Stop Produce Rot! Part 1 of 2

This re-post is courtesty of: Fooducate

Veggie Stress – 10 Tips to Win the Race Against the Rot Clock

Here are some helpful suggestions to make the most of your produce:

1. Buy smaller amounts of produce more frequently.

2. Wash leafy greens before storing in the fridge.

3. Don’t wash herbs, berries, and mushrooms until usage – they will rot even faster.

4. Store fruit and vegetables separately. As fruit ripen, they release ethylene, which increases the rate of ripening/spoilage for nearby vegetables. (You can also use this to your advantage if you need to ripen an avocado overnight – place it in a brown paper bag with 2 apples on your counter top)

5. Some produce does not ripen any more once refrigerated – stone fruit (not cherries), melons, mangoes, apples, pears, avocados and tomatoes. Consider moving them to the fridge once they are ripe enough.

6. Knife skills. Buy an expensive chef’s knife that won’t dull after 2 weeks. Practice your cutting skills so that you won’t be intimidated by prep time required to make a salad or sauteed vegetables. A bit of practice and you can reduce your veggie preparation time by 50%-75%.

7. When in doubt – use sliced and diced veggies as a colorful addition to pizza topping.

8. Smoothies – many an overripe banana, strawberry, etc… are perfectly fine for consumption but for the yuck factor. Throw them into a blender with low fat yogurt, ice cubes, and as little honey as you can, for a yummy tasty treat.

9. Schedule the day/hour of your veggie purchase to when you have some free time to care for them. Weekend mornings, for example.

10. Pre-cook as many of your veggies as you can the day you get them – peel, place on a roasting pan and drizzle some olive oil plus salt, then roast until soft. Now your veggies are ready to be added to any dish during the week.

This re-post is courtesty of: Fooducate