For a couple of years now I have been participating in produce cooperatives. I sometimes end up with more produce than I can use in a week, and sometimes I only participate in a monthly coop so I want to extend the life of my produce as long as possible.
After a bit of research I found that there were things that I was storing incorrectly. Now I am finding that not only do I have more refrigerator space, but my produce is maintaining the quality longer.
Apples – Avoid washing apples before storing. Remove any spoiled apples. Put in a plastic bag in the coldest part of the fridge or store in a cool place no longer than 6 weeks. Warning: storing apples next to broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, greens or cauliflower will cause these veggies to spoil faster. Apples give off ethylene gas, which causes faster ripening. (Or, put an apple in a bag with fruits such as peaches, plums and bananas to speed up ripening.)
Artichoke – Refrigerator life: 4 to 5 days. Add a few drops of water to a plastic bag.
Butternut Squash – Store in a dry area with good air circulation up to 6 mos. Winter squash should not be refrigerated unless cut. Stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from light, it will keep for up to three months. Cut squash will keep 1 week when wrapped tightly and refrigerated.
Cabbage – Whole Refrigerator life: 1 to 2 weeks in a plastic bag.
Cabbage – Cut Refrigerator life: 1 to 2 days if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
Carrots – Refrigerator life: Very variable. Store in their original plastic bag.
Cauliflower – Whole, Refrigerator life: Up to 5 days. Store stem-side up in a plastic bag.
Celery – Refrigerator life: Up to 2 weeks. Store in a plastic bag.
Cherries – Cherries are highly perishable; refrigerate ASAP. Sort carefully and place loosely in a shallow container so that air can circulate. Wash cherries just before using. For highest quality, fresh cherries should be stored only 1 or 2 days. Cherries make a guilt-free snack: they’re fat-free, low in calories, and rich in vitamin C, vitamin A and beta-carotene. I love pitting them and freezing in a single layer and then transfer to a freezer bag.
Cilantro – Wash in cool water, remove dead stems/leaves, snip ends. Pat dry and place stems in cup with water but avoid submerging the leaves. Cover with a plastic bag/wrap and refrigerate. Change water if it becomes murky. Can also store, prepped as above, wrapped with a damp paper towel in a plastic bag. Most fresh herbs will last more than a week stored this way.
Corn – More than any other vegetable, sweet corn tastes best when it’s fresh from the garden. The minute it’s picked its sugar content starts turning to starch.
Cucumber – Refrigerator life: 1 week if waxed; less if not waxed.
Eggplant – Refrigerator life: 3 to 4 days. Store in a plastic bag.
Garlic – Shelf life: A few weeks to a few months, depending on size. Store in a dark, cool spot.
Grapes – Avoid washing grapes before storing them. Check through bunches for spoiled grapes and remove; put grapes in a plastic bag in your fridge and store for a week max. Wash under cold water just before serving.
Green beans – Refrigerator life: 3 to 5 days. Store in a plastic bag.
Jalapenos – Keep cool and dry. If you refrigerate them, first remove them from the plastic produce bag; otherwise they’ll become soft and moldy. Generally they’ll keep for 3-4 days. Once the skin begins to wrinkle, it loses potency, and if you’re roasting or blanching them, the skins will be difficult to peel.
Leafy Vegetables – Refrigerator life: 3 to 5 days. Wrap in a damp paper towel and place in a plastic bag.
Leeks – Refrigerator life: Up to 1 week. Loosely wrap in a plastic bag.
Lettuce – Refrigerator life: Lettuce stored in sealed plastic bags in the crisper will last from a few days to 2 weeks. The firmer the lettuce the longer it will keep; iceberg up to 2 weeks, Romaine 10 days, butter and leaf lettuces for 4 days. Do not store with melons, apples, pears, or other ethylene gas-emitting fruits as they will cause the lettuce to turn brown.
Mangos – A few black spots on the skin are typical of ripe mangoes. Put in a paper bag to ripen at room temp (two will ripen faster than one) and keep in a cool place, such as a cupboard. Move to fridge when ripe and use within a few days.
