Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Produce Tips

One of the things I do to save money and make produce last longer is to take care of them as soon as I am home from the store.  Here are some ideas that may help you.

Heads of lettuce - If they need cleaning do that as soon as you get home.  I wash all the lettuces, spin dry and then place them in separate bags by type.  You may also put a paper towel in the bag to absorb excess moisture and help keep the lettuce crisp

Green onions and Radishes - Trim the root ends off these.  For Green Onions I trim the green ends as uniform as possible.  I store Radishes in water in sealed container.  Change water every other day until they are used.  Green onions do great in sealed plastic bag wrapped in a paper towel.

Tomatoes - DO NOT STORE IN THE REFRIGERATOR.  They lose flavor in cold storage.  If you have one that has been sliced, then you can store in the cold but it will lose flavor

Cucumbers - Leave them whole and put them in the crisper.  Once you start to use them then wrap the end in plastic wrap.  One of my favorite’s uses is thin slices with onions in vinegar and water.

Berries - All kinds - check them as soon as you get home for any signs of mold or age.  If there are any that may have mold throw them out.  If you try to save them they will make all the rest go bad.  Strawberries do better when they can breathe.  The harder ones need to be in separate containers with a paper towel on the bottom.  Just check them daily.

So do you have any tips?  Use the comment section!!