Vegetable Storage

The greens in the bottom drawer have been there for 1.5 weeks.  And that’s a record in our house!

Last year it was normal for me to make 2 or 3 trips to the grocery store or farmer’s market a week.  As much as I enjoy a good farmer’s market trip, I enjoy time with my husband, tea with friends or catching a yoga class even more.  So this year, it is my intention to shop for food just once a week.  And if at the end of the week we’re out of ginger, hummus, quinoa or [heaven forbid] dark chocolate, so be it.  We’re going to work with what we’ve got!

And because my body feels a heck of a lot better when it is fueled with greens and other veggies [and because no one likes slimy spinach], I’ve been doing a little vegetable storage research.  There’s a lot of information out there and I’ve sifted through a bunch of it and simplified it for you because you’re awesome.  And because I want to see you thrive this year [and always!].

A few things you can do to get the most out of your vegetables:

1. When you get home from the store, take care of your produce right then.  You will be more likely to eat your spinach and beet greens if they are ready to go!

2. Give your greens an ice bath.  Yep, that’s right.  Ice baths aren’t just for athletes with sore muscles.  They’re for your greens too!  Let your greens chill in an ice bath for about 15 minutes.  Remove from the ice bath and let them dry on a towel.  Discard any slimy, yellowed or stinky greens.  Put the good greens in a perforated bag.  You can buy perforated bags, but they’re a little pricey so I just use a knife and stab about 20 small wholes in a freezer bag [and wash and reuse it].  Store the bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.  Tender greens like arugula, spinach and spring mix will last about a week or a little longer.  Hardier greens like kale, chard, collard greens, etc. will last even longer.  Yay for long-living greens!  [Note: beet greens should be treated differently.  See #3.]

3. Beet greens are best if you wash them right before preparation.  So when you unpack your beets, cut the greens off, leaving about 1 inch of the stem and one inch of the taproot on the beet.  Then cut the greens and store in a perforated bag.  Wash and rinse before you use them.  New to eating beet greens?  Great.  Saute them in some bacon grease — seriously, it’s amazing!  And a little grease is OK, especially if it comes with beet greens.  And what about those beets?  You’ll get the most nutrients out of them if you store them in a perforated bag and then boil them whole until you can easily pierce a fork into them.  After boiled, the skin should easily come off.  I like to boil them when I get back from the store and then peel and store them in an airtight container.  Then they are ready to be sliced on top of a salad or blended into my smoothie.  Of course they are also super delicious when chopped and roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper.

4. Store winter squash in a cool, dark place like your cabinet or pantry.  Until recently, I have been leaving them on the counter and they still last a good while.  But if you store them in a dry and dark environment at about 50 degrees, they could last a couple of months!  Check them for soft spots and discoloration.  It’s best if they are separated from other squash and hard surfaces by a towel.

5.  Asparagus has always been a tough one for me, either drying out or getting slimy!  Try chopping off about an inch of the asparagus bottoms.  Keep the rubber band on them to hold the bunch together.  Place asparagus in a jar with a couple inches of water.  Loosely cover with a plastic bag.  Change the water if it starts to get cloudy.  Asparagus should last up to a week this way.

6. Store radishes in a glass jar or freezer bag with a paper towel between each layer.  Just wash them when you get home from the store.  Trim off the greens [throw them in the ice bath; they’re tasty too!] and drop the radishes in a glass jar or freezer bag.  I’ve had these radishes for over a week and they still taste just as fresh and crisp as they did one week ago.  And since they are already washed and ready to go, all I have to do is grab a couple from the jar and slice them on top of my salad.

Of course there are many other vegetables to store and to eat!  This is just a start.  What about you?  Do you have any tricks or tips for storing veggies?  I’d love to hear them.  Come on over to my facebook page to share your tips!