We all do it; load up on produce with all the best intentions – making that favorite pasta sauce, pickling, or drying, and just never get around to it.  Sure enough, a few too many days go by, and all that beautiful peak of ripeness fruit or veg is soft, wet, and brown.  Well, the possibility exists that if it was stored in the proper way that it may have just lasted, or even improved.

I realize this isn’t an entertaining post, but hopefully it will serve as a good reference.

Bean sprouts – Sprouts don’t store well.  Keep them in a plastic bag or containers small enough that they don’t crush each other.  If they soften a little, they can be refreshed in some ice water.  Bean sprouts will probably only keep for a few days.

Green onions – First, remove any discolored or slimy outer leaves.  They’ll just ruin the rest of the onion.  Now you have a few options: wrap the onions in damp paper towels and store in plastic bags; stand up in a glass of water; or put them in a pot of dirt in your window.  Green onions are alive in your fridge, so why not keep them that way?  Plant them, and they’ll keep growing.  Snip off the leaves you want, and provided you leave some, they’ll keep coming.

Ginger - As long as its not allowed to get too wet or too dry, ginger will keep in your crisper drawer for a long time.  Too moist and it’ll go moldy.  Too dry and it’ll wrinkle.  If its getting a little wrinkly, put it in a container or ziptop bag.

Leafy Greens and Lettuce – If you wash it, be sure to dry it and put it in a paper towel lined plastic bag or container.  Make sure moisture isn’t pooling in the container, if it is, it is too humid.  Sweaty lettuce can also mean your fridge is too cold, so double check the temperature.  If your greens are a little wilted, fill your sink with cold water and give them a bath for a minute or two.

Garlic - Peeled cloves can be stored in the fridge, and will be last for 1-2 months.  Cured heads can be stored in a cool, dry place for about 6 months.

Onions - Store bulb onions in a cool, dry place about 10 degrees Celsius/50 Fahrenheit.  The refrigerator is too moist, and the cold may cause them to germinate.  Putting an onion in the fridge for a few minutes before slicing may make you less likely to tear up though.

Potatoes - Store potatoes in a cool, dry place about 4 degrees Celsius/40 Fahrenheit.  The fridge is too cold for potato storage, and the starch break down into sugars sweetening the potato and altering its texture.

Tomatoes - Nearly over ripe tomatoes can be put in the fridge to delay softening, but I find that prolonged cold storage causes tomatoes to become mealy and flavorless.  Under ripe tomatoes can be ripened in a bag or container, and will ripen faster if stored with ethylene gas producing fruits like bananas or apples.  Keep perfectly ripe tomatoes on display in a nice, uncovered bowl.

Avocados - Avocados are frequently stored incorrectly.  Hard avocados can be ripened faster wrapping them in paper towels or storing them near ethylene gas producing fruits.  Check covered avocados daily.  Ripe avocados can be stored in the refrigerator which will delay browning and halt softening.  Cut avocados will brown quickly, so store them immersed in acidulated water or milk.

Asparagus - Asparagus tips spoil quickly if allowed to get wet.  Trim the base of asparagus and store upright in a cup of water, or wrap the cut bottom in moist paper towels inside of a plastic bag.  Leave the tops exposed.

Beets - If you enjoy eating beet greens, leave them attached when storing beets in the refrigerator.  If you don’t, cut them off, as the beet will keep trying to let them grow in the fridge sapping water from the root and shriveling the beetroot.

Radishes - Store as beets.

Rhubarb - Store it in the crisper drawer like celery.  If it begins to soften, crisp it up in a bath of cold water.

Mushrooms - Keep mushrooms stored in a paper bag.  Remember, even if they dry out a little, they’re still good – you’ve just concentrated the flavor.

It’s cold, it’s rainy, and I’m tired.  I also have virtually no groceries in the house.  Now I need to be a little creative.

Here’s what’s in the fridge:
Spaghetti Squash
Zucchini
Carrots
Garlic
Artichokes
Tomato sauce
Garlic Mushrooms
Caramelized onions
Grape Tomatoes

These grape tomatoes are grim looking.  They’re wrinkled and dry, so what better way to use up than roasting.  Preheat your oven to 325F, put the tomatoes on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast for 30-45 minutes or until somewhat dry.

Grape tomatoes drizzled in olive oil and seasoned

Grape tomatoes drizzled in olive oil and seasoned. Ready for roasting.

Cut the ends off the squash – carefully.  Cut it lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds and pulp.  Place it on a microwave safe plate cut side down, and microwave on high for 7 minutes.  Remove when done, let cool, and with a fork, scoop out the strands of squash.
Place a few garlic cloves and olive oil into a small pan or pot.  Cover, or nearly cover the garlic with oil.  Heat over medium low heat for about 15 minutes.  Do not let burn.  Remove when garlic cloves are soft and golden brown.

Shread carrots and zucchini, or cut into spaghetti like strips with a mandoline.

Cooked spaghetti squash, julienne zucchini and carrot

Cooked spaghetti squash, julienne zucchini and carrot

Heat your tomato sauce in a pan, add carrots and simmer briefly.  Add zucchini after about 2 minutes.  Simmer 30 seconds, and add precooked mushrooms, roasted garlic.

Heat up a little butter in a pan, toss in the squash, season.  Sautee to reheat.  Add your ragout.  Garnish with basil, confit garlic, roast tomatoes, and garlic oil.

Spaghetti squash and vegetable ragout, confit garlic and roast tomatoes

Spaghetti squash and vegetable ragout, confit garlic and roast tomatoes


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        Fresh home-made pizza is one of the best things ever.  But who can be bothered to make a dough, let it proof, punch it, let it proof again only to still have to make everything you want on the thing?!

        The solution I’ve found, (sad that it took me so long to implement even though we’ve been doing this at work since long before I started a year ago) is to make all the components separately and freeze them in individual portions.

        For the base, simply make the dough as you would regularly, make enough for however many pizzas you want, and after rolling, freeze.

        A sub-tip here is to freeze them all on a baking sheet with a piece of wax paper in between and once frozen, wrap individually in saran wrap to prevent freezer burn.

        For the sauce and the toppings, make as per the recipes you like, and freeze in small zip lock baggies.  I’ve found this works brilliantly for garlic mushrooms, caramelized onions and sauce so far, and from work I know this also works with sausages (cut to size first).

        When you want a pizza, simply pull one bag each of whatever you want on it from the freezer, let them defrost in the fridge (or in the microwave) and there you are home-made from scratch pizza any time you like.

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