# Trying to eat better: best way to store cut peppers & onions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 11, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-eat-better-best-way-to-store-cut-peppers-onions/609166 "2012-01-11T15:15:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-eat-better-best-way-to-store-cut-peppers-onions/609166/21 "2012-01-12T17:36:09Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > … The bagged lettuce is handy but it just doesn’t keep, turns brown the day after… And ‘baby’ peppers about 2-3" long next to them, which I use for color. a handful takes 30 seconds to de-seed and cut up… Huh. You’re talking about the bags of pre-washed lettuce and salad mixes? I’ve never had them go bad on me _that_ fast - they last a couple or three days at a minimum. The leaves right next to the bag go first, so, yes, sliding a paper towel in flat so the leaves lie on that helps a lot. Bunch greens such as romaine, cilantro, basil etc. do best wrapped completely in damp paper towels and then loosely plastic-bagged. That said, I’ve never laid eyes on “baby” peppers… 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-eat-better-best-way-to-store-cut-peppers-onions/609166/22 "2012-01-12T17:48:20Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Huh. You’re talking about the bags of pre-washed lettuce and salad mixes? I’ve never had them go bad on me _that_ fast - they last a couple or three days at a minimum. Really? I quit buying those bags of salad because about half the time I buy them, they’re bad when I open the bag. I hate those things. They cost a ton more than a head of lettuce, and (as I said) they go bad really quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-eat-better-best-way-to-store-cut-peppers-onions/609166/23 "2012-01-12T17:56:56Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Huh. You’re talking about the bags of pre-washed lettuce and salad mixes? I’ve never had them go bad on me _that_ fast - they last a couple or three days at a minimum. The leaves right next to the bag go first, so, yes, sliding a paper towel in flat so the leaves lie on that helps a lot. Bunch greens such as romaine, cilantro, basil etc. do best wrapped completely in damp paper towels and then loosely plastic-bagged. > > That said, I’ve never laid eyes on “baby” peppers… 😕 Maybe they haven’t made it to your area yet but I’ve been seeing lots of small sweet peppers, usually in bags, in the produce section of stores. They are quite delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-eat-better-best-way-to-store-cut-peppers-onions/609166/24 "2012-01-12T20:06:06Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Really? > > I quit buying those bags of salad because about half the time I buy them, they’re bad when I open the bag. I hate those things. They cost a ton more than a head of lettuce, and (as I said) they go bad really quickly. Seriously? For me they’re practically magical - they last weeks! ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-eat-better-best-way-to-store-cut-peppers-onions/609166/25 "2012-01-13T00:59:43Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Seriously? For me they’re practically magical - they last weeks! I agree. I find it helps to not take the one that’s showing, and to turn them over and make sure the back and bottom have no moisture showing. That means they’re on their way out. I also find that the baby lettuce/spring mix, etc blends without iceberg last longer. No idea why. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-eat-better-best-way-to-store-cut-peppers-onions/609166/26 "2012-01-13T01:01:35Z")
I pack cut peppers and cucumbers and carrot sticks for snacks all the time. Peppers and cucumbers go off really fast if they have no air. They get slimy. I find cutting them up only a couple of days in advance and storing them in little plastic tubs instead of ziploc baggies really helps. If you’re using them that day baggies are ok. HTH! ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-eat-better-best-way-to-store-cut-peppers-onions/609166/27 "2012-01-13T02:20:26Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Huh. You’re talking about the bags of pre-washed lettuce and salad mixes? I’ve never had them go bad on me _that_ fast - they last a couple or three days at a minimum. The leaves right next to the bag go first, so, yes, sliding a paper towel in flat so the leaves lie on that helps a lot. Bunch greens such as romaine, cilantro, basil etc. do best wrapped completely in damp paper towels and then loosely plastic-bagged. > > That said, I’ve never laid eyes on “baby” peppers… 😕 Well, even if the pre-washed lettuce lasts two days, that still isn’t saying much. I think it gets a bit crushed in transit, and once the air hits it, that’s the beginning of the end. The ‘baby’ peppers are either loose, or in in plastic bags or containers near the regular red/green/orange peppers. You haven’t seen them? Darned cute, 2-3 inches long, look almost like old-fashioned Christmas bulbs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-eat-better-best-way-to-store-cut-peppers-onions/609166.md?page=1)