omgwtfbbq mandarin oranges

[thistle_chaser]

Okay, you little oranges, listen up! I'm tired of you going moldy just days after I buy you! Last week I bought you on Saturday and by Tuesday you all had mold. This week you made it to Wednesday. I bought from a different stall at the farmer's market this week, one that sold nothing but citrus, so I thought I'd get higher quality and you'd

Comments

[tersa]

If your farmer's market fruit is molding that quickly (and IIRC, you had a similar issue with berries), it may be an environmental issue (i.e, the surroundings of your apartment) rather than a problem with the fruit.

Unbruised apples can last for weeks if stored properly (in fact, I have a couple on my counter from late December/early January). My main issue with citrus isn't mold, it's dessication (and then mold).

Some tips:

Make sure you pick up whole, unblemished fruit. No nicks, cuts, bruises, or soft spots.

In your case, you may want to wash the outside well in one of the commercial fruit washes, then store in a closed up brown paper bag (to keep out the worst of the spores).

[thistle_chaser]

Yeah, berries needed to be eaten the same day if I wanted to use them. At best I could cut them up and cover them in plastic and eat the next day.

Make sure you pick up whole, unblemished fruit. No nicks, cuts, bruises, or soft spots.

I think that's a likely cause, too. I'm too quick to pick things out and shrug at small defects.

Thanks!

[tersa]

The skin is the fruits barrier against rot. If you're buying fruit that's damaged, then, duh, yes, it's going to spoil more quickly. :)

Also, to counter what the other commenter said: my experience with the vendors at the Mountain View farmer's market, at least, is that my produce from there tends to last twice as long (or longer!) than supermarket sourced produce, because it is fresher, and hasn't had to be picked and/or packaged early. The supermarket stuff tends to be older!

You may want to consider doing a thorough clean down of your house, too. If stuff spoils that quickly, you may have a ton of spores on counters, floors, in the fridge, etc.

[thistle_chaser]

The skin is the fruits barrier against rot. If you're buying fruit that's damaged, then, duh, yes, it's going to spoil more quickly. :)

A couple weeks back I learned some other thing that was that basic. I can't recall what it was, but it was another "duh" thing. Sooner or later I'll become a fruit-buying expert!

Cleaning's a good idea, too. I'm going to make time for that this weekend! Out out, spores!

[ani_mama]

Farmer's markets around here tend to sell fruit that are more ripe and closer to the "expiration date" because they can't sell those to supermarkets. Maybe that is the case over there too?

I buy "b-grade" orchard peaches in season, and they will go bad in just a couple days. But they are super cheap, absolutely delicious, and couple days are usually enough time for us to can all the extras. Supermarket peaches last for weeks in the fridge, but taste really bland.

You CAN store citrus in the fridge, but that tends to dry them out faster so eat them within a week.

[thistle_chaser]

Mmm, suddenly I have a craving for peaches!

And yeah, most things I see at the market tend to be really ripe, that probably adds to the issue.

[juliansinger]

My folks store their oranges (that they get from Florida) in the basement. Cool dry place, not much sun.

Just a data point.

[thistle_chaser]

Sun is a good point! I've suspected that the spot I store my fruit in gets sun in the early afternoon while I'm at work, but I can never remember to check on the weekend. I think moving the fruit spot is a worthy thing to try.

[fealubryne]

Bah, now I want fruit. And this time of year the pickings are generally slim/nasty. Apples? Sure. Oranges? Yup. Anything beyond that? Pffft, good luck. And it doesn't help the fact that I love stuff that's more on the "exotic" side, like pomegranates, mangoes, etc. Sigh. I hate winter so much.

[thistle_chaser]

Yeah, oranges and apples are about as far as we have fruit-wise too. A few weeks back there was something else (kiwis?) at the market, but that only lasted a short time.

I like fall fruits (stone fruits) a lot. Plums, plutos, and of course cherries! Peaches. Mmmmmm. Spring is coming!

[pure_trance]

Plums are the freaking best, I really hope our plum trees survive the move to the back yard (the idiots who owned our home first put them right in front where people can help them selves while walking by).

[fealubryne]

[veloxe]

Mandarin oranges tend to be a pain in the ass for me at work. Even when we store them properly they tend to just mold up. Damn you mandarin oranges!

[thistle_chaser]

Ah ha! So maybe it's more them than something I'm doing. That's good to know!