Vinegar Rinse. And Repeat!

Using a vinegar rinse (1 part vinegar to 10 parts water)

has extended the life of my produce incredibly! Read more below!

It seems like in years past, I might have had a gallon of white vinegar on hand for, oh . . . maybe 2-5 years.  I just rarely used it.  I knew it was good for pickling, and my mom used it to clean out the coffee pot and dishwasher.  But the smell of it made me gag, and I just wasn't a big fan of it, other than using a splash of it in regular milk to make instant "buttermilk."

However, I recently became a regular contributor to the food co-op, Bountiful Baskets.  I love it!  I contribute $15, and every other Saturday afternoon is a bit like opening up a present at Christmas.  You never exactly know what you get, but chances are, you'll love it!  Here's a photo of my "haul" (or contribution, as they called) from last Saturday:

My Bountiful Basket contribution from June 22, 2013.

Missing from the photo: two nectarines, about 1/3 of the blueberries, and one bunch of asparagus.

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When you have this much produce on your counter top, you certainly don't want it to go to waste.  So, after reading several posts on the Bountiful Basket Facebook page extolling the virtues of vinegar rinsing, I tried it out.  (Instructions/Recipe below.)  Suffice it to say, I was amazed at the results of how long my produce lasted when vinegar rinsing.  Oh, and the items "missing" from the photo above?  Well, that's my fault.  I was out of town this weekend so my friend picked up my basket Saturday afternoon.  Then we had no electricity yesterday due to thunderstorms.  So FINALLY, today, I did my vinegar rinse.  The veggies had been kept at room temperature.  Things were okay -- except the asparagus, some blueberries and some nectarines.  

I found that when I vinegar rinsed 8 pounds of strawberries, they lasted about 7-10 days.  The pound I did not vinegar rinse: molding within 3 days!  The proof is in the pudding (or the peaches!).

Vinegar Rinse How-To

Mix 1 cup white vinegar to 10 cups water in a large bowl.  Add a few fruits and veggies at a time.  Let them soak a few minutes (or longer, if you're say . . . vacuuming the living room or something).  When done, rinse them off under running water.  I place mine in a colander under the running water and let them drip into the sink.  If they don't air dry or if they are fragile fruits or vegetables, lay a soft dry towel out on the counter and let them dry there.  Amazingly, the vinegar does not affect the taste of the produce!  I rinse everything but bananas, potatoes, and onions.

Zuchinni, blueberries, nectarines, and (very important!) the blueberry
packaging soaking in the vinegar rinse.

If you have rinsed something that comes in packaging (blueberries or strawberries) and you want to reuse the packaging, throw out the absorbent pad inside, if there is one, and do a vinegar rinse on the packaging to get rid of any molds there!  I use a half of a paper towel, folded, to put into the bottom of the clamshell packaging.  

Freshly rinsed and almost dry blueberries resting
in a clean package with a fresh paper towel for the liner.
Last time, my blueberries lasted almost two weeks like this!

On the same day I do the rinse (hopefully, the same day I pick up my baskets!), I take the lettuce, celery, broccoli, and any other produce that requires "handling" and chop it all up so it's ready for the week.  I find that otherwise I won't use it if I have to clean it up later.  

My Salad Spinner (with a built in mandolin) has been the best buy ever!  We've had romaine lettuce in our baskets quite frequently, so I just get it all ready to go!  Chop, spin, and then store in a zipper top baggie with a clean, dry paper towel in the bottom (and top) to absorb any extra moisture.  

I'm always sure to squish all the air out of the bag before storing the ready-to-go romaine in the fridge!  Lasts quite a long time!  

I encourage you to try this method next time you pick up some produce from the market, co-op, or even from your own garden!