Washing vegetables before storing them?

[Turkeyman]

After returning from the grocery store, I like to prep some of my veggies for the next few days before putting them away. I'll wipe dirt off mushrooms, cut broccoli into florets and de-seed bell peppers. Then, when I'm ready to cook, I take them out, wash them and use them. Would it be possible to wash my veggies when I prep them and then air-dry them before I put them into the fridge? That way, I could just take them out and start cooking with them. Is this even safe?

Also, do chopped potatoes and chopped onion hold up well in the fridge? Chopping onion can take a while cause I end up crying all over the place . And peeling potatoes can take a bit of time after brushing/washing and peeling.

Thanks!

 

[Callisto in NC]

Potatoes turn grey if they are exposed to air too long. I wouldn't peal the potatoes.

Onions last longer if the peal is still on so I would only pre-chop them if you know you are going to use them or if they are about to turn and then I chop and freeze them. I have a lot of frozen onions in my fridge and they hold up well in the freezer.

As for the peppers, unless you are using them within a day or two by cutting into them to de-seed them you shorten their viability and freshness becomes questionable. What I mean is there's nothing like a freshly cut pepper, after a day or two bagged up they start to turn. I would save the pepper de-seeding until you need the pepper.

 

[Andy M.]

I do very little to my veggies before storage. Whole veggies will last longer than cut up veggies. I would NOT cut up broccoli or bell peppers until I'm preparing for a recipe.

If you want to chop onions in advance and store them, do so then freeze them. You can also buy frozen chopped onion.

Potatoes can be peeled and cut up the day before use but must be under water and refrigerated until they are used. Raw potatoes do not freeze well.

 

[jennyema]

Vegetables last longer the less they are cut up.

IMO it's better to get them home, in the fridge whole, and then prepped right before cooking. They will be fresher, tastier and more attractive that way.

Washing them ahead of time is not recommended either.

Unless they are totaly dry, the moisture they accumulate via washing will make them degrade faster.

 

[Turkeyman]

Thanks for the tips -- I'll try to keep prepping down to a day before I use the vegetable. Currently, I have them prepped 3-4 days ahead of time (I grocery shop twice a week, on Sun and Wed). I'll admit, I'm not too picky in terms of freshness as I'm a very busy grad student right now . But, I'll try to devote a little more time to keep things as tasty as they can possibly be . I figured it would be best to keep vegetables as unaltered as possible until it's time to use them.

 

[mike in brooklyn]

I do not wash or prep them until ready to cook.
Only exception - if I know I have a lot of cooking to do
I will prep them 1 day in advance and store in individual
sealable bags or plastic containers.

 

[B'sgirl]

When you wash them you wash the preservatives off of them. If you are going to use them quickly it might be okay but remember they will go bad much faster.

 

[Thaicooking]

I normally don't wash any vegetable before storing, because once I used to wash them, and they gone so fast! So, I wash them before cooking instaed. And one more thing, I wash them before cutting to keep their vitamins.

 

[jonnyjonny_uk]

I only wash and prepare my vegetables just before cooking as well as I think this brings out the best flavour and freshness. The only time I've been know to prepare the day before is Christmas dinner.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

When you wash them you wash the preservatives off of them. If you are going to use them quickly it might be okay but remember they will go bad much faster.

Natural preservatives, if I may interject.

 

[BreezyCooking]

The only vegetables I wash before storing are ones I pick from my own garden - especially root vegetables with lots of soil clinging to them - & I make sure they are completely dry before storing.

I never prep vegetables until I'm nearly ready to cook them. It's well-known that cutting up vegetables long before use allows many of the nutrients to escape.

 

[macro_grp02]

I do wash the vegetables before storing them in the fridge. Only to wash again when it's time for me to cook them. So thanks for the tips here. I guess I won't have to wash them if I intend not to cook them so soon.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

The only vegetables I wash before storing are ones I pick from my own garden - especially root vegetables with lots of soil clinging to them - & I make sure they are completely dry before storing.

I never prep vegetables until I'm nearly ready to cook them. It's well-known that cutting up vegetables long before use allows many of the nutrients to escape.

Escaped nutrients held my family for ransom until they got half a million dollars and a helecopter to take them to the nearest GNC.

 

[Claire]

I guess I'm definitely with the majority here. I find that if I wash veggies before storing they don't last as long. Even if they're damp (a lot of grocery stores have sprinkler systems on the produce aisles to make them look prettier) I try to dry them because the wet in the vegetable crisper drawer makes the veggies spoil faster. This might not be much of an issue if you have a large family and go through them very quickly. But even though my husband and I eat a lot of fresh produce, storing them too damp means I have to throw out food, which I hate to do, especially things I have to by in set amounts (i.e., carrots, celery, sometimes lettuce).

 

[apple*tart]

I guess I'm definitely with the majority here. I find that if I wash veggies before storing they don't last as long. Even if they're damp (a lot of grocery stores have sprinkler systems on the produce aisles to make them look prettier) I try to dry them because the wet in the vegetable crisper drawer makes the veggies spoil faster. This might not be much of an issue if you have a large family and go through them very quickly. But even though my husband and I eat a lot of fresh produce, storing them too damp means I have to throw out food, which I hate to do, especially things I have to by in set amounts (i.e., carrots, celery, sometimes lettuce).

This was such a slap-myself-on-the-forehead moment for me. I just figured out why cilantro from the grocery store doesn't last very long for me, while cilantro from the farmers market lasts twice as long. Dampness. Brilliant. Thank you. I think I will try to remember to put cilantro through the salad spinner and then let it air dry a bit before refrigerating in the future.