Mushrooms – Prepackaged mushrooms can be stored, unopened in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. Once opened, mushrooms should be moved to a paper bag and refrigerated.
Nectarines – Store at room temperature until fully ripe. Once fully ripe, store them in the fridge for no more than a 2 of days. Nectarines stored longer may lose their juicy flavor. Use a little lemon or other citrus juice on the cut areas to retard the browning affect.
Onions – Cut, Refrigerator life: 2 to 3 days if tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
Onions – Green, Store green onions/scallions away from odor-sensitive foods such as corn and mushrooms, which will absorb the odor of the onions. Remove bands and damaged leaves and store in plastic bags in the crisper. They’ll last up to 5 days.
Onions – Whole, Shelf life: 3 to 4 weeks. Store in a cool, dry, open space. (Although my neighbor stores them for MONTHS in her garage!
Oranges – Store citrus at room temp if you’ll eat it in a week or so, or it will keep in the crisper for 6-8 weeks. Citrus is ripe when picked. Surface marks usually do not affect the fruit inside.
Peas – Refrigerator life: 1 to 2 days. Store in a plastic bag.
Peppers – Refrigerator life: Up to 1 week. Store in a plastic bag.
Potatoes – New, Shelf life: 1 week. Store in a cool, dark, dry place.
Potatoes – all-purpose and baking, Shelf life: Store in burlap, brown paper, or perforated plastic bags away from light, in the coolest, non-refrigerated, and well-ventilated part of the house. They can last up to 3 months, but more realistically, 3-5 weeks. Don’t store onions and potatoes together, as the gases they each give off will cause rot.
Pumpkin – Shelf life: Up to 1 month in a cool, dry place.
Spinach – Untie, remove blemished leaves, wash thoroughly in cold water, spin dry, and refrigerate in plastic bag for 2-3 days. Rich in anti-oxidants, loaded with folic acid, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese.
Squash (Winter) – whole, Shelf life: Up to 3 months. Store in a cool, dry place.
Squash (Winter) – cut, Refrigerator life: Up to 1 week if wrapped tightly in plastic.
Squash (Summer) – Refrigerator life: Up to 1 week. Store in a plastic bag.
Strawberries – Strawberries are extremely perishable and should be refrigerated immediately. Wash just before enjoying. Refrigerate in a single layer on a paper towel in a moisture-proof container. Eat them within 72 hours, or freeze up to 10 mos. Ideally, let come to room temp before serving to bring out best flavor. Nutritional powerhouses: vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, phytochemicals.
Sweet Potatoes – Shelf life: Up to 1 month if stored in a cool, dry place; up to 1 week if stored at room temperature. If refrigerated, their natural sugar will turn to starch and ruin the flavor.
Tomatoes – Shelf life: Up to 2 days once fully ripe. Store at room temperature for the best flavor. Tomatoes should never be in the fridge until they have been cooked, cut or put into a raw dish like a salsa, or are fully ripe and would spoil if left at room temp. Place tomatoes stem end up, in a sealed paper bag with or without ethylene-producing fruit such as bananas. Refrigerated ripe tomatoes will taste better if brought to room temp before eating.
Watermelon – Uncut watermelons keep at room temp for up to 2 weeks. Store cut watermelons in fridge. Cover cut surface loosely with plastic wrap.
FREE SHAKE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY!
It’s our 50th Anniversary and its time to celebrate! However, It’s Iceberg Drive Inn thats giving you the present! From March 1st 2010 until February 28th 2011 Visit any participating Iceberg Drive inn location on your birthday and receive (1) One FREE Complimentary Iceberg Drive Inn Shake! No Purchase Required! Come out and celebrate!
Receipent Must Meet Eligiblity Requirements.
You must be able to produce VALID proof of Date Of Birth.
This may be done via government issued ID or notarized Birth Certificate.
