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Posts tagged ‘Produce’

I just got my Fresh Picks Newsletter and wanted to share these great tips with you. I know I’ve posted something similar in the past but this version is more detailed.

Fruits
Apples – Store these in the fridge or a cool dark location. They should keep well for a while.

Bananas – These should be kept at room temperature in a dry location. Anything below 58° can actually give them freezer damage!

Berries – It’s always a good idea to pick out any squished or moldy berries to prevent the others from going bad. While blueberries can last a week in the refrigerator (just wash them right before eating), raspberries, blackberries and strawberries only last a few days. To help them last as long as possible spread them out on a plate and cover with a paper towel. Berries start to deteriorate as soon as they are picked, so eat them quickly!

Cherries – Store cherries in the fridge uncovered or in a perforated plastic bag for up to a week. Keep the stems attached and be sure to remove any moldy cherries that pop up

Grapes – Store grapes in the refrigerator in a perforated bag and only wash them right before serving. Be sure to remove any spoiled grapes before you stick them in the fridge.

Lemons/Limes – Do not store these in the fridge as cold temperatures can cause undesirable changes and they tend to absorb fridge odors. Store them in a cool and dry area.

Melons – It’s a good idea to ripen melons at room temperature, but they can quickly go from ripe to overripe. You can store a melon in the fridge to help it last a little longer just make sure to keep it in the crisper where humidity tends to be higher so your melon doesn’t dry out.

Pineapple – Store pineapples on the counter (for a day or two) or in the refrigerator upside down to allow the sweetness to spread to the rest of the fruit.

Stone Fruit – Ripen stone fruit on the counter or in a paper bag at room temperature and once ripe you can toss them in the fridge. Store them in a single layer in the warmest part of the refrigerator. Remove 30 minutes before eating so that the fruit can warm up.

Vegetables
Carrots – Store in a plastic bag in the fridge to retain moisture, do not peel them until you’re ready to serve.

Corn – Keep corn cool so that the sugars don’t turn to starch and become less sweet. Keep the husk on the corn as it helps retain the moisture.

Eggplant – Store eggplant in a cool location or in the fridge but be careful with it as it bruises easily. Also try to use it up in a few days as it goes bad quickly.

Lettuces/Greens – Always dry greens and lettuces well before storing. Wrap them in a paper towel and place in a plastic bag.

Mushrooms – Store these in a paper bag in a cool, dry part of the fridge. Only wash them directly before using.

Onions/Garlic – Keep these in cool, dark, well-ventilated areas.

Peppers – Store in the fridge’s vegetable crisper.

Root Vegetables/ Potatoes – Store these in a cool, dry, dark location with good ventilation. You can store the root vegetables in the fridge but keep the potatoes out.

Spinach/Arugula – You can store them loosely packed in plastic bags in the refrigerator or if you plan on keeping them for longer place them in a single layer on paper towels and loosely roll them up.

Tomatoes – Do not store tomatoes in the fridge as this can cause them to have a mealy texture and a poor flavor. Store them unwashed at room temperature.

Herbs
Wash and dry the herbs and cut off a little bit of the ends and place them standing up in a glass of water. You can also them in a plastic bag along with a paper towel if you’re short on room in the fridge.

Food Waste

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According to a 2002 report from the University of Arizona in conjunction with the USDA, Americans tossed out an average of 470 pounds of food per year—about 14 percent of all food brought into the home—at an annual cost of $600. Every day, they discarded more than half a pound of fruits and veggies. In total, Americans chuck a fourth of all the produce they buy, mostly because it’s gone bad, says Timothy Jones, PhD, contemporary archaeologist at the University of Arizona. Nationally, we dump $43 billion worth of food every year.

Read the full article on Vegetarian Times and learn great tips for keep produce fresh

Wow! What a waste! Imagine what an impact we could make on the environment and our pocketbooks if we purchased less produce. Yes, you may have to make more runs to the market but you will be surprised to see yourself using all of what you have on hand and not tossing unused and spoiled food! Our eyes are always bigger than our stomachs. I prefer to purchase only what I can possibly use in the next couple of days. My purchase always lasts me longer than expected and I throw very little away.

