How well do raw uncooked foods keep?

[CoolStuff]

Let's say I made a salad or some other kind of raw food recipe, and then put it in some sort of container, how long would it keep? (not in the fridge)

[Minsc]

This is about raw fruits and vegetables:

Green, leafy vegetables don't keep ouside of the fridge for very long(definately not more than a day). Uncooked beans and nuts will keep for a very long time though.

Fruits will keep outside of a fridge well, but not if you cut them open(if you do, they'll last for less than the green vegetables). Also, you'll eventually have to move them to the fridge.

Any plant with a skin would keep better if you keep the skin intact, which you don't when you're making a salad, so pickels and cucumbers, ect, would go bad more rapidly.

I guess putting it in a container would help but it would still go bad in less than a day. I'm not sure what effect oil would have on it, but I guess it'd preserve things a little.

Why don't you want to put it in the fridge?

[Matthew Shea]

In general, not very long. The longest I would keep fresh produce is two to three weeks, but only for hardier stuff like carrots, potatoes, apples and such. As Minsc pointed out, once you put together a dish, you'll most likely need to eat it within a day, maybe two. That's part of what makes raw food diets so challenging.

I recently heard about Green Bags. If these work as advertised, and I have no idea if they will or not, that could at least save you a few trips to the store.

[CoolStuff]

Well I don't like cold food but I guess I could let it sit for a little. Nah I was just thinking if I made a salad at home and walked over to somewhere in maybe about 30 minutes, if it would go bad. Or if I made a salad, would it be okay for about 2 hours out of the fridge? I wasn't thinking a whole day.

So within a day or two. Thanks!

[Ilya]

As it was said, spoiling is not a problem for salads. However vitamin breakdown from the contact with air may be a problem, that can undermine raw diet somewhat. I know that vitamin C becomes oxidized very fast if contacted with air.

[MariaG]

Once vegetables are cut, they won't keep very long, especially outside of a refrigerator. You could make a salad in the morning and it should be fine at lunch if it isn't extremely hot outside (like it is today outside my air-conditioned office.)

Raw food purists are pretty adamant that vegetables shouldn't be cut until you're ready to eat them because of the potential for vitamin loss, but that isn't super-practical for most people.

[CoolStuff]

Originally Posted by MariaG

Raw food purists are pretty adamant that vegetables shouldn't be cut until you're ready to eat them because of the potential for vitamin loss, but that isn't super-practical for most people.

Yeah it's not very practical at all.

What about bringing it with an icepack to school or work?

[Minsc]

Originally Posted by CoolStuff

What about bringing it with an icepack to school or work?

Vitamin C will get destroyed from oxygen...

Lots of heat will also get rid of it, if you intend to cook it.

[Ilya]

Originally Posted by CoolStuff

Yeah it's not very practical at all.

What about bringing it with an icepack to school or work?

Actually, it is not a huge problem. As Minsc noted, you kill a lot of vitamin C by cooking. But you don't need all of it from all the vegetables. Some loss is perfectly fine. Raw food purists will argue, but you'll still get the benefits of a salad. And you can get you dose by eating fresh stuff at home.