UTAH
The Original Iceberg
3900 South 900 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84124
Downtown – Salt Lake City
Jerry Seiner GM Cafe
1530 South 500 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
Syracuse
Opening January 2010
Taylorsville
1516 West 5400 South
Taylorsville, UT 84123
University Mall Food Court
Orem, UT 84057
Lehi
Thanksgiving Point
3295 N. Thanksgiving Way
Lehi, UT 84043
St. George
222 E. St. George Blvd.
St. George, UT 84770
Bountiful
95 East 500 South
Bountiful, UT 84010
Orem
180 North State Street
Orem, UT 84057
Riverton
13400 South 5049 West
Riverton, UT 84065
Highland
5260 West 11000 North
Highland, UT 84003
Idaho
Meridian, Idaho
3450 North Eagle Road
Meridian, ID 83646
Coming Soon:
In Utah: Logan, South Jordan, West Valley, Layton, Springville
In Idaho: Boise
In Arizona: Phoenix, Mesa
In California: Chino Hills, Palm Desert
In Nevada: Las Vegas, Mesquite
Rite Aid has a new $5/$25 coupon you can print out! If you don’t like doing the Video Values to earn a $5/$20 coupon use this other one instead. And you can print as many as you need to!
The $3/$15 coupon I told you about a few days ago is still available as well.
Go HERE to read more about the awesome deals at Rite Aid this week.
Here are the links to the posts I made last week to help you start shopping and saving at Rite Aid!
Navigating Rite Aid #1: The Basics
Navigating Rite Aid #2: Get Started!
Navigating Rite Aid #3: Coupon Policy
Navigating Rite Aid#4: The Results!
I think this is a fabulous deal because I have two of these makeup bags and I know how absolutely adorable they are. And how adorable my mother and mother-in-law thought they were. And how adorable the cashier thought they were. And how even my brother-in-law unsolicitedly mentioned after he saw one lying on the bathroom counter that they were “pretty cute.” They’re a very versatile size, too. I use one for cash and coins, one for coupons, and one for makeup. These bags are surprisingly sturdy, well-lined, and come with one small zippered inner pocket for storing smaller items like jewelry or coins. And did I mention cute? I plan to buy more for gifts.
Now through March 16 (technically the coupon says the 17, but Artscow’s coupons seem to expire at 12:01 am on the listed expiration date), Artscow is offering 3 medium customized makeup bags for 8.00 shipped. That’s 8 bucks for all three.
If you want this deal, do this:
*NEW* Save $10.00 on Old Dogs Blu-ray™ Combo Pack. Expires 3/16/10.
Save $10.00 with purchase of Ponyo Blu-ray Combo Pack. Expires 3/7/10.
Save $5.00 on any Baby Einstein DVD. Expires 3/31/10.
I hope that the four posts last week on Navigating Rite Aid helped you understand how to start shopping and saving! If you have any questions, please post and we will answer them for you!
These are the best deals at Rite Aid this week. These deals are taken from the Idaho ad, so please verify prices in your location. Some prices do vary by area. Please also remember that all coupons listed may not be available in all areas. Check out the Rite Aid thread on PYP for more weekly deals and discussion.
Remember to take these coupons when you go to get more for your money!
$3/$15 purchase coupon (expires 3/31)
$5/$20 Video Values coupon
CoverGirl Cosmetics B1G1Free
Use Covergirl Face Product, Buy one get one free (3-31-10) PG-2/7
Final Price: Get two for free!
ReNu Multipurpose Solution $6.99
Use Renu solution, any 12 oz. or larger $1/1 (6-30-10) SS-3/7
Get a $2 Single Check Rebate
Final Price: $3.99 after coupon and rebate!
ReNu Travel Size kit $.99 cents
Use $1/1 printable
Final Price: FREE!
Biore Pore Perfect Skin Care Strips, Scrub or Cleanser or Towelettes 3 for $15
Use Biore Cleanser FREE when you buy any Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strip, max. value $9.00 (5-31-10) SS-3/7 AND
$1/1 Biore Video Values coupon
Get a $5 Single Check Rebate when you buy 3
Final Price: FREE plus overage after coupons and rebate!
