Shelf life of fruit and vegetables

[UK Man]

The quality of strawberries above all other fruit has definitely improved over the years and are now available all year round.When I first came here they were like no other strawberries I'd ever seen before...strange in colour and shape they were only available in summer.

I've also noticed the newer fruit and veg shops that are opening up have realised it's the 21st century. Fruit and veg shops here used to be poorly lit, dirty and cold places and their produce was lying about the floor in the sacks or boxes they came in.The new owners on the scene have brightly lit shops and their produce is properly displayed in sloping shelves. The young guys who run the shop my wife goes to encourage her to pick her own fruit and veg whereas the the old brigade still demand they do the choosing....pathetic!!

 

[Steve K]

One factor that seems to be overlooked from the analyses so far is the timing of when the fruits and veggies are picked. In the US and markets that feed the US, fresh fruit/veg is picked from the fields well in advance of peak ripeness. The travel time to market allows them to ripen OFF the vine (sometimes naturally, sometimes with assistance from chemicals, gases, etc.). Argentine produce is harvested at or near peak ripeness, and even with shorter travel time, the shelf life is going to be shorter. And the flavors are in general going to be better with vine ripening rather than off the vine. Little verdulerias are going to replenish daily from the central markets, while bigger stores are once or twice a week, so the local stands will often have fresher products than the big supermarkets.

 

[dsp27]

Has anyone else noticed that all latas de tomates peritas aka canned whole tomatoes, has disappeared from the shelves. Cannot find them anywhere. So weird. Is it a seasonality supply chain issue or what?

 

[UK Man]

Has anyone else noticed that all latas de tomates peritas aka canned whole tomatoes, has disappeared from the shelves. Cannot find them anywhere. So weird. Is it a seasonality supply chain issue or what?

Going to La Anonima tomorrow for the weekly shop...shall have a look.

They haven't had Toddy choc chip cookies for several weeks now so you might be right and there's a supply issue.

 

[Rich One]

Going to La Anonima tomorrow for the weekly shop...shall have a look.

They haven't had Toddy choc chip cookies for several weeks now so you might be right and there's a supply issue.

La Anonima ? guess you are in the Provincia..?

 

[expat0tree]

Seems inordinately shorter here than in the US or or UK, is this just my perception? If not, does anyone happen to know the reason?

i cook my own food all the time and shop for fruit and vegies twice a week. the difference is that here, they try to sell until it sells meaning you are likely to get produce that's started rotting on the inside. this happens to my pumpkins and even potato. in north america they generally check a few and if some aren't so ok they discard the whole box in order no to annoy the customers because customers there do complain about such things and even demand refunds, not here, here you better check yourself and ask them to pick while watching rudely, depending on the verduleria of course. good if you have an organized one where most things are in good shape. another thing is storing properly. want your lechuga lasting for long time wrap it in damp towel and stick inside plastic bag in fridge. same for cebollitas de verdeo and kale. garlic has to be dry and ventilated. avocado should no go in the fridge because that changes its flavor. tomatoes should go in the fridge but NOT inside a plastic bag. they need air circulation around them, it's better to process them asap. potatoes inside bag, unwashed store better. strawberries do not store anywhere on earth lol, just eat them, same goes for many other berries.

p.s a tomato that started rotting is still good for sauce.

p.s 2 cucumbers here taste worse than cardboard. yuk!

p.s 3 papa negra is superior to papa blanca in texture and flavor!

happy cooking everybody.

 

[Redpossum]

Has anyone else noticed that all latas de tomates peritas aka canned whole tomatoes, has disappeared from the shelves. Cannot find them anywhere. So weird. Is it a seasonality supply chain issue or what?

I saw a half dozen cans of Inca (my favorite brand here) at the Carrefour yesterday. Thinking like a yanqui, I only bought one. If I'd had my Argentine hat on, I'd have bought them all.

 

[Rich One]

Ripe or rotten tomatoes are going for $220

I saw a half dozen cans of Inca (my favorite brand here) at the Carrefour yesterday. Thinking like a yanqui, I only bought one. If I'd had my Argentine hat on, I'd have bought them all.

While we discuss the quality and shelf life of produce Tomatoes climbed to $220 per kg as reported on TV..? a bag of produce can climb to $1000 pesos..!

 

[semigoodlookin]

Ripe or rotten tomatoes are going for $220


While we discuss the quality and shelf life of produce Tomatoes climbed to $220 per kg as reported on TV..? a bag of produce can climb to $1000 pesos..!

What's that, 7 dollars?

I am noticing some supply issues, but not many. Some products have simply vanished to be replaced in the supermarket by a literal wall of another product. @UK Man mentions cookies and it is evident on that aisle where Oreos extend for meters while many other cookies are not available any more.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

Ripe or rotten tomatoes are going for $220

In my opinion, it's a long way from ripe to rotten and produce passes through lots of other stages on the way. Personally, I wouldn't buy a banana until there were at least a few black spots and I probably wouldn't eat it until a few days after that. But judging by what others buy, YMMV.