It’s delivery day, and in your box you have anywhere from 4-12 basket items plus any extras you’ve decided to add to your order. What now? How do you make sure none of your items go to waste? Follow these easy tips, and you’ll be all set for long-lasting local fare!
1) If you’ve added any baked goods to your order, pop them in the fridge if you’ll use them in the next few days, or in the freezer if it will be a while. Unlike store-bought items, our baked goods don’t have preservatives – which means they don’t last on the counter for more than a couple of days.
2) Wait until right before use to give your produce a good scrub. If you wash items and then try to store them in the fridge, they perish quickly.
3) Respect nature’s texture rules. Apples, tomatoes, potatoes, and mature onions (not spring or baby Vidalia onions) can all stay on the counter. In fact if you refrigerate tomatoes, they don’t taste quite as good!
4) Give them space. You don’t like to be over-crowded do you? Neither do your fruits and vegetables! Store produce loosely, in open plastic or paper bags, and opt for the crisper drawer. If you pack too much in one confined space or bag, they’ll spoil more quickly.
5) Don’t get too over-zealous in the prep-work department. When possible, wait to slice and dice until it’s time to eat. Food lasts longer when it’s intact. That doesn’t mean to toss left-overs though, so make sure to store those in an air-tight container.
6) Buy local. Hey look, you can check this one off the list! Buying local food means that the food reaches you when it’s fresher. This gives you a head start because it hasn’t spent days traveling before it reaches you.
About Seasonal Roots
Since 2011, Seasonal Roots’ online farmers market has connected Virginia families with local family farmers who use sustainable, humane practices. Our neighborhood market managers – who believe in living better through scrumptious, healthy eating, being kind to animals, protecting the environment, and spreading joy – home-deliver freshly harvested produce, pastured eggs, grass fed dairy and meat, plus artisan fare. We empower our members to eat better and live better with more nutritious, flavorful food that’s good for us and good for the planet. More info at seasonalroots.com.