Preserving in water?

Has anyone tried this?

I may have discovered a new technique for saving fresh fruit for a few
days. Or maybe it's already known, or maybe it's not safe. <shrug>
..
I too easily succumb to sales and buy too many fresh strawberries,
blueberries, or whatever. I use a few, and then, in a few days before
I figure what to to with the rest, they start mutating -- growing that
lovely white fuzz and getting mushy in texture. I know, they were on
sale for a reason.
..
So, last week I had strawberries. No wonder they were on sale; two
days the infamous white fuzz started on just a couple of them. So I
separated out the few bad ones, trimmed the stems and rinsed the
remainders, Then I put them in a large plaastic container with a snap
on lid, and filled it with cold water to a level above the fruit.
Placed in fridge. It is now over one week, and they remain perfectly
ripe, rosy, crisp. Not enough left to make jam, however, as I have
been dipping into the container to, er, test them each day.

I'll have to try the water technique on other fruit. For today I had
to throw out a bunch of bananas and most of a bag each of apples and
oranges, bought at the same time a week ago. I know, I shouldn't buy
large quantities -- "But they were on sale!"

I think I'll try this technique on other items. I think it would at
least work on bell peppers, celery, carrots. And perhaps sliced
apples, with a bit of lemon and sugar in the water. But if you don't
hear from me again, perhaps I will have died of food poisoning.

[Only registered users can see links. ] wrote:


uh, no. veggies need to be slightly humid, but dry and cool. think
root cellar...

b/

"Brian Mailman" <bmailman@sfo.invalid> wrote in message
news:[Only registered users can see links. ]...

I dunno, Brian. If I intend to eat carrot and celery sticks fresh from the
fridge, I prepare them (wash and chop celery, peel and chop carrots) and
store them in a container of water in the fridge. They stay fresh and
crisp, are already clean and ready to eat. Lasts this way for weeks. I
*might* change the water, um, once.

I have not tried it with any other fruit or veggie.

Kathi

il Fri, 13 May 2005 21:38:37 -0400, "Kathi Jones" wrote:


Of course some nutrients are water soluble, others decay in air.
Vitamin C is water soluble and air degrades it too. Hence the reason
for fresh vegies :-))). Oh and heat destroys it too.

Scurvey anyone? hehehe

I sometimes keep fruit cool by draping a wet teatowel over them. It
seemed to work well when I tried it on our hot days. Just a means to
keep the food freshish for longer.

--
Cheers,
Loki [ Brevity is the soul of wit. W.Shakespeare ]

I have saved mine in water for months at a time. I sort and clean the
strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peal and slice the peaches,
apricots and apples. Then I put them into canning jars, seal them with new
lids, put them into my hot water bath pot and boil them for 30 minutes. I
am experimenting with adding Splenda before canning them, but have opened a
jar, added Splenda and putting them back into the refrigerator for a couple
of days before eating them. That method has worked very well for me.

They dont taste as good as fresh fruit, but when I find them at a sale
($2.00 down from $4.00), I cant resist buying several 4 pint containers of
strawberries and processing them.

Dwayne


<[Only registered users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:1116022497.483981.5280@g43g2000cwa.googlegrou ps.com...

Thanks, all. I see I'm not alone in the process. I wouldn't go as far
as Dwayne in actually canning them -- just trying to keep them edible
for more than a few days. I'm all for immediate simplicity. And
while the water may lose some of the nutrients, perhaps that is less of
a loss than cooking. I don't know.

Another method I use is brining. Fresh mushrooms, after initial use,
I clean, trim, and marinade in oil and vinegar and a few herbs. I
think the acid of the vinegar keeps them from turning bad. Althoug h
they do get softer after about a week, but still usable.

<[Only registered users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:1116195272.844474.114940@g47g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

I have a friend who drinks the water the veggies are stored/cooked
in....waste not want not, I guess.... me? Yuck!

Kathi

Kathi Jones wrote:

Fine soup base. Think of it as veggie stock.

Pastorio

On Sun 15 May 2005 03:14:32p, [Only registered users can see links. ] wrote in
rec.food.preserving:


AFAIC, fruit kept in water only deteriorates in quality and flavor for the
duration. I would much prefer to freeze any fruit I cannot use
immediately. The fresh flavor and nutrients are better preserved..


My uncle always had access to fresh mushrooms at no cost. He taught me to
do something similar. However, he would bring the prepared mushrooms to a
quick boil in the vinegar, then add the oil before jarring and
refrigerating. They kept almost indefinitely and were really tasty. Nicely
pickled.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

Good morning Wayne.

How long do you boil them in vinegar, and what kind of oil do you use to
store them in? I canned them in my jars of stew. They turned out so well I
added them to the beef I canned. I haven't opened them yet, but they sure
look good in the jars. I followed my canning instructions and they didn't
get mushy. Once I was able to get some portabellas very inexpensive and
canned them by themselves. Haven't tried them yet.

Dwayne


"Wayne Boatwright" <[Only registered users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:Xns9657D10A0290waynesgang@82.106.6.176...