Resources for info on storing fruits & veggies

[lynchyk]

I'm overwhelmed by my CSA!! And it's only the third week. I love that I'm trying alot of new veggies but it's so much I can't fit it all in the fridge. I don't know what can be stored on the counter, what needs to be in the fridge, what should be eaten right away or what can wait until later in the week. I don't want to waste anything!

What I got today:

7 baby heads of lettuce
large bag of spinach leaves with stems (not baby spinach, large leaves)
small bundle of asparagus
bunch of about 7 turnips
about 7 stalks of broccolli (can you eat or do something with the really wide stalks?)
huge bunch of garlic scapes (about 25)
large bunch of greens (I think collard greens but possibly kale)
3 qts strawberries

It wassn't my turn to pickup today, I only go every 3 weeks so I couldn't ask questions and don't know what greens I got

Does anyone have a reliable resource that could tell me how to keep these fresh and for how long? Also with info on the best way to freeze the extras (raw, blanched...)

Thanks,
Kelly

I'll probably be on here tons asking questions about all these veggies!!:

[tubulidentata2]

We just got garlic scapes through our CSA and stir-fried them. We cut them into 2" chunks. Pretty tasty! I have heard that they are great for pesto.

I think you can freeze strawberries, but I always eat them before I get a chance. DH made preserves out of blackberries we picked last summer, and those lasted until a week ago! Although I love kale, I can't always get DH or DD to eat it, so I chop it finely and include it in spaghetti sauce, soup, or chili. These are things you could make and freeze (could toss some broccoli in there, too).

I do think that all but the strawberries must be kept cool, since one usually sees them in the cool section at the market.

[onehope]

My produce reference book recommends the following : (however, since your veggies are farm fresh, I would think they might last a bit longer than these recommendations for store bought produce)
Greens- eat within a couple of days (keep refrigerated).
Broccoli- refrigerate up to 4 days
Asparagus - Regrig. no more than a few days (Trim ends, store upright in 1 inch of water in a jar or something and cover)
Turnips- keep for several weeks in a cool, dark place (I would think the pantry would be fine)
Spinach - Refrigerate up to 3 days
If you freeze strawberries, i would lay them on a cookie sheet (unwashed) to freeze. Then move them to a baggie after they are frozen. Then just wash when you are ready to use.

I hope this helps some. I found my produce reference in the produce section at my local grocery. We are currently looking into a CSA. Is it worth it?

[tubulidentata2]

Great info, onehope! I keep meaning to buy that reference book.

Originally Posted by onehope

We are currently looking into a CSA. Is it worth it?

I think this depends upon your goals and availability of produce in your area. We value local food because I like that it hasn't lost most of its nutrients in transport and because we prefer to support local farmers rather than corporations (when possible). However, we have plentiful farmer's markets in our area, and the costs are not much different than the CSA, so we could get the same produce in our desired quantities at the farmer's market, thus saving money. We chose the CSA because we have to get to the farmer's market at 8 am in order to get a good selection, and we just can't manage that. Additionally, we like being forced to eat vegetables that we wouldn't ordinarily try.

The downside for us is that we sometimes get far too much of some vegetables. For the first three weeks this year, we got mostly lettuce. DD doesn't eat salad yet, so DH and I had to eat at least one huge salad per day to keep up with this. I would have preferred eating a huge heap of kale every day.

[cristeen]

The first thing I would recommend is investing in some green produce bags. They work really well at extending the life of your produce. I got mine at reusablebags.com

7 baby heads of lettuce- bag and refrigerate
large bag of spinach leaves with stems (not baby spinach, large leaves)- wilt and freeze
small bundle of asparagus - bag and refrigerate or freeze or pickle
bunch of about 7 turnips - pop them in the pantry like you would potatoes... cool dark spot
about 7 stalks of broccolli (can you eat or do something with the really wide stalks?) - yes, the stems are edible, although you probably want to peel them first. They have a hint of broccoli flavor and a nice crunch. Bag and refrigerate or cut into pieces and freeze
huge bunch of garlic scapes (about 25) - bag and refrigerate
large bunch of greens (I think collard greens but possibly kale) - either bag and refrigerate or wilt and freeze
3 qts strawberries - refrigerate or freeze. If you're going to freeze them be sure to remove the stems first, but don't wash them. Lay them flat on a cookie sheet, freeze them then bag them up.

Does anyone have a reliable resource that could tell me how to keep these fresh and for how long? Also with info on the best way to freeze the extras (raw, blanched...) - how long something will stay fresh will depend on how fresh it was to begin with and how you store it. I've stored a head of lettuce in a green produce bag for 6 weeks and it was still just fine, although the "recommended" length of time for lettuce is usually about a week. Most everything in your list will last at least a week if properly treated, some will last longer. Asparagus will usually last about 2, as will broccoli... turnips could last months.

[Attached Mama]

Originally Posted by lynchyk

I'm overwhelmed by my CSA!! And it's only the third week. I love that I'm trying alot of new veggies but it's so much I can't fit it all in the fridge. I don't know what can be stored on the counter, what needs to be in the fridge, what should be eaten right away or what can wait until later in the week. I don't want to waste anything!

What I got today:

7 baby heads of lettuce
large bag of spinach leaves with stems (not baby spinach, large leaves)
small bundle of asparagus
bunch of about 7 turnips
about 7 stalks of broccolli (can you eat or do something with the really wide stalks?)
huge bunch of garlic scapes (about 25)
large bunch of greens (I think collard greens but possibly kale)
3 qts strawberries

It wassn't my turn to pickup today, I only go every 3 weeks so I couldn't ask questions and don't know what greens I got

Does anyone have a reliable resource that could tell me how to keep these fresh and for how long? Also with info on the best way to freeze the extras (raw, blanched...)

Thanks,
Kelly

I'll probably be on here tons asking questions about all these veggies!!:

Here's what I would do:
- a daily salad with the lettuce
- freeze the spinach
- turnips I'd pass along as I don't like them
- stalks of broccoli w/o heads ??? I'd dice and freeze for soup or make a cream of broccoli soup
- garlic scapes I'd fry in oil and then steam the greens over the top
- Strawberries wouldn't last long. I'd eat them with fresh whipped cream.