Practical advice for fresh produce Anna Ćaleta
Storing food It is important to know how to store your food properly once you have bought it, to prevent it from spoiling. Potatoes: keep them in a dry, dark and airy place. It’s best to put them in a wooden crate. Store an apple* near potatoes so they don’t sprout as quickly. *Apples produce a gas called ethylene. It acts as a plant hormone that speeds up the ripening process and inhibits sprout growth during treatment.
Garlic and onions: keep these in a dry and airy place with no sudden changes of temperature. Herbs and leafy vegetables: fill a jar, glass or tin with water and keep them in this (as you would flowers). Store in the fridge. Salad, asparagus, carrots: keep in the refrigerator wrapped in a damp cloth. Bread: wrap in linen cloth, doubled.
Eat everything you’ve bought Use an “eat me first” box in the refrigerator to keep an eye on all the food that needs to be eaten soon. This is especially useful in a household of several people, so you don’t end up with two open milk bottles, and it gives you a special place for that half a cucumber that you’re saving for later. Broccoli stems, carrot tops, beet leaves, potato peels, onion peels ... most people throw them away. Did you know that you can peel a broccoli stem and munch it raw? It tastes like kohlrabi. If you prefer it cooked, any kind of stew or soup will do. Carrot tops are amazing for making pesto! You can cook beet leaves the same way as spinach. Have you ever fried potato peels? For some recipes, you don’t even need to
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