How to extend the life of your food by keeping produce fresher is my concern today. I hope you are well and happy, enjoying these spring days. The promises of warmer weather, longer days, more sunshine, lifts my spirit. I hope it blesses yours as well. First thing is to buy when produce is in season promotes bigger savings, just picked fruit and veggies that pact more nutrients. Our problem is the overbuying and the spoilage. ‘ve learned a few tips over time and maybe you can save too.
Knowing how your produce wants to be stored and how it will react to other foods is key! Watermelon, for example, will ripen on your countertop in about a week, which will nearly double its nutrients, Place in the fridge overnight for cold juicy watermelon. Beware, don’t store it next to other fruits, watermelon doesn’t like the ethylene gas released by fruits. This will speed up its deterioration.
Grapes and most all berries are a great to eat most year round. Store them in their original container but removed the bruised one and I like to wrap mine in a paper towel to absorb the excess moisture given off, because it keeps the mold growth down. Don’t wash the fruit until you are ready to eat them, water encourages mold growth. No one wants that!
Herbs need to be wrap in a paper towel to absorb their moisture too and then place in a plastic bag. Don’t place basil in the fridge though, the cold tends to kill it off quicker. I keep mine by the window so it can get some sun each day. Tomatoes need to be stored in their container as well in the fridge. If they need ripening, leave them on the counter for more flavor and a nutrient boost. Once they are ripened, place in the fridge. Consider cooking the tomatoes in a microwave, they will give a nutrient boost that raw tomatoes cannot provide. Tomatoes don’t like being around other fruits because of the gases either.
Leafy greens, I always have a fridge full it seems and I’ve lost lots of greens by not providing for their needs. Greens need to be dry while being stored. Moisture promotes decay rather quickly. I wrap mine in paper towels to keep the moisture off and I keep them away from fruits while in the fridge.
Using some smart savvy in the storing process will keep your foods fresher and they will taste better, look better and give you the nutrients you desire. I love eating raw foods daily and I have become picky about the freshness and nutrient punch in each food I eat. It’s frustrating to find decayed foods and have to dispose of them before you’re ready to eat them. I also shop at least twice to three times a week buying only what I will eat in the next 1-3 days. It may take more planning on your part and time to shop but when this is your food, it’s important to me to have fresh and healthy food in the fridge or on the counter. I have a smart phone and found an app that I can create shopping lists, as I need something, I add it to the app so when I'm ready, my list is ready with me. In our house, we eat somewhere around 9-11 pounds of leafy greens each week and trust me, I only buy for a few days at a time. This way I can get variety in the greens and I know I’m eating the best product. We eat 12-15 pounds of fruit each week and again, I buy enough but I’m always buying fruit every time I shop. If you need to snack, fruit is a great choice. This may seem like a lot of food but when you are raw foodists it’s not that abnormal, as many of you will attest. Keep it healthy and keep it raw! Eat for nutrients and not just to fill up. Think about eating as your way of fueling the body, so give it premium gas every time.
To your health,
Bill
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