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Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden : Column Index : 2006 : August
Coming Soon...
Produce Primer 101
When we make the decision to eat healthier, fresh foods, that's a commitment to stock up on beautiful fruits and vegetables. But what's the best way to store them so they retain their flavor and healthful benefits when you get home?
This month I'll talk about a few fruits and veggies and give you my time-tested methods for keeping your produce fresh and nutritious.
First comes shopping. Try to buy locally grown organic produce whenever possible. The farmer's markets are a great place to shop and have good values on everything from lettuce to exotic fruit like jackfruit. But ask the vendors if they use sprays and ask for the Organic Certification they must have if they claim to be organic. Organic means many things, but primarily it means that the produce was not sprayed with pesticides, that herbicides were not used in their field, and that they were not fertilized with chemical fertilizers. Organic produce is sometimes not quite as large or attractive as the other kind, but the flavor and health benefits make up for it.
Try to buy things like papayas and tomatoes slightly green. This way, you don't have to clutter up your refrigerator and you'll notice better flavor when you store them at room temperature. When I grow my own, I like to pick them slightly green too--that way you beat the fruit flies to them. Keep a basket in your kitchen, perhaps line it with a paper towel in case anything rots, and watch your slightly green bananas, papayas, pineapple, avocados and other fruit ripen by the day. If you get good at this, you can select fruit in varying degrees of ripeness: a completely ripe papaya for today, another that will be ripe tomorrow, another greener one for the next day, etc. By the end of the week, you might need to put one or two of them in the fridge if they ripen before you can use them, but try to use them soon, as they lose flavor quickly in the fridge.
Next comes storage. I wash most of my produce in the kitchen sink as soon as I get home from the farmer's market. But don't wash mushrooms until right before you use them because the moisture will cause them to go bad more quickly. Store them dry, in a brown paper bag in the fridge. To wash veggies, fill your sink half full, add a couple teaspoons of apple cider vinegar (this helps to neutralize any impurities and keeps many veggies from turning brown), and dunk in your produce. Let it sit for a little while you put away the rest of your groceries and unwind from your busy day, then dry on a towel.
Here's a list of fruits and veggies and how I prefer to store them:
Apples, peaches, pears, and other fruits not grown here: if possible, buy them slightly green. Wash them, store at room temperature until they are ripe, then refrigerate, but not for long.
Papayas, mangoes, melons, lilikoi, guava, and other tropical fruit: same deal-wash first, then store at room temp until ripe.
Lemons, limes, oranges and other citrus: Wash and store at room temperature for a few days. If you don't use them quickly, stick them in the fridge.
Bananas: when I was a kid there was a Chiquita Banana commercial that sang "never put bananas in the fridge-erator." I've remembered it all these years. Apple bananas, especially, are still delicious (maybe more so) when they look over-ripe ugly; so are lilikoi. When you wind up with over-ripe bananas, peel them and store in the freezer in Ziploc bags. I mash them first and when I make banana muffins, it's easy to defrost the mush.
Lettuce: There's some truly beautiful lettuce grown here. I buy whole heads, mainly leaf lettuce, rather than a pre-made mix. I find it to be fresher. Cut the leaves off the base, wash thoroughly, then lay the leaves on a towel in a single layer. Add another towel when the bottom one is full, and when you're done, roll it up and store it in a tightly sealed plastic bag in the fridge. Air and moisture are the worst enemies of fresh lettuce. Hydroponic lettuce is popular and it looks excellent, but it's been grown in a solution of chemicals, which go into the liquid content of the veggie, so I avoid it.
Veggies such as cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, eggplant and most others: Wash and store in the veggie crisper, but not in a plastic bag.
Onions and garlic: no need to refrigerate.
Herbs such as cilantro and basil: sometimes basil turns dark if I wash it, so if I'm not going to use it right away, I refrigerate it dry in a tightly sealed plastic bag. Cilantro does better if washed, but I always wrap it in a paper towel inside its plastic bag so it doesn't drown.
Leftover fruits and veggies: things like onions keep for a long time after they're cut and stored in a Ziploc bag in the fridge. Always put leftover tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, papaya, lemons, etc. in plastic bags in the fridge too.
Finally comes eating! Your taste buds will thank you when you chop up your lovely veggies for a salad, stir-fry, soup, sandwich, steamed dish or tempura. One of my favorite side dishes is to grill large chunks of veggies on the barbecue. When you cut veggies for many dishes, don't cut them too small: I like using whole mushrooms and large chunks of bell pepper because otherwise they get lost in the recipe and you'll appreciate them more (and it's less work chopping).
Stir-fried veggies are one of my favorite meals. Just heat some oil in a wok or large frying pan, chop up a bunch of veggies, toss them in and stir them until they're done, but retain some crispiness. Bon appetit!
