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There are many factors that affect how long your vegetables will stay fresh and full of flavor. By the time they have reached your hands we have already done many things to make sure the vegetables will last as long as possible: we've picked them at their peak, just hours before market time, we've cooled them quickly and we've handled them gently. On your end, there are three factors to be aware of when attempting to keep your vegetables fresh and tasty: temperature, humidity and ethylene gas.
Most veggies like to be stored cold. Your refrigerator should be between 34 and 40 degrees. Too cold, and your greens will freeze; too warm and they last half as long. It's a good idea to buy and use an inexpensive refrigerator thermometer, available at almost any hardware store. Check on it once in a while.
Many vegetables, such as greens and roots, like a high amount of humidity. However, any standing water on their surface will cause them to rot, so keeping them dry is important. This is why we so often recommend you avoid washing your vegetables until your ready to eat them. It is also why we recommend placing them in a plastic bag that is loosely closed. This keeps some humidity in, but also lets some out, so that it doesn't build up. The crisper/vegetable bin of your refrigerator is more humid than the rest of the fridge. Store as much as you can in there, unless we suggest otherwise.
Fruits and vegetables are still alive and respiring after they are harvested. This means they are consuming oxygen, and giving off ethylene and other gasses. Ethylene gas speeds up the ripening process of any fruit or veggie in it's path. This too is why we recommend you use plastic bags loosely tied: it allows for some of the ethylene to escape so as not to rot the vegetable inside the bag, and also prevents too much of it from lingering with your other veggies. Also... Nicole is obsessive about the flavor and the freshness of the vegetables. Almost everything is harvested within 24 hours of delivery/market time. Many of the vegetables have their truest and best flavor during the first few days after harvesting. But if you must wait a little longer to eat some just follow our guidelines for storage. You'll still have some of the best tasting vegetables around!
Refrigerate dry & unwashed arugula in a loosely closed plastic bag in the crisper bin. It will keep from 4 days to one week like this. Be sure to wash it well before eating.
Basil is quite perishable, so be sure to give it a little extra attention. We sell our basil two ways.
By the bunch: Treat it as though it were a bunch of fresh flowers. Care for it as follows and it will keep a lot longer than you think. Keeping the rubber band on, snip a little bit of the stems off the bottom, and place the basil bunch in a small glass or vase of cool water. Make sure that as few leaves as possible are in contact with the water. (They will rot quickly.) Change the water and re-trim the stems every day or two. Keep it away from direct sunlight or excessive heat.
By the bag: We sometimes pack up basil tips by the bag. It should keep for a few days as is, in the refrigerator. But it will keep a little longer if you do the following: Remove the basil from the bag. Wrap it loosely in a dry paper towel then return it to the bag. Loosely tie the bag, keeping some air in it and store it in the refrigerator.
Refrigerate dry & unwashed beans in a loosely closed plastic bag in the crisper bin. They should keep for about one week.
Refrigerate in a paper bag in the crisper bin no more than a few days. Fava beans are quite perishable, so eat them right away.
The greens: Separate the greens by cutting the stems about 1" up from the roots. Refrigerate dry & unwashed in a loosely closed plastic bag in the crisper bin. The greens will keep for 5-7 days like this.
The roots: Refrigerate dry & unwashed in a loosely closed plastic bag in the crisper bin. They will last for up to two weeks this way.
Refrigerate in a loosely closed plastic bag in the crisper bin. Braising mix will keep for 5-7 days like this.
Refrigerate dry & unwashed in a loosely closed plastic bag in the crisper bin. It is best used within a couple of days, but will keep for up to a week like this.
Remove the rubber band holding the bunch together. Wrap a damp paper towel loosely around the bunch and store in a loosely closed plastic bag. Refrigerate in the crisper bin. It should last up to one week like this.
Refrigerate dry and unwashed in a loosely closed plastic bag in the vegetable crisper. The sooner you eat them, the better, but they can last for a couple of weeks this way.
Head cabbage: Refrigerate dry & unwashed in the crisper bin. A plastic bag is optional, as the outer leaves serve as protection against moisture loss. Head cabbage will keep from two weeks to a month like this. Just remove the dried or wilted outer leaves to find a perfect head of cabbage inside.
Asian cabbages (such as Napa): Refrigerate dry & unwashed in a loosely closed plastic bag in the crisper bin. Asian cabbages should last from one to two weeks.
Cut off the greens, leaving an inch or two intact. Refrigerate dry & unwashed in a loosely closed plastic bag. Carrots will last like this from 2-3 weeks.
Refrigerate dry and unwashed cauliflower in a plastic bag. Cauliflower will keep up to one week like this.
Celeriac is not simply the root of celery, but a close relative cultivated specifically for it's edible root crown. The tops are edible, but are stronger in flavor than celery. The leaves can be used like a fresh herb and have a celery/parsley flavor. Refrigerate dry & unwashed, wrapped tightly in a plastic bag.
Refrigerate dry and unwashed, wrapped tightly in a plastic bag in the crisper bin. It will keep like this for up to two weeks.
Wrap chard in a barely moist paper towel and store in a loosely closed plastic bag. Refrigerate in the crisper bin. Chard will keep from 2-4 days like this.
Refrigerate with the husks still on immediately. Use within a day or two for best flavor.
Refrigerate in the crisper bin for up to one week. Cucumbers don't last very long if they have been cut into or peeled, even in the refrigerator. So be sure to eat leftovers as soon as possible.
Store eggplant at room temperature if the weather isn't blazing hot. Or, refrigerate in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator. It will keep for about a week either way.
