I know that you haunt the farmers markets and local venues for the best and the freshest items, it KILLS me that we end up wasting really expensive food.
Here are some tips for those moments when you are staring into your fridge and realizing that your rapidly deteriorating organic treasures are a ticking time bomb of garbage. And, if you have tips of your own to share- PLEASE comment below.
MOST IMPORTANT:
LABEL THOSE BAGS AND CONTAINERS!
NOBODY LIKES OR USES FREEZER MYSTERIES
Use
containers and wraps designed for the freezer; they are thick enough to
keep moisture in and freezer odors out. If
you are
going to freeze anything long-term in glass,
make sure the glass is either tempered (the type used for canning jars)
or specifically
labeled for freezing. Since even freezer-safe
glass can crack as food expands, always make sure to leave about 3/4
inch of
space between the top of the food and the
lid. Freeze in small portions. The faster food freezes, the fresher it will taste when
it's thawed.
Squeeze out as much
air as possible before freezing. When you're
storing sauces, soups, or stews in containers, however, leave a bit of
space at
the top of the container to prevent the
liquid, which expands, from freezing to the lid.
Use shallow, flat
containers. Freeze broths, sauces, and other liquids
flat in freezer bags, then stand them up
sideways for storage. When you remove them and submerge them in a bowl
of hot water
(or hold them under hot running water), they'll
thaw quickly.
Made ahead lunches: Freeze soups, spaghetti sauce, and lasagna in one- and two-portion containers, which thaw more quickly and guarantee you
won't have to thaw more than you need.
And, if you have questions about shelf life, and whether it is still safe to eat something that you have stashed, check out this website: Still Tasty.
And, if you have questions about shelf life, and whether it is still safe to eat something that you have stashed, check out this website: Still Tasty.
Tomatoes:
- Cut up not pretty tomatoes and put on a baking sheet with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400 until they are starting to get black in spots. Cool. Put in blender or food processor. Store in the fridge in a ziplock sandwich bag. Next time you make a soup, pasta sauce, or a stew, add it in.
Fresh Herbs:
- When you get fresh herbs, wash them, and wrap in a wet paper towel, inside a ziplock bag. They will last for weeks this way. Works great for parsley, dill, cilantro, thyme, and basil.
- In the fresh basil season, get a big bunch, wash it, and puree it in the food processor with olive oil. Freeze in a jar. It will turn dark, but keep its flavor. If you want pesto, add the garlic, cheese and nuts to the prepared basil mixture. Cheese and garlic do not retain their taste in the freeze as well as the pure herb, the oil will keep it from freezing rock-solid, so you can scoop out a spoonful to add to soup or pasta.
- Wrap desired fresh herbs in unbleached coffee filters, bundle up and tie with thread - Pop bundles by herb content into marked freezer bags and place in the freezer. Come winter simply drop a bundle into long cooking dishes to simmer away
Cheese:
- Fresh parmesan can be expensive. Grate the whole wedge of parmesan into a container and place in freezer- it'll last for ages!
Ginger Root:
- Peel ginger root and place in a small jar with enough sherry to cover. Remember that you have it when you are making a stir-fry. Take out the knob and cut off what you need.
Bananas:
- The minute that banana passes the point where you will eat it, peel it and put it in a ziplock in the freezer. When you have a couple, make my banana bread recipe or your own favorite one.
- Or throw it into a smoothie
- This also works well with cubed melon, peaches, mangoes, watermelon etc-- think MARGARITAS!
- Spread berries (or any other small, squishable item, such as hors d'oeuvres, meatballs, drop cookies, and leftover cooked ravioli and tortellini) out on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a resealable plastic bag. This method will prevent them from clumping together.
- You can freeze eggs as long as they are out of the shell and beaten. Stash yolks and whites separately in resealable plastic bags. (If you're freezing only yolks, beat each with about a teaspoon of sugar first to keep them fresh.) Thaw under hot running water or in the refrigerator overnight.
- Take leftover challah or brioche and slice it thickly and freeze... it will be all ready for French Toast. Or cut it into cubes and freeze to make a future bread pudding, or use the cubes in Stuffing.
- Slice and freeze bagels, put them into the bag with the outside halves touching so they are easy to grab and toast.
- Any leftover bread can be cut into chunks and processed into bread crumbs which keep indefinitely in the freezer.
- Stale French or italian bread can be cut in cubes and sauteed with butter or olive oil and garlic to make croutons.
Onions, peppers:
- Dice and put into ziplocs to be added to morning omelettes. No watery bleary eyes.
- Freeze sliced onions and celery, and carrots together that can be thawed for soup or crockpot cooking.
- Onions, celery and sweet pepper can be diced and frozen as a combination in amounts needed for recipes like Chili, Stew, Boiled Dinner, Soups, Pasta sauce, Stir fries
Hard Winter Squash like acorn or butternut:
- Cut in half and put cut side down on baking sheet. Bake at 350 until it collapses. Scrape the flesh into a container and freeze for future soup.
