Help storing produce. page

[Jackson Hydra]

I recently managed to buy a quarter share of a produce CSA. Full shares are designed for families, and as a single person I thought a quarter share would work out fine. But Yesterday I went and picked up my first box.....

Forty pounds of produce! I thought it was a mistake. But it wasn't, and for a month it probably isn't too much, but I'm in a quandary as how to store that much. As I've never really cooked that much I don't really know how to store fresh produce for more than a few days.

Can anyone point to any good resources on how to keep produce fresh? I will be getting a variety of things and I don't want to waste any of it if I can help it.

Thanks.

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Starting weight: 270 - Goal weight: 170 - Current weight: 147 (Whoops!)
New goal: Learn primal and add 5 pounds of muscle in 2012.

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Last night I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself, where the heck is the ceiling.

[parakeet]

What types of produce is it? I find that things like apples, pears, citrus, carrots, etc. will store for at least a month in the vegetable crisper of my refrigerator. Onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes and certain winter squash store well in cool dry places like my pantry. Berries, bananas, lettuces need to be eaten relatively quickly to prevent spoilage. If I have citrus that I won't use in time, I will freeze it. Oranges get juiced, frozen in ice cube trays and then stored in the freezer in bags. Lemons and limes freeze well in their original form, just remove from the freezer to thaw before using. If you still find you are having difficulty using/storing your produce before it goes bad, you may want to look into getting a food dehydrator.

[KerryK]

I also clean and shred a lot of the leafy greens like spinach and parsley and kale and freeze for smoothies...

[Jackson Hydra]

What types of produce is it? I find that things like apples, pears, citrus, carrots, etc. will store for at least a month in the vegetable crisper of my refrigerator. Onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes and certain winter squash store well in cool dry places like my pantry. Berries, bananas, lettuces need to be eaten relatively quickly to prevent spoilage. If I have citrus that I won't use in time, I will freeze it. Oranges get juiced, frozen in ice cube trays and then stored in the freezer in bags. Lemons and limes freeze well in their original form, just remove from the freezer to thaw before using. If you still find you are having difficulty using/storing your produce before it goes bad, you may want to look into getting a food dehydrator.

Thanks for the suggestions! This was early harvest stuff, Asparagus, Sugar Snap Peas, Onions, Radishes, Bok Choi, Kohlrabi, and Hydroponic Tomatoes. They usually don't distribute till June but we had a particularly early season this year due to the mild winter and early spring weather. I really don't know what will be in future boxes.

I cooked and froze some of it today. This is all very new to me and some of these items I've never used or eaten before. I have been frantically reading recipes trying to find ways to use things. I'm learning a lot though.

Thanks again for the ideas!

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Starting weight: 270 - Goal weight: 170 - Current weight: 147 (Whoops!)
New goal: Learn primal and add 5 pounds of muscle in 2012.

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"Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." - Douglas Adams

[Jackson Hydra]

I also clean and shred a lot of the leafy greens like spinach and parsley and kale and freeze for smoothies...

And I just LOVE smoothies! I almost always add Spinach or Kale, never thought of parsley though. That's a perfect idea because I bought too much of it for a recipe I misread and was afraid it was going to rot before I used it up. Didn't even occur to me to freeze it. Thanks!

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Starting weight: 270 - Goal weight: 170 - Current weight: 147 (Whoops!)
New goal: Learn primal and add 5 pounds of muscle in 2012.

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"I am not a vegetarian because I love animals; I am a vegetarian because I hate plants." - A. Whitney Brown

[healthfreedomfighter]

I recently managed to buy a quarter share of a produce CSA. Full shares are designed for families, and as a single person I thought a quarter share would work out fine. But Yesterday I went and picked up my first box.....

Forty pounds of produce! I thought it was a mistake. But it wasn't, and for a month it probably isn't too much, but I'm in a quandary as how to store that much. As I've never really cooked that much I don't really know how to store fresh produce for more than a few days.

Can anyone point to any good resources on how to keep produce fresh? I will be getting a variety of things and I don't want to waste any of it if I can help it.

Thanks.

---

Starting weight: 270 - Goal weight: 170 - Current weight: 147 (Whoops!)
New goal: Learn primal and add 5 pounds of muscle in 2012.

---

Last night I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself, where the heck is the ceiling.

The cookbook Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon provides traditional lacto-fermentation recipes which are easy to use with your first month basket - Asparagus, Sugar Snap Peas, Onions, Radishes, Bok Choi, Kohlrabi. A Kimchi type recipe would work well. No freezer space necessary, just a place to store mason jars. Pressure-jarring tomatoes using an older Mirror pressure cooker (found on Ebay sometimes) is an excellent way to save tomatoes for up to 2 years in mason jars - again, no need for freezing. We have done this for years - up in a cold climate it is necessary with the shorter growing season. It really works well.

[ueritaGro]

I really don't know what will be in future boxes.

[catdance62]

Do you know how to can any of it? YOu can can the tomatoes, squash, green beans, pretty much anything except the greens. It's real easy--I use the water-bath method instead of a pressure cooker.

[DeilaMiah]

Canning and/or freezing is THE way to go! Been doing both for 30+ years so, if you need help, contact me!

[Jackson Hydra]

Wow! I've spent the last hour reading glowing reviews of this book, didn't seem to be and non-glowy ones ;-)

I have ordered it and am looking forward to reading it. Thanks so much for the tip! I might get back to you on the Mirror pressure cooker. I see older pressure cookers at thrift stores and flea markets all the time (I frequent these places a lot, as I love older style things, and often make steampunk crafts).

Thanks again.

-Jack

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Starting weight: 270 - Goal weight: 170 - Current weight: 147 (Whoops!)
New goal: Learn primal and add 5 pounds of muscle in 2012.

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"In those days he was wiser than he is now; he used to frequently take my advice." - Winston Churchill