Ok, somebody showed me this a while ago and it works so well, I thought I would share (hope it's not common knowledge and I'm just late to the party)..

Basically, put the greens in a ziploc-type bag and put a paper towel in there with it. The towel absorbs the moisture and the stuff stays fresh longer...works great!

anyway...back to taxes..

kiva

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Yeah, it works particularly well with Italian Parsley, and other greens like that, keeps them fresh. My wife saw it on some cooking show in FoodTV. We started doing it when our garden began producing more greens than we could reasonably eat.

I've noticed that the salads in a bag are lasting much longer than a year or so ago. I'm afraid to ask what they've done to make that occur, but it's nice that it doesn't go bad so fast.

Another method, if you have a 'lettuce keeper'; put 2 scoops of baking soda in the bottom and cover with either a folded paper towel or a coffee filter. I've kept lettuce this way for weeks with very little spoilage & no strange fridge odors.

Lettuce Keeper:

you CANNOT KEEP something FRESH!

Preserve Freshness is an oxymoron in my book. They have opposite meanings! It's either FRESH or PRESERVED, not both. So you cannot KEEP something FRESH. It's only fresh when they cut it in the garden. Once you put it in the fridge to keep it for the next day or longer, it's PRESERVED.

now please correct me if I am wrong. Sorry for the CAPS, but this " ... preserve freshness..." thing drives me crazy!

EXTEND freshness?

DELAY YUCKINESS?

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*´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´How about if you greased them up first? Are chihuahua's cooperative pack hunters? ~TheCaber

haha...excellent point...

let's call it "keep it from rotting prematurely"



kiva

New.Dad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> you CANNOT KEEP something FRESH!
>
> Preserve Freshness is an oxymoron in my book. They
> have opposite meanings! It's either FRESH or
> PRESERVED, not both. So you cannot KEEP something
> FRESH. It's only fresh when they cut it in the
> garden. Once you put it in the fridge to keep it
> for the next day or longer, it's PRESERVED.
>
> now please correct me if I am wrong. Sorry for the
> CAPS, but this " ... preserve freshness..." thing
> drives me crazy!

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New.Dad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> you CANNOT KEEP something FRESH!
>


I guess it's akin to being a "new dad". How long are you a new dad? Does it end the day after the birth or a week or maybe a month? You can't be a "new dad" until the child starts school can you?

Damn glad I didn't use that fresh word in my previous post, YIKES!

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Panopticon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> New.Dad Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > you CANNOT KEEP something FRESH!
> >
>
>
> I guess it's akin to being a "new dad". How long
> are you a new dad? Does it end the day after the
> birth or a week or maybe a month? You can't be a
> "new dad" until the child starts school can you?
>

right, I need to come up with a new name Oh wait, it's a *new* name only when I post the first time, then it's just another name. Happy now???

[www.trengovestudios.com]

Avocados do not ripen on the tree, they have to be picked to ripen.
Try to eat a fresh picked avocado, hard as stone.

BGnR

BigGuynRusty Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Avocados do not ripen on the tree, they have to be
> picked to ripen.
> Try to eat a fresh picked avocado, hard as stone.
>
> BGnR


yes, but that does not mean a ripen avocado is fresh

I keep head lettuce in a paper sack. It works better that the plastic bag w/ paper towel for me.

New.Dad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> now please correct me if I am wrong. Sorry for the
> CAPS, but this " ... preserve freshness..." thing
> drives me crazy!


Not much of a drive ... maybe a short walk

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New.Dad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> you CANNOT KEEP something FRESH!

Maybe you can.

If I pick strawberries, I can keep them in a state referred to as "fresh" until I freeze them, at which point they become preserved.

> It's either FRESH or
> PRESERVED, not both.

Or in between?


Merriam-Webster's definition:

1 a : having its original qualities unimpaired: as (1) : full of or renewed in vigor : REFRESHED <rose fresh from a good night's sleep> (2) : not stale, sour, or decayed <fresh bread> (3) : not faded <the lessons remain fresh in her memory> (4) : not worn or rumpled <a fresh white shirt> b : not altered by processing <fresh vegetables>

This definition indicates that something can be "kept fresh" if it is kept from being altered or processed.

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BT


Signed parental releases are on file for all tattooed minors.

New.Dad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> you CANNOT KEEP something FRESH!
>
> Preserve Freshness is an oxymoron in my book. They
> have opposite meanings! It's either FRESH or
> PRESERVED, not both. So you cannot KEEP something
> FRESH. It's only fresh when they cut it in the
> garden. Once you put it in the fridge to keep it
> for the next day or longer, it's PRESERVED.
>
> now please correct me if I am wrong. Sorry for the
> CAPS, but this " ... preserve freshness..." thing
> drives me crazy!

I won't even get into the discussion of whether this phrase is an oxymoron or not. What is more important is why the use of oxymorons are so irritating to you and why you feel the need to comment. Even if it only this particular one that causes issues, get over it. I bet you use oxymorons day-in and day-out without blowing a gasket:

You either don't own a car or it never gets used, because you'd have to put "liquid gas" in it to get it to go.
Even if you did drive, how would you figure out how fast to go without freaking out, as all the signs say "speed limit"?
Do you get angry when you drink coffee and are offered "non-dairy creamer"?
At picnics, do you go hungry because you are using "plastic silverware"?
How about the monitor you are reading this on, is it a "liquid crystal" display?
You must never have watched Star Wars, Star Trek, or any other similar movies or TV shows because they are "science fiction".
I can't imagine you can ever bring yourself to call for Tech Support, as they are all "toll free" numbers.
Even the word "oxymoron" is an oxymoron. (oxy = sharp, moron = dull)

I think my "only choice" is to bring this "partially complete" and "perfectly awful" list to a close.

- Shadow



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2006 10:56AM by shadow.

Uh... to get back on topic, assuming anybody gets back down here...

Michael commented:

I've noticed that the salads in a bag are lasting much longer than a year or so ago. I'm afraid to ask what they've done to make that occur, but it's nice that it doesn't go bad so fast.

The difference is due to two technological advancements.

The first is the composition of the bags themselves. Bags used on things like bag salads are made of multiple layers of differeing composition that each have specific properties. These are engineered to maximize shelf life. Next time you get the chance, take a moment to notice the feel of these bags. They don't feel like a typical plastic bag.

The second is a new take on an old technology; preservatives. Instead of applying a preservative to the vegetables, the preservative is applied to the packaging before the food is put inside. This provides a "preservative atmosphere" without the preservative needing to be heavy-handedly and ever-lastingly applied to the food itself.

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Don't ask who the bell's for, dude. It's you.