What is the proper care of vegetables in the refrigerator?

I usually rip a hole in the bag, then put it in fridge. I find that if I leave it closed up in the bag, it gets slimy pretty quickly. I wash it just before I use it.

Without the bag, it will wilt. Best are plastic bags with some holes in them. Nothing works a real long time. Best tip? Only buy what you can use.

Rachel Ray washes all hers before putting it away. I prefer to wash it as I use it. I think that is personal preference. If you do wash it first, don’t put it away wet.

My mom always told me that if you washed it before putting it away, it was likely to go bad faster (probably since it should be dry when you put it away, as Marina said).

I’m in favor of bags with holes in them too. And only refrigerate the things you need to – many veggies are happier sitting on the counter until you need them!

I think Rachel Ray just says she washes it “before” so that she doesn’t have to wash it on the show, but she can still act like she’s doing all the work within the 30 minutes.

Another note about care of veggies, always keep the in the crisper if you can, because it is more humid in there, so they will not dry out as quickly.

There are special green bags made to keep vegatables longer. My mom uses them and swears by them, so I made her do a test where she put a head of lettuce in one, and stored the other in the grocery stores clear vegatable bag. The green bagged lettuce lasted twice as long. I am now a believer.