Storing your produce
The best season of local eating is almost here! Soon our high tunnels and fields will be bursting with loads of fresh veggies, destined for your tables. But without storing them properly, your bunches of fresh, crunchy carrots or head of crisp lettuce might end up wilted, rubbery and sad. Don't let that happen to you! Here are some tips on storing your farm fresh produce.
Bunched root crops- carrots, beets, turnips, radishes
Bunched veggies are super fresh veggies. You can be assured of this because if you don’t remove the greens soon, the roots start to get soft and rubbery. The greens keep pulling moisture from the fresh roots so first thing to do with these bunches once you get them home is to remove the greens. The greens are edible too and can be stored in a bag or container in your fridge. Beet, turnip and radish greens can all be chopped and added to salads or toss the beet greens in a smoothy. Carrots greens are edible as well though not as commonly consumed. You could try them in a chimichurri recipe like this: https://sunkissedkitchen.com/carrot-top-chimichurri-the-perfect-carrot-greens-recipe/. Store the roots in a container in the fridge in water or in a minimally perforated or vented bag or container. The greens do best in a minimally vented bag or container too and wait to wash them until you’re ready to use them.
Bagged greens- these have been washed and are ready to eat. Store in the fridge. Easy peasy!
Loose greens- head lettuce, kale, Swiss chard. Wait to wash these until ready to use. If they look a little droopy from traveling, you can revive by submerging in cold water. Pat them dry and store in a bag or container in the fridge but don't fully seal so they can breathe and don't get slimy. Add a piece of paper towel to the container to maintain proper moisture levels.
Head vegetables- broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi
These veggies also prefer a perforated bag or sealed container to keep crunchy.
Herbs- trim the bottom of the herbs and place in a jar with about an inch of water in the bottom. You can place a plastic bag over the top and pop into the fridge to store (except for basil which is best on the counter).
Fruiting vegetables (zucchini, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant)- these can be stored in a paper bag, loosely sealed on the counter. Zucchini and cucumbers prefer storage temps around around 40-50 degrees if you have that ability. These can all be stored in a vented container on the counter (if using soon) or the fridge if not using right away.
Hopefully these tips will help you keep your fresh veggies fresh for a long time (though you’ll want to eat them sooner!). Here’s to eating local!
