Jun 04 2009
I bought this produce, now what do I do with it?
Saving money is important, especially these days. But if you throw out what you have bought, even if it were on sale, you haven’t saved anything. Trying new fruits and vegetables, especially for the family who is switching from only eating junk food is a hard task when you don’t know what things are or how they taste. So the first step is to not only decide what, but how much of it to buy. Most fresh fruits won’t last past a week, so you must decide how many pieces of fruit your family will eat during that time. The good news is that most things can be bought individually, so just buying an individual piece of a fruit or vegetable and slicing up for a family taste testing might be in order. Make it a fun event for the family and keep notes on which family member likes which food for making your grocery lists in the coming weeks.
When buying something new, make sure you will have time that week to prepare it properly. Have your recipes on-hand before you buy so that you are not trying to figure out what to do with it while it is sitting in your kitchen getting old.
Knowing how to store your fresh fruits and vegetable is almost as important as how you prepare them. Fruits such as berries, grapes, citrus, and apples can be stored in the fridge. But did you know that you should keep your apples away from other fruits while storing? This is because apples naturally produce ethylene gas, which causes other fruits to ripen and consequently rot faster than normal. Melons, peaches, plums, and pears can be allowed to ripen on the counter.
Spinach, lettuce and other greens should be kept in an open bag in your fridge. Cucumber, radishes, eggplants and peppers can be stored in the fridge also. Tomatoes can be allowed to ripen on the counter. When storing in bags, just make sure that they are well ventilated. Potatoes and onions can be stored in a cool, dark space such as a decorative potato bin in your kitchen. Potatoes are one item that are very versatile in the ways they can be prepared, and since they keep for longer periods than most other items, they are a must have staple in your pantry. My advice is to not be scared of the produce department. Vegetables seem to have gotten a bad rap from our childhoods, but if you can research how to prepare them and have an open mind, you might just find your new favorite food.