John Frieda Root Awakening, Brilliant Brunette, Sheer Blonde or luxurious Volume Shampoo or Conditioner, 3 for $15
Use John Frieda Hair Care shampoo or conditioner, any full size $3/1 (4-10-10) SS-3/7 OR
John Frieda Hair Care styler or treatment, any full size $2/1 (4-10-10) SS-3/7 AND
$1/1 John Frieda Video Values coupon
Get a $5 Single Check Rebate on 3
Final Price: FREE plus overage after coupons and rebate!
(This is one of those time where you can get a rebate more than once! Here are the details for Rebate #42. You can do it up to 3 times!)
Purchase Fifteen Dollars ($15.00) Worth of Any Variety:
• Jergens Natural Glow or Moisturizers, Biore Facial Care Products, Ban Antiperspirant Deodorant, John Frieda Hair Care Products or Curel Moisturizers
Get $10 Rite Aid Gift Card when you buy $30 of these select P&G products:
(see complete list of participating products here, rebate #18) Valid this week only!
(Save your receipts and turn them in for the $100 P&G coupon booklet too!)
Prilosec OTC, 42 ct. $24.99
Use Prilosec OTC, any $3/1 (3-31-10) PG-2/7
Get a $5 Single Check Rebate
Final Price: $16.99 after coupon and rebate!
Vicks DayQuil or NyQuil $4.99
Use Vicks Product, Any $1.50/1 (3-31-10) PG-2/21
Get a $2 Single Check Rebate
Final Price: $1.49 after coupon and rebate!
Crest Toothpaste, select varieties, OR Oral B Advantage, Pro-Health manual toothbrush $2.74
Use Oral-B Pulsar, CrossAction, Advantage Toothbrush .75/1 or (2) indicator (3-31-10) PG-2/21 OR Crest Toothpaste 4.0oz or larger or liquid gel .75/1 (3-31-10) PG-2/7
Get a $1 Single Check Rebate
Final Price: $.99 cents after coupon and rebate (plus, you can use this coupon if these kinds of Advantage toothbrushes are included in the sale & get a free toothbrush: Oral-B Advantage manual toothbrush, any Whole Mouth Clean, Deep Clean or 3D White BUY 1 GET 1 FREE (4-30-10) PG-3/7)
Always Pads or Panitliners or Tampax Tampons $5.99
Use Always Pantiliners, any 34 ct. or larger $1/1 (4-30-10) PG-3/7 OR Tampax, any 18 ct. or higher, any $1/1 (4-30-10) PG-3/7
Final Price: $4.99 after coupon
Oral B Cross Action Power Toothbrush or 2ct refill packs $5.99
Use Oral-B Battery Toothbrush, any $3/1 (4-30-10) PG-3/7
Final Price: $2.99 after coupon
Gillette Fusion or Venus Cartridge 4-12 pk get a Fusion or Satin shave gel FREE
Use Gillette Fusion Razor FREE with purchase of any Fusion Cartridge Pack (4-30-10) PG-3/7
$4.99 each
Oral B Pulsar Toothbrush
Use Oral-B Pulsar, CrossAction, Advantage Toothbrush .75/1 or (2) indicator (3-31-10) PG-2/21
Crest Rinse 440ml or 1 liter
Use Crest Rinse 440mL or larger $2/1 (3-31-10) PG-2/7
Crest toothpaste, twin pack 6.2 oz
2 for $7
Fixodent, 2-2.7 oz
Use Fixodent Adhesive 1.2oz or larger .50/1 (3-31-10) PG-2/7
Scope 710-1000ml
Use Scope mouthwash 710mL or larger $1/1 (3-31-10) PG-2/7
Glide Floss 35-50m or floss picks 30 ct.
