As a CSA member, you make a commitment to us, and we make a commitment to bring you the best local, organic, and fresh produce we can grow. A less obvious commitment you make as a a member, is a commitment to storage. Storage is so important to help you get the most out of your CSA. Now that you’re a few weeks into the CSA routine, you’re flexing your meal planning, prepping, and veggie preservation muscles. We’ve put together some tips to help you keep those veggies fresh for use this week, or months from now.
- When you first get your CSA box (or when approaching meal planning in general), take stock of what is most perishable, and plan to use those items first. For example: Bok Choy and Napa Cabbage can wait, they will stay fresh for more than a week. Delicate greens like spinach and lettuce are good for about 3-4 days should be used soon. The “medium hard” stuff will last a little longer, approximately 4-7 days (think cucumbers, zucchini, green onions, etc.)
- Go ahead and break down the contents of your box and put things into refrigerator-friendly containers. We don’t recommend putting the whole box in the fridge without unpacking the items. Almost everything you receive from us should be stored in the refrigerator. There are a few exceptions like potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, and winter squash. But for this time of year, yes, all of it in the fridge.
- Items that come in an open green pulp container should be put into a closed container for longer storage. Example: this week the peas are in an open quart container so I’m transferring and storing them in a plastic bag.
- Most of the leafy greens (kale, chard, lettuce, arugula) should be put in a plastic bag or container for storage. I save all my plastic bags from grocery shopping, newspapers, tortillas, bread, and more so I have no shortage of bags and can re-use them to reduce waste. Ziploc style or even grocery bags also work well. Protecting them with even a simple layer helps keep them fresh and ready for use. These bunched greens will also do ok for several days just open in the fridge, but putting them in a bag will help them last longer.
- For best results go ahead and wash the lettuce, take out the core, let it dry some, and then place in a storage bag or container. In a pinch you can just put the whole head in a bag and wash and prep it when you’re ready to use.
- A note on the biodegradable green bags. We switched to these bags last year for a more eco friendly packing option. They are made from corn – so they biodegrade instead of spending hundreds of years in our landfills or drifting into the ocean. Yay! But these bags do have a downside; they are more “breathable” so they really aren’t ideal if you’re going to store your veggies in them for a long time. If you think you may not use that item within 2 days, it’s better to put it into a different bag or container. They also have a strange odor as they are plant-based BUT I’ve never had any problem with the odor affecting the taste of the contents.
- Bunched roots (bunched carrots, bunched beets, bunched radishes). Sometimes we give these items with the green tops already removed, and sometimes they are bunched with their tops. If you’re planning to store the roots for a while, it’s best to remove the tops and discard or store them separately. Over time the greens will continue to suck moisture from the bulbs and you’ll end up with limp carrots or soft beets. They will store for a long time once the greens are removed. Hot tip: you can add carrot tops, beet greens, and just about anything green to your pesto for a kick!
- We aren’t quite to the time of the year yet when you’ll have items to store on the counter top, but that day is coming soon! Potatoes, sweet potatoes, garlic, and butternut squash all prefer to be stored at room temperature on the counter. Potatoes will do better out of the light – so in a cabinet will be best.
- And lastly, feeling overwhelmed this week? Lots of items will store well for the months ahead and you’ll be relieved to have a few items in the freezer. You can always pick a few items that will freeze well and save them for another day. This week broccoli, spinach, kale, garlic scapes, can all be chopped and put in a freezer bag.