Cranberries:
- Stash a bag or two in the freezer when they first come into season, and make cranberry sauce when you have the time to do it. Save some to add into apple pies after they disappear from the market in december.
Many Many great tips here from Buzzfeed:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/27-ways-to-make-your-groceries-last-as-long-as-pos
Onions stored in pantyhose will last as long as 8 months.
Put onions in pantyhose, and tie knots between onion. Plus it makes a freaky wall art installation!
2. Freeze green onions in a plastic bottle.
Make sure the green onions are completely dry before storing or they’ll get freezer burn.
3. Get an ethylene gas absorber for the fridge.
A set of 3 costs $16. These little pods absorb the ethylene emitted by fruits and vegetables to keep them fresh up to 3x longer. Here’s a handy list of ethylene-producing and ethylene-sensitive foods.
4. Store delicate herbs like flowers, then cover with plastic, secure with a rubberband, and refrigerate.
This is the best way to keep delicate herbs like parsley, basil, cilantro, and chives fresh the longest.
5. Treat oily herbs differently.
Oily herbs like thyme can be tied loosely together with string and hung in the open air.
6. If you use a lot of fresh herbs…
Invest in an Herb Savor. Supposedly, it’ll make your herbs last up to three weeks.
7. Use a vinegar solution to make your berries last longer.
Prepare a mixture of one part vinegar (white or apple cider) and ten parts water. Swirl the berries around in the mixture, drain, rinse, and put them in the fridge. The solution is diluted enough that you won’t taste the vinegar. Raspberries will last a week or more, and strawberries go almost two weeks without getting moldy and soft.
8. Spray leftover guacamole with cooking spray before putting it back in the fridge.
There are a number of ways to keep avocado green, and oil is one of them. You should also keep the pit in the guacamole.
9. Don’t store onions with potatoes.
They’ll spoil faster. In a cool dry place with good air circulation, onions will last 2-3 months.
13. More cheese rules:
Wrap in cheese paper or wax paper (NOT plastic wrap) and then place in a plastic baggie. Keep in the warmest part of the fridge (vegetable or cheese drawer).
14. Freeze and preserve fresh herbs in olive oil.
The herbs will infuse the oil while freezing, and the ice cubes are very handy for cooking: just pop one out and use as the base of a dish. Works best with rosemary, sage, thyme, and oregano. Dill, basil, and mint should always be used fresh.
16. Store asparagus like cut flowers.
Sort of. Cut the stems, place in water, throw a plastic bag over ‘em and refrigerate. They’ll stay crisp for a week or longer, and you can use this trick on cilantro and parsley as well. See here for more details.
17. Wrap the crown of a bunch of bananas with plastic wrap.
They’ll keep for 3-5 days longer than usual, which is especially helpful if you eat organic bananas. Bananas also produce more ethelyne gas than any other fruit, so keep them isolated on the counter.
18. This trick using a paper towel will keep your salad lettuce fresh all week long.
The paper towel will absorb the moisture. Get more info here.
Also, you might want to invest in a salad spinner. It’ll get rid of moisture, which is the culprit of wilting leaves.
19. Wrap celery, broccoli, and lettuce in tin foil before storing in the fridge.
It’ll stay crisp for 4 weeks or more.
20. Mason jars are your friend.
They provide a healthier and longer-lasting alternative to plastic tupperware, which deteriorates and stains easily. Produce will keep a few days longer if stored in a jar.
21. Clean your fridge.
Once something goes bad in your fridge or cupboards, it leaves behind a nice gang of mold ready to eat up your new food. Disinfect the fridge — it’ll make everything last a little longer.
22. How to store tomatoes:
Don’t store tomatoes in plastic bags! The trapped ethylene will make them ripen faster.
Unripe tomatoes should be kept stem side down, in a paper bag or single layer in a cardboard box in a cool area until they turn red in color. To ripen faster, store with fruit. The gases emitted will help ripen the tomatoes.
Perfectly ripe tomatoes should be kept at room temperature, on the counter away from sunlight, in a single layer, not touching one another, stem side up.
Overly ripe tomatoes should be put in the fridge, but let them come to room temperature before eating them.
via Yumsugar.
23. Reuse plastic bottles to close up your plastic bags.
Make sure your produce is absolutely dry before putting the cap on.
24. Keep ginger in the freezer.
It grates much more easily, and the peel grates up so fine that you don’t actually need to peel it. Plus it lasts way longer.
25. Roast nuts as soon as you get home from the store, then store them in the freezer.
Nuts that are roasted have more flavor, keep longer, and can always be used in recipes that call for nuts, roasted or otherwise. Spread them in a single layer on a sheet pan, bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant.
26. Keep mushrooms in a paper bag, not a plastic bag.
A plastic bag will trap moisture and cause them to mildew. Put them in a paper bag in the fridge or in a cool, dry place.
27. Follow this handy guide on what to store on the counter, and what to put away in the fridge:
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