Use Glide Floss 35M or larger .25/1 (3-31-10) PG-2/21
Pampers Jumbo pack diapers or Underjams, $9.99
Use Pampers Diapers or Pants $1.50/1 (3-31-10) PG-2/7
Pampers baby wipes 60-77 ct., $2.49
Use Pampers Wipes, 60ct or larger .50/1 (3-31-10) PG-2/7
DEAL SCENARIO:
Use:
Then you get a $10 Rite Aid gift card: So its like paying $8.44 for everything!
Heres a few transaction scenarios for you, you can also check out the walgreens thread for more great ideas.
Dental Care Transaction
Sale: Reach: Total Care Toothbrush or Floss, 30 yds, 2 pack advanced design toothbrushes. Listerine: 72 ct. Pocket Paks, Total Care or Advanced Mouthwash, 8.45 oz. Limit 3. 3/$9
Get: (1) Reach 2 pack advanced design toothbrushes, (1) Reach Total care Floss 30 yds, (1) Listerine Pocket Paks 72ct.
Use: (1) Reach Toothbrush or Value Pack, any $1/1 (5-31-10) SS-6/14. (1) Reach Dental Floss, any excluding trial sizes or any Reach Access Flosser $1/1 (5-31-10) SS-6/14. (1) Listerine Antiseptic, any 500 mL or larger or any Plax Rinse, or any Efferdent 78 ct. or larger, or any Listerine PocketPaks 24 ct. or larger or any Listerine PocketMist .50/1 (5-31-10) SS-6/14.
Use Store Coupon: In Ad Instant coupon (back page) $5.01/3
Pay: $1.49
Cold Care Transaction
Sale: Vicks, 10 or 20ct Nyquil or dayQuil or liquid, 6oz. VapoRub 1.75 oz. $4.49
Use: 5x Vicks NyQuil or Dayquil, any $2/1 (2-28-10) PG-1/17 (if your not getting nyQuil/ DayQuil use Vicks Product, any except NyQuil or DayQuil $1/1 (2-28-10) PG-1/17 )
Pay: $12.45 + tax
Get: $10 rr from Vicks
This is a good deal when you think that your paying $13.94 for 5 bottles of Nyquil, toothbrushes, Listerine and floss AND walking out with $10.
If you have any questions about how Register Rewards work go here for the answers.
My husband and I love steak & seafood. For New Years Eve, Anniversary and Valentine’s we used to go out and spend easily $100 on a meal. That no longer fits the budget. For just $40 this past Valentine’s Day I prepared 2 lbs of crab legs, 2 lbs of shrimp, steaks, roasted red potatoes and steamed asparagus – THAT WAS A LOT OF FOOD!!
Do you have a favorite restaurant that you crave? Did you know that you can typically search online and find recipes that VERY closely mimic those at your favorite restaurant for just a fraction of the price? Imagine the budget savings by cutting out all the expensive overhead and the satisfaction of serving it right at your own table. Yet, you will not feel deprived because you will still get to eat your favorite foods. You can locate these recipes offered right on the web by simply using your search engine. All you have to do is type in the name of the restaurant and the recipe name, and soon you will be in your kitchen cooking up all your favorite recipes.
It can be very expensive to go out to a restaurant for a delicious meal. And if you have a big family, the more ridiculous the prices are. One of my family’s favorite places to eat is Texas Roadhouse. Yummy! They have really good rolls. After searching online I found a recipe that is pretty darn close:
TEXAS ROAD HOUSE SWEET YEAST ROLLS – Copy Cat
1 1/2 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups milk- scalded and cooled to lukewarm
3 tablespoons of melted butter – cooled
1/2 cup sugar
2 quart all purpose flour —
2 whole eggs
2 tsp. salt
Soften yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar.
Add yeast, milk, sugar and enough flour to make a medium batter. Beat thoroughly. Let stand until light and foamy.
Add melted butter, eggs and salt. Beat well. Add enough flour to form soft dough. Sprinkle small amount of flour on counter and let dough rest.
