Storage of fresh provisions

[Imprezza72]

Maybe TMI but worth checking out.. The Boat Galley
Storing Food on a Boat

[messias]

Never tried this, but what about sealing them in hose vacuum bags that you can DIY? Would that help?
With some veggies I know you can dehydrate them and they will be (almost) as good as fresh ones once re-hydrated...

[qatharms]

I like to keep many items without refrigeration, but here in the states, it is difficult to find anything that has not previously been refrigerated. I have a couple of strategies for dealing with produce.
I concur with the person who suggested leaving things like carrots out to come to room temperature, but in tropical heat or in the humid summer heat of coastal North Carolina, they still don't last too long. I have learned that many things last longer if I wash them in vinegar before setting them aside on a paper towel in the bottom of a flat basket.
I use green bags for most of my produce in the fridge. The green bags absorb the ethylene gas, but fresh veg and fruit also sweats. I wrap things in paper towels to deal with the moisture. It is a bit of trouble, but since I usually shop once a month, I am willing to put up with it. I have kept carrots, celery, green bell peppers as long as three, sometimes four weeks. Even in the fridge, the outside temperature makes a difference. Cabbage, cauliflower, beets and the like keep almost forever.
On one occasion I went 43 days without purchasing anything. On the last day, I still had a wedge of cabbage, half an onion, and an apple. Salad!

[GoingWalkabout]

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

Very apt saying for sailors. The origin of this phrase comes from the Mutiny On The Bounty and it was said by a mutineer officer to Captain Bligh as he was being lowered into the row boat and mercilessly dumped at sea. The Australian Prime Minister who made this quote famous in modern Australia was Malcolm Fraser. A conservative political leader who was much maligned by the left for having the cheek to say life wasn't meant to be easy. Because the left like in most countries believe that life is meant to be easy with the Government handing out other people's money to whoever wants to put their feet up and take things easy. If course Prime Minister Fraser like, coming from an English Scottish background highly valued the "Protestant" work ethic and developed his political outlook on the principal that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Prime Minister Fraser was an erudite man, well read and a reader of the likes of Ann Rand. Yes Captain, life was not meant to be easy.... Indeed it is the rough and tumble of the seas of life that make living both challenging and rewarding. (my addition)

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Going Walkabout

Very apt saying for sailors. The origin of this phrase comes from the Mutiny On The Bounty and it was said by a mutineer officer to Captain Bligh as he was being lowered into the row boat and mercilessly dumped at sea. The Australian Prime Minister who made this quote famous in modern Australia was Malcolm Fraser. A conservative political leader who was much maligned by the left for having the cheek to say life wasn't meant to be easy. Because the left like in most countries believe that life is meant to be easy with the Government handing out other people's money to whoever wants to put their feet up and take things easy. If course Prime Minister Fraser like, coming from an English Scottish background highly valued the "Protestant" work ethic and developed his political outlook on the principal that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Prime Minister Fraser was an erudite man, well read and a reader of the likes of Ann Rand. Yes Captain, life was not meant to be easy.... Indeed it is the rough and tumble of the seas of life that make living both challenging and rewarding. (my addition)

I will have you know that I resisted getting a remote control TV for the longest time!

[Bill Balme]

Pretty definitive discussion on this here: Crystal Blues: When There Are No Shops

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by weavis

I will have you know that I resisted getting a remote control TV for the longest time!

Well done Sir. I myself let my hired help go so that life wasn't too easy. It's amazing how satisfying it is to make my own cup of tea in the morning.

[jreiter190]

Zooks instead of cukes.Cabbage lasts for a long time, is heartier and can be found everwhere.I agree with all the advice about carrots and such. Seal your rice and troll for weevils.Red spuds cook quicker than big Idahos and, you can get more in the same space. Tiny jars of mayo. Tiny cans of tomato paste. No spoilage. Good beer does' nt need to refrigerated . Good whiskey is made to be sipped at ambient temperature. IMHO, of course.

[savoir]

Carrots don't need refrigeration at all. Wrap them in newspaper and store in any dry locker. The newspaper must stay dry. You can do the same with lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, onions, potatoes, sweet potato, cabbage. All of these will keep for around a month provided you can keep them dark and dry. NO PLASTIC BAGS.

I agree that cabbages keep the best of all the green vegetables.

[Bulawayo]

I dont think anyone wishes to hear of fridges ......
Try this website; Storing Food on a Boat
The poster has free subscription and loads of information available.
Good luck.

[NornaBiron]

Originally Posted by messias

Never tried this, but what about sealing them in hose vacuum bags that you can DIY? Would that help?

I tried this earlier this year as an experiment. I bought unrefrigerated carrots, made sure that they were completely dry, placed them in a vacuum bag with a piece of kitchen paper and vacuum sealed them. I kept them in a cool place and looked at them every few hours. By the next morning the vacuum bags had filled with the gas that vegetables give off and the package was damp despite the kitchen paper. So, no that doesn't help! ;-)

[jessehunt]

Onions keep very well stored in panty hose! Drop an onion in, then either knot the hose or use twine or cable ties to synch the hose between onions, then hang the panty hose loaded with onions and the keep for a long time!!

[NornaBiron]

Originally Posted by jessehunt

Onions keep very well stored in panty hose! Drop an onion in, then either knot the hose or use twine or cable ties to synch the hose between onions, then hang the panty hose loaded with onions and the keep for a long time!!

Lol, I can just picture it!

Does that method work for anything else?

[El Pinguino]

I find staple vege keep quite happily for a long time... thought it was a cold weather thing but had cabbage, onions and spuds last from early May to the end of July ( 90 days) through 'the trades' last year... just have to buy quality produce from the market rather than the supermercados. Carrots lasted until they ran out. Just in 'open stow' in lockers and frequently checked. Spuds have been an issue in the past when bought by the sackful out of season but just needed regular culling and still went for 2 months plus.

Other vege ( toms, lettuce, capsicum etc ) last just as long if not longer than they would ashore but thats why the invented tins... mind you I don't think anyone has figured out how to tin lettuce yet....

Hard cheeses ( one of the few good things to come out of Argentina ) keep well in 'the bilge' - actually under the 'side benches' in the saloon which puts them under water so to speak..... I think 2 years has been the longest.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

I find staple vege keep quite happily for a long time... thought it was a cold weather thing but had cabbage, onions and spuds last from early May to the end of July ( 90 days) through 'the trades' last year... just have to buy quality produce from the market rather than the supermercados. ...

We find that to be key (buying good fresh produce). Often by the time it gets to the coastal lowlands or an island somewhere its not so fresh and does not last much longer.