Fresh vegetables question

[heikediguoren]

We have dinner cooking shifts each night in my camp. I'm coming up early entry on 8/22, and then I'm cooking on Thursday, so any fresh vegetables I bring would have to last a week in a cooler.

One of the dishes I have in mind has bok choy in it. Would this last for a week in a cooler? It's related to broccoli and cabbage, so it _seems_ like it would, but I'm not sure...it's been a couple years since my last burn, so my concept of what stays fresh and what wilts is a little fuzzy.

[dragonpilot]

If you keep your veggies cooled, whether on ice or in a frig, they'll be OK. I bring romaine lettuce, washed and stored in zip lock baggies, and bagged salad mixes (carrots, broccoli, lettuce), keep everything in the cooler, and still have crunchy veggies on the last day.

You must avoid opening the cooler a hundred times a day...that's OK for the beer, but not the veggies, etc.

[PhoenixFemmeFatale]

I would wash it, wrap it in a slightly damp paper towel and seal it in a ziplock. You may want to double ziplock it to give it a little buffer against ice burn in the cooler.

[heikediguoren]

Thanks for the advice! I was wondering about whether or not to ziploc the vegetables, as in whether or not they need to breathe to stay fresh. Doesn't sound like it, though.

[StevenGoodman]

Some veggies hold up great on the playa. Onions and Tomatoes are great, but do not put them in a cooler.

Other veggies want the cool, but do not get them moist. Which is why zip-locks, or sealed containers are great.

Some, like bananas last about two days. Get everyone coming in later to bring some!

Martini Steve

[DrewDubious]

be sure to store your fruits and veggies separate! The fruits release a gas that forces veggies to start spoiling quicker than normal. Also, air is the friend of veggies, no air will force them to start to spoil quicker because your veggies all contain moisture! You can get special veggie ziplock bags that will allow the gasses to escape and also let the bag breathe.

[heikediguoren]

Yes, I've been reading all about ethylene release as part of figuring out my food storage for this year.

And did you know that onions and potatoes shouldn't be stored together, because the onions will make the potatoes sprout and then rot faster? I didn't.

[DrewDubious]

Yes, I've been reading all about ethylene release as part of figuring out my food storage for this year.

And did you know that onions and potatoes shouldn't be stored together, because the onions will make the potatoes sprout and then rot faster? I didn't.

Actually I did not know that