Meanwhile, clean and dry bowl; grease clean surface of bow. Knead dough until smooth and satiny. Put in greased bowl; turn over to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm place until double in bulk.
Punch down. Turn out on floured board. Divide into portions for shaping; let rest 10 minutes.
Shape dough into desired forms. Place on greased baking sheets. Let rise until doubled.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes (until golden brown). Baste immediately with butter
Yield: 5 to 6 dozen (depending on the size – I made mine kind of big and got about 3 dozen)
And don’t forget to check out Pinching Your Pennies – Pennies Per Serving Forum. Registered users can post recipes and ask questions there! Anytime I need a recipe I can usually find help right there.
Of course, if you are going out to a restaurant…. Look for coupons. There is nothing wrong with using coupons or discount cards at restaurants.
Now that I have told you how to shop at Rite Aid, I thought I would show you what I did in January and February. Here is what I bought during those two rebate periods:
(sorry, no photo since I didn’t think about doing this until the other day)
(1) pkg Airborne
(1) Oral B electric toothbrush
(5) Soy Joy bars
(2) Olay body wash
(2) Olay lotions
(1) Olay bar soap, 6 pack
(2) Olay moisturizers
(1) Kotex tampons, 18 ct
(1) Always liners, 22 ct
(1) Always liners, 44 ct
(2) Tampax tampons, 40 ct
(3) Tampax tampons, 20 ct
(1) Tampax tampons, 36 ct
(3) soda bottles, 2 liter
(1) Maybelline mascara
(2) Valentine M&M bags
(3) Kleenex boxes, 110 ct
(2) Trident Layers gum
(1) Pampers diaper box, size 4
(4) Pampers jumbo packs, various sizes
(1) Colgate Total toothpaste, 4 oz.
(1) Complete Contact Solution
(1) NyQuil tablets
(2) Valentine candy bags
(1) Electrasol tabs
(1) Neutrogena cleanser
(2) Orbit gum, 3 packs
(1) light bulbs, 4 pack
Clearance deals @ 75% off:
(4) Pokemon pencils @ .50 cents each
(4) nail polish @ .25 cents each
(1) french manicure set @ $1.75
TOTAL SPENT AFTER REBATES: $15.11!
WHOO HOO!
That’s a 86% savings from my oop cost, and a 93% savings from retail cost!
(notice with all that stuff is 4 packs of diapers and a box of diapers? AWESOME!)
Here is how it figured out:
$219.52 retail cost
$104.83 OOP cost (after coupons)
$89.72 rebates received
(rebates were as follows: $11 for Jan., $17.49 for Feb., $35 P&G promo, $15 Olay and $11.23 Olay)
PLUS, I was able to submit many of my receipts for the $100 P&G coupon booklet offer. So I will really come out way, way ahead (especially considering these coupons can be doubled!)
THIS is why you need to start shopping at Rite Aid!
Get going and start saving!
UPDATE: As of May 2011 Rite Aid has made some coupon policy changes. You can find them here. Print out the new policy for your coupon binder!
Rite Aid has a great coupon policy! They are coupon friendly and usually very willing to help. Here are all the details. You can also call 1800 Rite Aid to ask questions at any time. They are very helpful.
I recommend printing this policy and keeping it with you in your coupon binder.
Rite Aid gladly accepts manufacturer coupons, Rite Aid coupons and certain Internet/Print at Home coupons in all stores as detailed in these coupon acceptance guidelines:
GUIDELINES:
Multiple Coupons
Buy One, Get One Free Coupons
Internet/Print at Home Coupons
Total Purchase Coupons
Sale Items
General
Just $19.99 each for Boneless Ham, Turkey Breast, Mini Ham, or Pot Roast entrees with this printable coupon.
Valid at participating stores in AL, AR, CO, FL, GA, LA, MO, MS, NC, NV, OR, SC, TN, UT and Fairview Heights, IL.
Find a store near you at THIS LINK.
Print the coupon at THIS LINK.