Picked up my first share of Annie's Organics Friday.
It contained:-1/2 lb Collard Greens
-1/2 lb Rainbow Chard
-1/2 lb Broccolini
-1 lb Asparagus
-1/2 lb Kale
-1/2 lb Cilantro
-1 1/2 lb Apples
-6 oz Blueberries
-1 1/2 lb Vine Ripe Tomatoes
-1 lb Kiwis
-1/2 lb of Ginger
-1 lb Lemons
-5 lbs Japanese Sweet Potato
-1 1/2 lbs Romaine
-2 1/2 lbs Bananas
-1 lb Zucchini
-1 lb Strawberries
-1 lb Eggplant
-1 head Garlic
Storing Tips:
Storing Collard Greens:
Do not wash them. Wrap them in damp paper towels in an open plastic bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. Should last about 5 days.
Storing Rainbow Chard:
Do not wash them. Wrap them tightly in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. Should last about 5 days.
Storing Broccolini:
Do not wash them. Wrap them tightly in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. Should last about 4 days.
Storing Asparagus:
Do not wash them. Fill a glass with water and put the asparagus stems in the water. Cover the asparagus and glass with a plastic bag. If this is not an option wrap the stalk bottoms in a damp paper towel and store in the refrigerator crisper.
Storing Kale:
Do not wash them. Wrap them tightly in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. Should last about 5 days.
Storing Cilantro:
Do not wash them. Fill a glass with water and put the cilantro stems in the water. Cover the cilantro and glass with a plastic bag. Cilantro should stay for a week, change water as it becomes cloudy. If this is not an option wrap the stems bottoms in a damp paper towel and store in the refrigerator crisper.
Storing Apples:
Do not wash them. If already ripe, store apples in the fruit drawer of the refrigerator. Apples should last a couple weeks. Be sure to keep apples away from other produce, as they will cause other produce to spoil faster.
Storing Blueberries:
Do not wash them. Store in the refrigerator. Remove any spoiled blueberries to reduce spoilage.
Storing Tomatoes:
Do not wash them. In warmer climates, store in the refrigerator, stems up.
Storing Kiwi:
Once ripe, store in the refrigerator in a bag. Kiwi should last about 5 days.
Storing Ginger:
Store unpeeled ginger in the freezer for up to 6 months, let thaw before use. If you don't want to freeze it, you can store unpeeled ginger in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks. Once peeled, wrap in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for about a week.
Storing Lemons:
If you are intending to use them within a few days, you can store them on your counter for about a week. Store in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator in a plastic bag for about 5 weeks.
Storing Japanese Sweet Potatoes:
Do not refrigerate, this will alter their taste. At room temperature they will last about a week. Put in a loose bag on the counter.
Storing Romaine Lettuce: Wash and fully dry lettuce (using a salad spinner if you have one helps cut drying time considerably), then place in a bag in the refrigerator. My favorite way is to wash and dry in a salad spinner, then I lay the lettuce out on a tea towel (fancy word for a kitchen towel) after they dry for about 20 minutes, I roll the lettuce up in the towel and use rubber bands on the ends (picture I giant tootsie roll). Then I put this in the refrigerator. The lettuce stays really nice for about a week.
Storing Bananas:
If the bananas are not ripe and you would like to speed the process, put them in a brown bag, add an apple to speed up process even more. I never put bananas in the refrigerator (I say never, but I did this once, and it didn't go well, so NOW I never do it) because it slows the ripening process BUT turns the skin brown. Not a pretty site. So if I have too many bananas and I just can't eat them in a few days, I peel them, cut them in about 4 pieces and I toss them in a small freezer bag. Then I have them any time I want to make a smoothies. I have been known to buy 10lbs of bananas at a time and just cut them up and freeze them.
Storing Zucchini:
You can store unwashed zucchini on the counter for about a week. I have heard not to put Zucchini in the refrigerator, but I have and I think they were fine. But the recommendation is to store on the counter. If you can't use the zucchini in time, finely shred the zucchini and put it in a freezer bag to use in zucchini bread or muffins later. They will last in the freezer for about 3 months.
Storing Strawberries:
I have been told to not wash berries before storing. I do, I just make sure to dry them really well after. I make sure to pull out any questionable ones, and store the others in the refrigerator (single layer is always the best).
Storing Eggplant:
You can store on the counter for a few days, but I store mine in the refrigerator. I clean them off and wrap them in a tea towel and put them in the vegetable drawer on the refrigerator. I have stored mine for about a week and a half this way, but the sooner they are used the better.
Storing Garlic:
You can store garlic for months at room temperature, a paper bag is an ideal place for garlic. Do not refrigerate as it can go bad faster or start sprouting.
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