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Keeping Food From Spoiling

Not too long ago, I'd buy a 5 to 10 pound bag of potatoes and other produce items every time I went grocery shopping, and by the end of the two weeks between grocery trips, more than half of the package would be spoiled.

I hate wasting food, but I also didn't want to have to drive to the store every few days to buy more produce. Is it really cost effective to buy fewer produce items at a higher price several times as opposed to buying them in bulk and losing half the package? I don't know.

I have tried "green" bags, which are supposed to keep veggies from spoiling so quickly. Either I didn't use them right or they don't work because I didn't notice any difference in how quickly my produce spoiled.

These days, though, I try to schedule a cutting session during which I peel and shred as many veggies as I can, chop them up and freeze them for use as needed. This works great for onions, carrots and bell peppers but not so well for potatoes, which turn brown once they're peeled, no matter how quickly you put them in the freezer.

To remedy this problem, I've started cooking potatoes ahead. I turn them into boiled potatoes for stew or baked fries for side dishes for other foods. Reheating the boiled ones works great; reheating baked fries doesn't go nearly as smooth but they really don't turn out bad. I just microwave them for about three minutes. They're softer than when I serve them fresh, but not bad.

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