Produce Primer 101
When we make the decision to eat healthier, fresh foods, that's a commitment to stock up on beautiful fruits and vegetables. But what's the best way to store them so they retain their flavor and healthful benefits when you get home?
This month I'll talk about a few fruits and veggies and give you my time-tested methods for keeping your produce fresh and nutritious.
First comes shopping. Try to buy locally grown organic produce whenever possible. The farmer's markets are a great place to shop and have good values on everything from lettuce to exotic fruit like jackfruit. But ask the vendors if they use sprays and ask for the Organic Certification they must have if they claim to be organic. Organic means many things, but primarily it means that the produce was not sprayed with pesticides, that herbicides were not used in their field, and that they were not fertilized with chemical fertilizers. Organic produce is sometimes not quite as large or attractive as the other kind, but the flavor and health benefits make up for it.
Try to buy things like papayas and tomatoes slightly green. This way, you don't have to clutter up your refrigerator and you'll notice better flavor when you store them at room temperature. When I grow my own, I like to pick them slightly green too--that way you beat the fruit flies to them. Keep a basket in your kitchen, perhaps line it with a paper towel in case anything rots, and watch your slightly green bananas, papayas, pineapple, avocados and other fruit ripen by the day. If you get good at this, you can select fruit in varying degrees of ripeness: a completely ripe papaya for today, another that will be ripe tomorrow, another greener one for the next day, etc. By the end of the week, you might need to put one or two of them in the fridge if they ripen before you can use them, but try to use them soon, as they lose flavor quickly in the fridge.
Next comes storage. I wash most of my produce in the kitchen sink as soon as I get home from the farmer's market. But don't wash mushrooms until right before you use them because the moisture will cause them to go bad more quickly. Store them dry, in a brown paper bag in the fridge. To wash veggies, fill your sink half full, add a couple teaspoons of apple cider vinegar (this helps to neutralize any impurities and keeps many veggies from turning brown), and dunk in your produce. Let it sit for a little while you put away the rest of your groceries and unwind from your busy day, then dry on a towel.
Here's a list of fruits and veggies and how I prefer to store them:
Apples, peaches, pears, and other fruits not grown here: if possible, buy them slightly green. Wash them, store at room temperature until they are ripe, then refrigerate, but not for long.
Papayas, mangoes, melons, lilikoi, guava, and other tropical fruit: same deal-wash first, then store at room temp until ripe.
Lemons, limes, oranges and other citrus: Wash and store at room temperature for a few days. If you don't use them quickly, stick them in the fridge.
Bananas: when I was a kid there was a Chiquita Banana commercial that sang "never put bananas in the fridge-erator." I've remembered it all these years. Apple bananas, especially, are still delicious (maybe more so) when they look over-ripe ugly; so are lilikoi. When you wind up with over-ripe bananas, peel them and store in the freezer in Ziploc bags. I mash them first and when I make banana muffins, it's easy to defrost the mush.
Lettuce: There's some truly beautiful lettuce grown here. I buy whole heads, mainly leaf lettuce, rather than a pre-made mix. I find it to be fresher. Cut the leaves off the base, wash thoroughly, then lay the leaves on a towel in a single layer. Add another towel when the bottom one is full, and when you're done, roll it up and store it in a tightly sealed plastic bag in the fridge. Air and moisture are the worst enemies of fresh lettuce. Hydroponic lettuce is popular and it looks excellent, but it's been grown in a solution of chemicals, which go into the liquid content of the veggie, so I avoid it.
Veggies such as cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, eggplant and most others: Wash and store in the veggie crisper, but not in a plastic bag.
Onions and garlic: no need to refrigerate.
Herbs such as cilantro and basil: sometimes basil turns dark if I wash it, so if I'm not going to use it right away, I refrigerate it dry in a tightly sealed plastic bag. Cilantro does better if washed, but I always wrap it in a paper towel inside its plastic bag so it doesn't drown.
Leftover fruits and veggies: things like onions keep for a long time after they're cut and stored in a Ziploc bag in the fridge. Always put leftover tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, papaya, lemons, etc. in plastic bags in the fridge too.
Finally comes eating! Your taste buds will thank you when you chop up your lovely veggies for a salad, stir-fry, soup, sandwich, steamed dish or tempura. One of my favorite side dishes is to grill large chunks of veggies on the barbecue. When you cut veggies for many dishes, don't cut them too small: I like using whole mushrooms and large chunks of bell pepper because otherwise they get lost in the recipe and you'll appreciate them more (and it's less work chopping).
Stir-fried veggies are one of my favorite meals. Just heat some oil in a wok or large frying pan, chop up a bunch of veggies, toss them in and stir them until they're done, but retain some crispiness. Bon appetit!
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