Storing your Organic Produce

We all have the same question.

How do I store the different vegetables or fruits from this weeks Harvest?

Often just putting them in the refrigerator accelerates the problem and they dry out. But we all try to make our fresh organic fruits and vegetables remain that way as long as we can. During Harvest Day we have learned that green leafy plants love to be stored in wet towels with flake ice on top of them, but this is not a practical way to store them at home.  So lets looks at a few tips on how to store our fruits and vegetable so we can enjoy them all week long.

First there is the band. It may be a rubber band or a wire tie, but when your fresh organic produce has a tight band around it, remove it.  At lease loosen it to allow them to breath.  Flagler Organics does not add bands to any produce, nor do we add stickers to any of your fresh organic produce.  If you receive with a band or a sticker, then it came from the farm that way. One of our major suppliers, Lady Moon, ships without bands and stickers.  We like that.

Here are a few tips for Vegetables:

• Artichokes – rinse them in filtered water and while still wet store them in an air tight container, preferable a glass container.
• Asparagus - you can keep them for a week outside our refrigerator by loosely placing them in a glass or glass bowl at room temperature.
• Avocados - if they are hard, I place the ones I will eat later in the week in the refrigerator, while the ones I want to ripen up I place in a windowsill. I have read that you can place them in a paper bag at room temperature and add an apple to the bag if you want to speed up the ripening process.  Apples and bananas give off a gas that causes other fruit to speed up their ripening process.
• Arugula - arugula should not stay wet.  You can dunk in cold water then spin or lay flat to dry.  Here you want to place a dry towel around arugula to help absorb any extra moisture.
• Basil - place your fresh organic basil into an air tight glass jar with a damp paper towel, then leave on a cool counter.  Basil is difficult because it does not like the cold or to be wet.  Remember you can dry your basil.
• Beans, shelling – Eat them right away.  You can freeze them for later.
• Beets – some times we receive beets with tops, cut them off and place the green in an airtight glass container with a little moisture. When left on the root, the tops with draw moisture from the root.  Remember, your fresh organic produce is very much alive.  Some times you can even continue to grow them. But beet should be washed and kept in an open container with a wet towel on top.
• Broccoli – wrapping a damp towel around them then placing your fresh broccoli in the refrigerator is great, but if the broccoli is limp, cut about a 1/4 inch off the bottom exposing a fresh stalk, then place in a glass container with cold water.  Place in the refrigerator if you have room.
• Broccoli Rabe – best used right away or as soon a possible.  If you have to store it, place in an open container.
• Brussels Sprouts - again, the wet, damp towels works well on loose brussels sprouts.  If you are fortunate enough to be able to purchase them on the stalk, then leave them there and place the stalk in a cool place.  If you must, place the stalk in the refrigerator.
• Cabbage - in a cool room cabbage will be fine for a four or five days, longer than that you will see the lefts start to wilt.  Remember after a week cabbage will loose it moisture.  Even more importantly, remember you can always make sauerkraut if you have too much cabbage.  Fermented foods like sauerkraut is really really good for you.  We have a member who loves to make sauerkraut.  That will be another post.
• Carrots – Love carrots and carrots with tops just look so inviting and lovely.  But like beets, cut off the tops.  I have restore carrots by placing them in cold water.  I think a damp towel would work too.
• Cauliflower – it seem to last a long time with little intervention other than placing it in the refrigerator. But my taste buds tell me that it is best prepared the day it is bought.
• Celery - love the crunch and the big flavor of fresh organic celery.  Eat it just for that right away, but remember that it can do just fine on the counter in a glass bowl with shallow filtered water.
• Celery root / Celeriac – wrap the root in a damp towel and place in the crisper.
• Corn -  eating corn the same day it is pick is a real delight in the summer.  But to store, leave the husk on in an open container.
• Cucumber – many member of Flagler Organics juice cucumber in the morning. They keep them left in a cool room out, but if you go longer, wrap in our magic damp towel.  They are a real summer time treat on hot summer days…. remember to keep cool as a cucumber.
• Eggplant - Keep them dry.  Eggplant are not big fans of moisture.  They will do fine unwashed on the counter for a few days.
• Fava Beans – we eat them same day or freeze them… love them.
• Fennel - Treat fennel like celery by placing in water for a few days on the counter.  A closed container is needed for longer refrigerated storage.
• Garlic – keep in a dark cool place
• Greens - a cup of water can do wonders to help keep your kale, chard, and collards fresh on the counter. Of course, as we stated earlier, remove all bands.  If you place your greens in the fridge, kept them in an air-tight container with a damp cloth.
• Green Beans – where did I place that damp cloth?  Use it again on green beans but don’t keep them wet, just give them a little humidity.
• Green Tomatoes - well the color says it all.  Use before the turn and keep them away from the sun while you wait.
• Herbs – moisture and mold are what you need to remember with herbs.  Fresh herbs need to be used before the week is out.  Keep them in a tight container in the fridge.
• Lettuce – remember what I wrote about the towel and ice in the beginning of the  post, well lettuce wrapped in a wet towel keeps longer.
• Leeks – fresh leeks are beautiful.  a glass container with a shallow level of filtered water or a damp cloth wrapped around the leek works well
• Okra – I am not a big fan of okra but those that are know that it does not store well – eat right away
• Parsnips – wrapped in a wet towel then refrigerated or treat as a carrot
• Potatoes - roots like dark dry places.  So I store my potatoes, onions and garlic ina dark corner of a cabinet
• Radicchio – I love saying radicchio… our damp cloth works magic again.
• Radishes - again removing the tops prolong freshness then a wet cloth wrap works well. To me, it seems fresh radishes are more sweet than hot…
• Rhubarb – we have organic rhubarb and we store it with the damp towel method in the refrigerator
• Snap peas – refrigerate in an open container
• Spinach - the king of the greens.  Spinach loves cold so we store ASAP in a crisper.
• Spring Onions - crisper works here too and of course remove the bands and or ties.
• Summer Squash – I have left cut squash on a cool counter for a few days without a problem.  Whole squash is find on the counter too.
• Sweet Peppers -  if you are using within a couple of days store in a cool room.  If you need a longer storage time, use the fridge.  Remember to wash them only before you use them. Wetness decreases storage time.
• Sweet Potatoes - sweet potatoes do not like the cold, so the refrigerator is not a good place.  Find a well ventilated place that is cool and dark.
• Tomatoes - Never refrigerate
• Turnips - like radishes and beets remove the greens and store separately.  In an open container store with a moist cloth.
• Winter Squash – some say a week will give them a sweetness if the are stored in a cool dark ventilated place.
• Zucchini - like summer squash will do fine on a cool counter for a few days, even cut.

Next post will cover how to store fruits.  I hope you noticed that we recommend the use of glass containers.  You will be amazed at what you can find at garage sales.  Ceramic may have leads, depends on the glaze, but glass is a safe bet.  Please post comments if you know a way to store your vegetables and fruits.