Don’t know if you’ve encountered this recently, but I can’t stand when you buy fresh fruits and veggies, just to turn around 5 days later and see them already getting icky (especially spinach lately)!! And what’s worse is you only have one day each week to buy new food, not everyday.
Have no fear–there may be some solutions to this conundrum, giving you a chance to enjoy the food you by. Stephanie Frazier at KLTV offers Do’s and Dont’s she’s found around the World Wide Web on how to deal with fresh produce:
1. Things like butter can be kept fresh by being stored in the freezer for up to six months, so stock up on sales when you can.
2. Store corn in its husk in the refrigerator to keep it at optimum freshness until you’re ready to eat it. Alternatively, shuck the corn and place in airtight gallon-size freezer bags in your freezer.
3. Don’t wash berries before storage. Washing accelerates decay, so store in original container, unwashed, until ready to eat. If you want to freeze them, freeze them unwashed in an airtight freezer bag or container. Wash before using.
4. A trick for storing leafy greens and herbs: place in a storage bag with a paper towel; press the bag (easiest to do is press against your chest) and press out all the air, then quickly zip or twist-tie the bag closed. One online expert said that this will double or even triple the life of the produce by reducing its exposure to rot-inducing oxygen.
5. Wrap damp paper towels around the base of a fresh asparagus bunch, and store them upright.
6. If fresh carrots or celery is wilting, restore them by blanching in a bowl of ice water with a slice of raw potato.
7. Store garlic and onions in a dark, cool area for months.
8 Store fresh mushrooms in a brown paper bag in the fridge. If you want to freeze them, you should cook them first. Fresh mushrooms should never be frozen.
9. Protect cut blocks of hard cheese from drying out by spreading the cut end with a thin layer of butter. Wrap in foil.
10. Produce and eggs stored in the back of your refrigerator may freeze, permanently damaging it. Use drawers or store near front of shelves.
11. Summer squash, zucchini, and the like should be refrigerated in a perforated plastic bag.
12. Do not refrigerate tomatoes. They will turn mealy and unappetizing. Store on the counter out of direct sunlight or, if you have more than you can use within a week, learn to properly freeze them for use in stews, soups and sauces.
13. Remove greens from vegetables like radishes, carrots and beets before storing in the refrigerator. These leafy greens can be eaten, as well! Sauté as you would spinach.
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