Storage of fresh provisions

[NornaBiron]

With refrigeration being a scarce commodity for most of us (and better used for drinks than food in Mediterranean summers!) how does everybody go about keeping fresh provisions for longer?

I have a couple of tips (both involve the fridge unfortunately) to get the ball rolling:

Wrap cucumbers in cling film and keep in fridge, they last for several weeks this way.
Wrap carrots and courgettes individually in kitchen or news paper and keepin fridge for at least 1 week.

Anyone else got any great tips for keeping our veg fresh and long lasting?

[Seaworthy Lass]

Regarding veg, it helps tremendously to buy produce that has not been refrigerated. Even lemons can go mouldy incredibly quickly if refrigerated, then left out.

If this is unavoidable, once on board dry produce off with a paper towel (moisture will bead as it warms up) and leave it spread out to come to room temp. Then pack it in a paper bag and place it low in the boat to be as cool as possible. It doesn't have to be a brown bag, a white one will do. This makes a dramatic difference on the longevity of carrots.

Same goes with eggs. Best to buy unrefrigerated, but if you can't, then dry them off and put them in a cardboard pack, not plastic. The jury is out on the effectiveness of vaseline smeared on them, but turning the carton upside down daily so that the yolk does not stick in one spot on the shell definitely helps.

SWL

[NornaBiron]

Finding unrefrigerated produce is sometimes a challenge in the summer, some grocers even like to spray their goods regularly with water to keep them looking fresh

What is the longest you have managed to keep carrots etc in the bilge, SWL? And where do you get your supply of paper bags from?

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by NornaBiron

Finding unrefrigerated produce is sometimes a challenge in the summer, some grocers even like to spray their goods regularly with water to keep them looking fresh

What is the longest you have managed to keep carrots etc in the bilge, SWL? And where do you get your supply of paper bags from?

I keep the paper bags with veg on the floor in a basket rather than the bilge. It saves lifting floor boards and I think circulation of fresh air helps with longevity. Carrots will generally keep at least a week if dried off well and brought to room temp before being bagged.

Most grocers I come across have the option of paper or plastic bags. I make sure I always buy paper. I discard any damp bags, but always seem to have an excess of dry ones to pack veg away in. I have never had to buy any. I use them for potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, beetroot, carrots etc. I even put cauliflower in a bag if I am not planning to immediately use it.

I keep onions separately on a paper lined metal mesh tray in the pantry. They are fine there un-bagged.

SWL

[NornaBiron]

I keep any veg I don't have fridge space for in a net, hanging in a large, dry, empty, bilge compartment. Most things keep pretty well that way. Just wondered if anyone had any experience of keeping veg any other way.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by NornaBiron

I keep any veg I don't have fridge space for in a net, hanging in a large, dry, empty, bilge compartment. Most things keep pretty well that way. Just wondered if anyone had any experience of keeping veg any other way.

Lemons, garlic and ginger I hang in a net, but it is not low (no convenient spot).

Fruit and tomatoes I keep open in a single layer on platters lined with a paper towel. Again, make sure they are well dried if they have been refrigerated. When hot, the life is much shorter, but I rarely have anything spoil.

The platters are put on non skid mats (the same as is used under rugs to stop them sliding). I simply pop them on the floor under the salon table on the same mats when we go sailing. It only takes a moment. I have never had a platter move, but it is a safer thing to do.

I guess cardboard boxes would work well for storage if you are not in an area where cockroach eggs are a worry. I just find platters with fruit serve a dual purpose of being decorative.

SWL

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

The platters are put on non skid mats (the same as is used under rugs to stop them sliding). I simply pop them on the floor under the salon table on the same mats when we go sailing. It only takes a moment. I have never had a platter move, but it is a safer thing to do.

SWL

Ive found just leaving them on the table is fine on a multihull when going sailing.........

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by weavis

Ive found just leaving them on the table is fine on a multihull when going sailing.........

Next you are going to say you can even put mugs down safely .

A liberal Aussie politician said about 35 years ago "Life wasn't meant to be easy" when dispensing advice to the nation and this became an Aussie catchphrase. It applies well when it comes to sailing .

SWL

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Next you are going to say you can even put mugs down safely .

A liberal Aussie politician said about 35 years ago "Life wasn't meant to be easy" when dispensing advice to the nation and this became an Aussie catchphrase. It applies well when it comes to sailing .

SWL

Y'awl know its said in jest. (Even if you can put mugs down during sailing too )

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by weavis

Y'awl know its said in jest.

You now want two masts as well as two hulls?


SWL

[Mike OReilly]

Most of my cruising has been done in relatively cool climates (Great Lakes), but I've found that lots of food can stay fresh without refrigeration. As others have said, the key is to avoid stuff that has been previously refrigerated.

We keep all manner of harder root veg in the swinging hammocks. Potatoes, carrots, turnip, parsnips, onions, garlic, cabbage. Tomatoes last a long time if not refrigerated, just be careful not to bruise them.

Citrus fruits last for weeks; oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes. Tangerines, and those other wimpy citrus, not so much. Most harder apples keep well. Softer, sweet ones like Macintosh don't do well.

Hard cheeses do well if kept sealed and in a cool place. Dried and cured meats can last a long time in the same way. Actually, if you dry and seal stuff it will last for years, but that is a different thread.

We have a fridge now, but mostly it's used to keep the beer, tonic and white wine cool .

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

We have a fridge now, but mostly it's used to keep the beer, tonic and white wine cool .

Well at least you have your priorities right......

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by NornaBiron

----
Wrap carrots and courgettes individually in kitchen or news paper and keepin fridge for at least 1 week. ----

What's a "courgette"?

[weavis]

Originally Posted by FSMike

What's a "courgette"?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the fruit. For other uses, see Zucchini (disambiguation).
Zucchini or courgette
CSA-Striped-Zucchini.jpg
Zucchini-Whole.jpg
A striped and a regular zucchini
Species Cucurbita pepo
Origin Italy, 15th century (?)
Zucchini (/zuːˈkiːniː/) or courgette (/kʊərˈʒɛt/) is a summer squash which can reach nearly a meter in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less.

Along with certain other squashes and pumpkins, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo. Zucchini can be dark or light green. A related hybrid, the golden zucchini, is a deep yellow or orange color.[1]

In a culinary context, zucchini is treated as a vegetable; it is usually cooked and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment. Botanically, however, zucchini is a fruit, being the swollen ovary of the zucchini flower. Zucchini, like all squash, has its ancestry in the Americas. However, the varieties of squash typically called "zucchini" were developed in Italy, many generations after their introduction from the Americas.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by NornaBiron

I keep any veg I don't have fridge space for in a net, hanging in a large, dry, empty, bilge compartment. Most things keep pretty well that way. Just wondered if anyone had any experience of keeping veg any other way.

Yes, buy fresh and let them breath. Veggies keep well this way. We also have open weave baskets aboard for the same use.