I’m so excited to see Chipotle sourcing food locally!  I hope other chains take note and adopt the same procedures.  It is so much better to use local food – first for our environment as it cuts down on huge carbon emissions from transporting food across the country or even the world and second it is economically great to be supporting local farmers.  Next time you’re up for a burrito, skip Taco Bell and give your business to Chipotle.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill is once again breaking from the fast-food model.

Written by Timothy B. Hurst

Published on June 25th, 2009 on Eat. Drink. Better.

The Denver-based chain known for its clean flavors and burly burritos is pledging to use a set amount of local produce at each of its more than 730 restaurants around the country — when produce is in season.

This summer, Chipotle is purchasing twenty-five percent of at least one produce item for each of its stores from small and midsize farms situated within 200 miles of the store.

Read the full article

Check Out The Database!

Check Out The Database!

The Pesticide Action Network just launched an awesome new database with a tool that allows you to search for a particular food, review the pesticide residues that have been found on it and learn what the human health effects are from those pesticides.


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According to the Environmental Working Group, the produce with the most pesticides are (meaning – buy them ORGANIC):

apples, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, pears, peaches, strawberries
celery, lettuce, potatoes, spinach, sweet peppers
 

Be sure to always purchase organic milk and meat – if you must purchase them at all -  as they’ll be free of growth hormones, antibiotics and pesticides.

Wednesday when I got home from work my fabulous box of Irv and Shelly’s produce had arrived!

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The produce is wonderful.  We also got a couple of tubs of hummus, a vegan personal sized pizza and grass fed ground beef for Eric.  The vegan pizza was delicious - the great taste of pizza without the guilt of high calories and animal products and the curried lentil spread was a fun new take on hummus – great for dipping veggies in!  It was so convenient to have all of this delivered right to our house and not have to go to the store, pull up out front to haul the bags up the stairs then run back to the car and drive around looking for a parking spot!

I’m already getting excited to place my next order Sunday night!

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Today I received my first delivery from Irv & Shelly’s Fresh PicksSM !!  I’ve been anxiously waiting for our kitchen remodel to be complete so I could order.   I simply log on and place my order Sunday night and they deliver to my neighborhood on Wednesdays.  It’s so simple that I don’t even need to be home!  Just keep their insulated container outside the door and they will fill it up each week.

Irv & Shelly’s Fresh PicksSM offers year-round home delivery in the Chicago area of local and organic produce, meat, dairy and eggs. You can order online anytime to choose the specific items you want, or opt for a Fresh Picks Box that is automatically delivered to your door weekly or bi-weekly.

They are committed to working with local sustainable farms we personally know and trust. Their fresh picks will arrive at your door ripe and bursting with flavor, vitamins and minerals within hours of leaving the farm. They’re as proud of their farmers as they are of their food, and have developed tracking systems for the great local products in your order so they can tell you who raised them and how they protect your health and the environment.

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You can either order a la carte or order the Fresh Picks Box which is a mixture of the best of what they currently have.  My neighbor does this and loves that they include recipes when they send produce that the average person isn’t accustomed to purchasing.  This is a great way to try new things you normally wouldn’t pick up yourself on a trip to the market.

I understand that going organic can be expensive.  There are some things that are more important to purchase organically grown than others.  I try to buy everything organic but there are times when that is not possible so I must then decide between buying it conventionally grown or selecting a different item.  Produce with thin or no skins absorb more pesticides.

Fruit you should ALWAYS buy organic:
peaches, apples, nectarines, strawberries, grapes, cherries, pears
Veggies you should ALWAYS buy organic:
tomatoes, potatoes, sweet bell peppers, carrots, lettuce, celery
Conventionally Grown -
things I would be more willing to purchase non-organic if organic wasn’t available:
onions, avocados, corn, pineapple, mangos, asparagus, kiwi, papaya

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It is officially just one week until the farmer’s market comes back to Lincoln Park!  I love having a huge market so close to home and even on my way to work!  It is every Wednesday and Saturday from 7am to 1pm starting Wednesday, May 6.   My typical routine is to go Saturday morning and stock up on stuff for the week then stop on Wednesday mornings for fresh fruit and a pastry to eat when I get to work – I’ll also grab any other little things I need to finish off the week.

Green City Market offers us city people an opportunity to get delicious local and pesticide free produce.  I’m a vegetarian who seldom eats eggs and dairy but I’ve heard the vendors with cheese, meat and free range eggs are great as well!  I also love all of the great baked goods and pastries.

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