Refrigerate bulbs in a loosely closed plastic bag. It will last for up to two weeks. The tops can be used as you would an herb. Their flavor is similar to the flavor of the bulbs. Refrigerate them in a plastic bag in the crisper bin.
Store in a dark, cool, dry and well ventilated place. Warmth and light will cause garlic to sprout. Garlic will keep for several months like this.
Refrigerate in a loosely closed plastic bag. Fresh garlic will last up to 2 weeks like this.
Refrigerate in a plastic bag in the crisper bin. Fresh scapes will last up to 2 weeks like this.
This includes our braising mix, collards, kale, mustard greens and spinach, as well as beet and turnip greens. Refrigerated dry & unwashed greens in a loosely closed plastic bag in the crisper bin. If you notice an excess of water on your greens you can loosely wrap them in a dry paper towel before storing them. Hardier greens like kale & collards will last up to two weeks, while most others last about a week.
This includes our lettuce mix, mesclun mix, arugula, mizuna, spinach, and all of our head lettuces. Refrigerate dry & unwashed greens in a loosely closed plastic bag in the crisper bin. If you notice an excess of water on your greens you can loosely wrap them in a dry paper towel before storing them.
What we call a husk-cherry you may know as a Cape gooseberry, aground-cherry, or a husk-tomato. Their actual name is Alkekengi. They are sweet, with a slightly astringent after taste. Store at room temperature, in their "paper" husks for up to 4 days.
Refrigerate dry and unwashed, with the roots attached, in a plastic bag. They will keep this way for up to two weeks.
Refrigerate in a paper bag, or wrapped in a paper towel inside a plastic bag in the crisper bin. Okra will last about 2-4 days like this.
Store onions in a dark, cool, dry and well ventilated place. Store them separately from potatoes and garlic. They will keep up to several months like this.
Refrigerate dry & unwashed in a plastic bag. It will keep for up to one week like this.
There are two good ways of storing parsley -- Refrigerate dry and unwashed in a plastic bag. It will keep for a few days like this OR, for longer life: Store upright in about an inch of water either on your counter-top or in the refrigerator. (See the entry for basil for more helpful hints) It will keep like this for 7-10 days.
Refrigerate in a plastic bag. Use within 2-4 days for maximum flavor.
Peppers: Sweet Bell & Hot
Refrigerate dry and unwashed peppers in a plastic bag in the crisper bin. They will last from 7-10 days like this.
Potatoes stored at 45-50 degrees will last for months. However, most people have no way to maintain this temperature, so expect your potatoes to last about a month. Don't be tempted to refrigerate them, as the cold will turn their starch to sugar. Store in a cool, dark, dry and well ventilated place. Do not wash before storing. Any dirt will help to keep them fresher, longer. Store separately from onions & garlic.
Refrigerate in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer. They will last for up to two weeks. Store greens separately. (See Greens for Cooking)
Our raspberries are highly perishable. They are honestly best eaten in the car on the way home, but if you have the will to wait , do the following: Do not wash until you are ready to eat them. Place them gently into a bowl or plastic container and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate. Eat them within one day, or freeze by spreading them out on a cookie sheet first, freeze, then bag them up for later use. They freeze beautifully.
Refrigerate in a loosely closed plastic bag in the crisper bin. Sage will keep for about a week like this. Salad Greens - See "Greens for Salad"
Refrigerate in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer. Scallions will last about a week like this.
This includes our patty pan squash and zucchini. Refrigerate in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer. Summer squash dries out quickly. Try to use it within 3-5 days.
Store at room temperature in a dry and cool place. Winter squash will last from 1-4 months, depending on the storage conditions.
Refrigerate in a plastic bag in the crisper bin. Tomatillos will last for about a week like this.
This also includes our grape and cherry tomatoes. It also includes the "Green Zebra" variety, which is actually ripe when green. In general, heirloom tomatoes are more delicate than hybrids, so handle them with extra care. Store tomatoes at room temperature. They will continue to ripen like this and usually only last 5-7 days until they start to rot. Keep them out of direct sunlight. If you have a lot of tomatoes: a large shallow bowl is a good way to store them. Do not stack them on top of one another too much or they will bruise. Do not refrigerate tomatoes as it makes them mushy and flavorless. Tomatoes, GreenGreen tomatoes are intentionally picked and sold unripe. We include them in our shares and sell them at the market when we are up to our ears in tomatoes. But who doesn't love an excuse to make fried green tomatoes? For more ideas, check the website during tomato season. You can store them at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for a few days and they'll stay green. If you would like to ripen them, storing them in a paper bag hastens the process, but you must check on them often and pull out any ripe ones. If you want to keep them green longer you can store them in the refrigerator. Just be sure to bring them to room temperature before frying.
Remove the greens and refrigerate roots in a plastic bag in the crisper bin. Turnips will keep from 1-3 weeks like this. The greens are edible. See "Greens For Cooking"
We recommend washing all of your vegetables, regardless of how clean they look. For most, cool tap water will suffice. For vegetables with a tough skin like potatoes and carrots, lightly scrub with a vegetable brush. Our favorite method for washing salad greens with a salad spinner: Fill the bowl of the salad spinner 3/4 of the way with greens, filling it up with cool water then swishing the greens around. This allows any sand and dirt to sink to the bottom. Pull the greens out and place them in the strainer part. Empty the dirty water from the bowl then spin dry. (Wet salad greens will repel oil based dressings.)
If you've accidentally left your veggies in a hot place for too long, don't fret. When you get home fill up your sink with cold water and soak the greens & herbs (except basil) for about ten minutes. If there are root vegetables, like beets or carrots, they can soak too. Remove and dry everything as best you can. Store as you normally would. They should bounce back fairly well.
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