Is there really a way to store delicious, fresh vegetables that will keep them fresh longer? I always run into the problem of buying too much and then losing some to spoilage, because we don't eat them fast enough! How I hate wasting tasty vegetables!So... I thought Id share some general tips that I recently found on storing produce:
1) Most fruits should be kept OUT of the refrigerator unless it is on the verge of spoilage. Everything that is normally considered as fruit is included in this rule, including tomatoes, but not zucchini. The refrigerator is a dry environment that dries fruit out, fills it with strange odors and flavors, and sabotages the natural taste.
2) There is also no need to refrigerate potatoes, onions, or garlic if you have a dry cupboard in your home in which to store them.3) A lot of produce suffers from being washed and then stored. You should not store washed basil or mushrooms in a plastic bag. Try washing your green leafy items at once so that you can quickly pull them out later for salads. If you ever end up with wet lettuce or salad mix, try adding a paper towel inside the plastic to absorb the moisture. This keeps them moist enough that they don't wilt.
4) Almost all other veggies will wilt, shrivel, pucker, and rot at a more rapid pace if not enclosed in some type of vapor barrier. Crisper drawers never really work, so try reusing plastic bags (which is another way to recycle them!), which traps some of the moisture and delays spoilage. Tupperware-type containers also work very well!
Always remember to consume your vegetables on a first-to-rot, first-to-eat basis. Try not to worry too much about which type of bag you use. Buying fresh, healthy, local food is a higher priority.
Lettuce eat veggies!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment