just leave em in the soil and pick em as you need em?
Carrots lose the majority of their flavour after a couple of hours anyway!

[Croila]

Maybe to make space in the ground for something else ..?

[Snadger]

Maybe to make space in the ground for something else ..?

Not an issue for me. Mine are grown in a permanent bed covered with enviromesh for two years then moved to another area.
I will probably finish eatng fresh carrots in March/April just in time to sow my next crop.
Because carrots have such a specific soil requirements I devote a whole bed to them.

Point taken about making way for something else but not hopefully to let the space sit idle over the winter.