good food going bad

[sonar]

Does anyone have problems with produce going bad before they get a chance to eat it? How many times a week are you all shopping?

[Mommax4]

I bought fruit and produce in varing forms of ripness and still before the end of the week a lot of it went bad!! I think its the weather here.....heat index gets to 120 and the a/c has a hard time keeping the house at 75degrees.

[sport]

I find that problem has lessened since going raw because I can put fruit in the freezer and keep it for icecream or I can dehydrate. I am also using far more fresh produce that before. I went to get some tomatoes yesterday to put in the dehydrator and found that I could not spare any as we had eaten far more than I expected. I use up my greens in my morning smoothie and this was the item that I mostly put in the bin prior to this.

[sweetgoddess]

hmmm, I shop every 2 weeks. I sometimes have to run in between for more bananas etc, but my food lasts 2 weeks.
It is important that your greens stay chilled even on the way home from the store. Bring a cooler, really, it will make them last longer.
I have used the green bags, but find that cellophane bags, which are biodegradeable, reuseable and also breathe, will keep salad greens etc good for 2 weeks. Ice water will often revive wilted greens.
I buy bananas , avacados, peaches, tomatoes etc in 2-3 different stages of ripeness. Oh, and it is important to keep your fridge at a very cold temperature, just below the point of forming ice crystals.

Hope something there helps!

Blessings~

[askcassyfirst]

I shop every saturday, and fill my fridge quite full with the weeks produce. I also keep some things in the freezer. I too live in a hot and humid part of the country.

Carmel's suggestion about the cooler is a great idea, and if you don't have one, you can also just ask the deli or produce counter for a bag of ice to help you tote your things home, if you buy at a grocery. I buy many things in bulk, so I try to get in, and get out, and get home quick.

Possible Suggestions:
~Possibly shopping often throughout the week if your schedule allows. I did this when I first went raw, but now that I work, I can't.
~Prepping and chopping things in advance so they don't spoil. Planning to use things, and prepping in advance will also help with balanced meals on raw.
~Ditto to Carmel's suggesiton on keeping the fridge cold. It helps also to keep the very fragile things in the crisper so they don't wilt as quickly.
~Air, heat, moisture, these cause the most spoilage. A full fridge also uses less energy to keep cold. Opening the fridge will also let out cool air, and let in the heat.
~If buying organic, be prepared that things won't last as long. They are not sprayed with the pest control to keep fungus down, and therefore, though more hardy in nutrients, won't last as long as the conventional produce with preservatives.

I hope that helps. When I first went raw I was living in the tropics, shopped several times a week and had limited refrigeration. I hear ya when you say that climate has a lot to do with it.

Good luck! :)

Cassy

[twinyoga]

Ditto to what everyone here suggested. I shop every Sunday and fill up on different degrees of "ripeness", knowing that I'll eat the most perishable foods first. It works. Sometimes I run out for bananas or some greens.

[rawgrrl]

I shop every 2-3 days. I was already experiencing a desire for fresher produce when I started reading "French Women Don't Get Fat," in which the author talks about the great tradition of farmers markets, among other things.

I really like getting fresh, succulent produce. There's a farmers market nearby and one of the farmers in that market has produce which just seems to sing. Found it they pick it the same day.

[Secret Heart]

I shop every 3-4 days...I feel as though I live at the grocery store...I know my wallet does anyway:> However, I'd not have it any other way as I like to keep it as fresh as possible.
Went to the Farmer's market today...love the atmosphere there. Sadly, only one organic vendor:<
Heather