Fresh fruit and veggies... Share your methods!

What do you eat and drink on the playa? Share ideas, recipes and advice here.
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theBrooke
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Fresh fruit and veggies... Share your methods!

Post by theBrooke » Thu Aug 03, 2006 2:28 pm

Just curious how you keep them on the playa... I've never brought them, but after my last trip out with a vegan, i couldn't imagine not!

What fruits & veggies hold up best for you?

Where do you store them?

I'm thinking a separate cooler, no ice or anything, but just put all the fresh stuff in it to keep em dark and semi cool. My faves were avacado, and melon.... Both worked really well out there.

I know this is gonna be messier than ramen for a week, but it's worth the stinky garbage! I just take a 5 gallon bucket with a tight lid and put all the wet stuff in there, works well.
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Dork
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Post by Dork » Thu Aug 03, 2006 2:35 pm

Easy - only bring foods that can handle being in a cooler for a week. Test it out at home - pop it in the fridge in a sealed bag for a week. If it doesn't hold up, don't bring it.

If you need something that won't last a week, bring a couple of cans of it.

Pineapple, carrots, oranges, celery, canteloupe, watermelon, strawberries, fresh peas, that's about all I've tried that turned out well.

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dr.placebo
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Post by dr.placebo » Thu Aug 03, 2006 3:03 pm

With a little care the mess is quite small and the taste rewards are quite high.

I use a good cooler. I start out by freezing two gallon jugs of water and using them for block ice. As they melt I get ice water for several days. Later in the week I get block ice from Arctica.

For most things keeping them from becoming a soggy mess means using containers with lids, since plastic bags are generally not enough protection. I'm thinking of reversing the containment, though, and keeping the ice from Arctica in sealed containers in the cooler. Less mess all around.

Some items work better than others. I'm quite partial to tomatoes and cucumbers, but baby carrots and zucchini work well, too.

I don't bring much fruit, since it tends to be less robust than the veggies. Citrus works OK, though, and a slice of lemon in a cool drink can be a real treat.

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Post by blyslv » Thu Aug 03, 2006 3:05 pm

Putting fruit rinds and such in a mesh bag and letting it sit in the sun will reduce the size, weight and smell considerably.
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phil
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Re: Fresh fruit and veggies... Share your methods!

Post by phil » Thu Aug 03, 2006 3:24 pm

theBrooke wrote:Just curious how you keep them on the playa... I've never brought them, but after my last trip out with a vegan, i couldn't imagine not!
Well, how did the vegan do it?

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skygod
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Post by skygod » Thu Aug 03, 2006 3:43 pm

I brought a big basil plant in a pot in '04 and it was tasty. The moon-like environment made each leaf look like a miracle.
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Tiara
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Post by Tiara » Thu Aug 03, 2006 4:01 pm

My secret to having fresh veggies in the second half of the week? Ask someone from our camp who will be arriving Wed or Thurs to bring me some from a grocery store in Reno.

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geekster
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Post by geekster » Fri Aug 04, 2006 12:24 am

Ranch 99 market has canned butter! Oh, wait ... butter isn't a veggie ... sorry.
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sunn
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Post by sunn » Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:15 pm

I'm going to try cherries, grapes and tangerines this year...should all be fine in a cool place
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Post by carla starla » Fri Aug 04, 2006 7:02 pm

I plan on taking califlower a little broccoli, avacados, bean sprouts, im thinking of getting those frozen cold packs to put on top of tthe ice then some sort of flat surface to keep the veggies from falling into the ice i am imagining them just sitting on top staying cool. I'm not cooking anything that week just nuts berries fruits' veggies and rice milk for me. I think I can pull it off. any other suggestions? :lol:

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Post by hunter S » Fri Aug 04, 2006 7:26 pm

Free cold packs! Go see your local florist now! most flower shipments come with a large frozen cold pack in it. Just ask most will be glad to give them to you FREE!
Fruit & veggies are like flowers & do well with indirect cooling.
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Oldguy
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frozen water box

Post by Oldguy » Sat Aug 05, 2006 1:23 am

I freeze eight 3 liter bottles of water, place in large coleman box. Then i premake two loaves of sandwiches.(put fixed sandwiches back in cello bags) and place with fresh veggies on top of plastic bottles. works great, no water leaks and I take out one bottle a day for icewater. A cold banana with a ham and cheese sandwich is great.

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Post by robotland » Sat Aug 05, 2006 3:28 am

I bring one of those hanging wire basket-units for produce, and keep it in a shady spot where air circulates. Mangoes and bananas keep well if bought while green and kept from bruising, although both produce lots of debris. Grapes are nice. Many groceries will core and clean a pineapple for you at no charge, and then you have a container with airtight lid for trash. And though they aren't fresh, I really like the little mandarin orange peel-top cups- They keep at room temp, and you can chuck 'em into the cooler an hour before snacktime for a cool treat.
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AntiM
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Post by AntiM » Sat Aug 05, 2006 4:47 am

Some of the new plastic fresh pack jars of fruit are quite nice; I'm partial to peaches and pineapple. You can take out only what you want and put the rest back in your cooler.

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