Anyone who has heard me talk about my fridge knows that I don't have a crisper, I have a rotter. That is where delicious fresh fruits and vegetables go to become black, slimy and smelly. Over the years I have come to discover that some foods take much longer than others to make this transformation. For the benefit of others out there who are sad to see their plans of healthy living turn to slime, here is a list of things that seem to last a while:
Fresh apples - last a couple months, then get wrinkly. Still good for cooking when wrinkled.
Fresh oranges - last longer when they are fresh and in season.
Carrot sticks - I used to buy the baby cut ones but discovered that crinkle cut carrot slices were cheaper per pound, and more fun to eat in dip.
Whole head of Romaine lettuce - the only lettuce I have found that I am willing to spend money on that won't turn to slime in a week. I just pull off leaves as I need them, lasts a month or more. Gets wilty over time, but still fine to eat.
Baby spinach leaves - and the kids actually eat it. According to one child, "This isn't bad. It isn't good, but it isn't bad."
My second "crisper" drawer is filled with cups of yogurt, raisins and chocolate chips. I have never found the need to have two drawers of food going bad at the same time.
Branching out from the crisper, there is a lot of stuff that lasts a long time. Even, say, well beyond the expiration date on the side of the bottle ... which should be scuffed up a little so kids can't check it.
Ketchup, mustard, relish, salsa, most salad dressings, marinades, etc. - really, what is going to go bad with that much vinegar in it?
Yogurt - quite fine a month or two later. If the top is bulging then don't go there.
Jelly - I'm not sure I even check the expiration date on this. Just look for mold.
Solid cheese - cut off any mold and use in cooking. I do have an issue with shredded cheese that has mold in the bag. I am neurotic about "no hands in the cheese bag!"
Parmesan cheese - the grated kind in the plastic shaker. I just consider it to be well aged. Now when one of my children licked the shaker top and put it back in the fridge and confessed a week later (he is a good boy who tells me everything), I did toss the cheese.
(True confession - when someone licked the spice shaker at a pizza place and then put it back in the stack before I could grab it or see which one it was ... I turned around and walked away.)
Things I question:
Chocolate syrup. It's been in there a long time. The bottle is dark and the opening small. Do I just have faith and squirt it on my food? How would I know if it is bad anyway?
Cream cheese and sour cream. Obviously when it has a nice layer of dark fuzz, time to go. Does it start to go bad before that?
Big jar of minced garlic. It's in oil, I guess it could go rancid. Does garlic mold?
Hard boiled eggs. They were boiled, but I guess the shell isn't really considered to be impermeable to bacteria. They already smell a little off just by the virtue of being eggs. How old can they be and still be acceptable for use as deviled eggs at a church supper? (Experiment in progress.....)
Things I wish lasted longer:
Yeah, this section could be really long. But let's start with things I thought would last longer.
Applesauce - moldy after a few weeks, really??!! I hate buying the little tubs, but I guess it is better than wasting the big bottle. Maybe I just need to get the kids to eat more applesauce.
Cucumbers - piles of slime in a few days. Very disappointing.
Regular bag o' salad - slime before you remember it is in there. My rule - no bag salad unless it will be eaten within 48hrs.
Fresh strawberries - 3 pounds for $5 is a good deal, but you have to eat them fast. Strawberries at every meal!
A place to share what I know and what I think I know.
No comments:
Post a Comment