Editor’s Notice: This story initially appeared on Residing on the Low-cost.
Meals waste by the common American household is estimated at 25% to 30% of your grocery buying {dollars}. Recent greens high the record.
When you have a greater use for one-fourth of your grocery funds, please learn on for easy methods to retailer and protect recent greens earlier than they turn out to be meals waste within the trash or compost bin.
Listed here are storage suggestions for in style seasonal greens. As a normal rule, regionally grown natural produce doesn’t keep recent so long as typical produce.
Retailer all recent greens with out washing. Moisture on greens makes them decay extra rapidly.
Simply earlier than you might be prepared to make use of them, wash greens in loads of operating water after which put together as desired.
Greens that present indicators of spoilage start to wilt or soften. Earlier than they turn out to be meals waste, protect them utilizing one in every of these greatest preservation strategies for recent greens.
Artichokes
Sprinkle with water and retailer in plastic baggage within the fridge as much as one week.
Asparagus
Wrap the bottom of a bunch of spears in damp paper or material towels and place in a plastic bag with holes (or left open), or stand the spears in a container with the spears in an inch of water and lined loosely with plastic, and retailer within the fridge as much as 5 days.
Beets, turnips and rutabagas
Retailer greens and roots individually. Reduce off greens, leaving 1 to 2 inches of stem connected to the basis. Wrap greens in a paper or material towel and place within the vegetable bin or plastic bag within the fridge.
Place roots unwrapped within the vegetable bin or in a plastic bag within the fridge. Retailer greens for just a few days and roots as much as three weeks.
Broccoli and cauliflower
Wrap greens in a paper or material towel and place within the vegetable bin or in a plastic bag within the fridge as much as two weeks.
Cabbages and bok choy
Retailer heads unwrapped within the vegetable bin or in a plastic bag within the fridge as much as two weeks.
Wrap ruffled Savoy and Nappa cabbage or leafy bok choy in a paper or material towel earlier than storage; these varieties spoil extra rapidly, so plan to organize inside just a few days.
Carrots and parsnips
Carrot and parsnip greens are normally lower off and discarded; nevertheless, some individuals like to make use of the tops to make pesto, add them uncooked to salads or prepare dinner them in soup as you’ll parsley.
In case your pores and skin is irritated when dealing with these greens, it might point out you might be delicate to the tops and may keep away from consuming them.
Retailer roots within the vegetable bin or in plastic baggage within the fridge as much as two months. Giant mature roots, particularly these mulched within the backyard over winter, maintain longer than younger greens.
Uncooked parsnips flip brown when peeled or lower, so soak for quarter-hour in 1 quart water with ¼ cup lemon juice or 1½ teaspoons vinegar and 1½ teaspoons salt.
Fennel
Retailer fennel bulbs unfastened within the vegetable bin or a plastic bag within the fridge as much as one week. Wrap the feathery tops in a paper or material towel to stop wilting.
Leeks
Retailer leeks unfastened within the vegetable bin or a plastic bag with holes (or left open) within the fridge as much as one week.
Lettuce and greens, together with beet greens and spinach
Discard any bruised or wilted leaves. Retailer greens in plastic baggage within the fridge, as much as two days for leafy greens and one week for lettuce heads.
If salad greens start to wilt, make this lettuce soup recipe, which you’ll be able to take pleasure in right this moment or freeze as much as one month. (Freeze the soup with out cream and add it after you reheat the frozen soup.)
Mushrooms
Retailer mushrooms in a brown paper bag or wrapped in paper or material towels within the vegetable bin within the fridge as much as one week. Layering mushrooms in paper or material towels will assist lengthen their shelf life.
Don’t retailer in plastic or different hermetic containers as this shortens their storage life to only two to a few days.
Okra
Retailer okra in a brown paper bag or wrapped in paper or material towels within the vegetable bin or in plastic baggage with holes (or left open) within the fridge as much as three days.
Onions
Retailer dry onions and shallots in a basket or paper bag in a cool (50 to 60 levels F), darkish place as much as one month.
Stand recent inexperienced onions or scallions in a container with the roots in an inch of water and lined loosely with plastic and retailer within the fridge as much as one week, or wrap a bunch in paper or material towels and retailer within the vegetable bin or in a plastic bag within the fridge as much as 5 days.
You can even regrow your individual inexperienced onions in your kitchen.
Peas
Retailer pea pods wrapped in paper or material towels within the vegetable bin or in a plastic bag with holes (or left open) within the fridge as much as 5 days.
Potatoes
Retailer uncooked potatoes in a basket or paper bag in a cool, darkish place (40 to 60 levels F) to delay sprouting and shriveling.
Potatoes uncovered to mild flip inexperienced; earlier than making ready trim any inexperienced areas, which style bitter and may trigger indigestion if eaten in giant quantities. If potatoes sprout or shrivel, trim the sprouts and prepare dinner as quickly as potential.
By no means refrigerate uncooked potatoes, as refrigeration turns their starch to sugar and creates “off” flavors when cooked. Retailer potatoes away from different produce, particularly apples, pears, bananas and onions, which trigger potatoes to spoil extra rapidly.
Uncooked potatoes flip brown when peeled and lower, so soak for quarter-hour in 1 quart of water with ¼ cup lemon juice or 1½ teaspoons vinegar and 1½ teaspoons salt.
Radishes
Radish tops will not be normally eaten in the USA, however are scrumptious uncooked in salads, in addition to made into radish tzatziki or cooked into radish high soup.
Attempt roasting your radishes, which minimizes the chunk.
