Fenez Follies CSA Week #3 – What’s in the box? and How to store your vegetables without plastic!

Yikes it’s hot out there. In this kind of weather, you learn to get up early and work in the early mornings and late evenings! Thank goodness the mosquitoes don’t like this heat as well!  Our pump is getting a workout, trying to keep up on the watering.

What’s in the box:

Carrots

Broccoli

Kale

Swiss Chard

Romaine Lettuce

Mixed Greens

Beets

Mixed Herbs (Basil, Cilantro, Dill, Parsley)

Peas (you can eat like snap peas – pod and all!)

Zucchini

This week’s focus? How to store/keep veggies?

We pick your vegetables within hours of dropping them off, so you can’t get much fresher and certainly eating them right away is one option of course! However, if you are hoping to keep some of that goodness for later, we thought we could share some tips for how to store these goodies (without using a lot of plastic). These tips come from the Berkley Farmer’s Market which prides itself on being a Zero Waste market. Check out the full document here, but we’ve provided the tips you need to store this week’s box below for your convenience:

Basil – is difficult to store well (so use it asap). Basil does not generally like to be cold or wet for that matter. The best method is a airtight container/jar loosely packed with a small damp piece of paper towel inside – left out on a cool counter.

Beets – cut the tops off to keep beets firm, (be sure to keep the greens) leaving any top on root vegetables draws moisture from the root, making them lose flavor and firmness. Beets should be washed and kept in and open container with a wet towel on top.

Beet greens – place in an airtight container with a little moisture.

Broccoli – place in an open container in the fridge or wrap in a damp towel before placing in the fridge.

Carrots – cut the tops off to keep them fresh longer. Place them in a closed container with plenty of moisture, either wrapped in a damp towel or dunk them in cold water every coupld of days if they’re stored that long.

Cauliflower – will last a while in a closed container in the fridge, but they say cauliflower has the best flavor the day it picked.

Greens – remove any bands, twist ties, etc. most greens must be kept in an air tight container with a damp cloth – to keep them from drying out. Kale and chard do well in a cup of water on the counter or fridge.

Herbs – a closed container in the fridge to keep up to a week. Any longer might encourage mold.

Lettuce – keep damp in an airtight container in the fridge.

Snap peas – refrigerate in an open container.

Zucchini – does fine for a few days if left on a cool counter, even after cut. Wrap in a cloth and refrigerate for longer storage.

Enjoy!