Tips for the freshest share!
General Tips
Store Fruits and Veggies Separately
Fruits produce ethylene which will speed the decomposition of veggies in their proximity. Be sure to store in separate containers/spaces
Bag It Up
Place everything loosely in bags before putting your produce away in the fridge. Veggies will wilt MUCH faster if placed directly in the fridge without a container. It’s a great way to reuse plastic bags from bread, tortillas, etc!
Wait to Wash
once your food has been washed/is wet it will decompose more quickly. Wait to rinse until you use it!
Cooking greens & head lettuce will have a single rinse before they get to you. Cut salad greens will have been triple rinsed before landing in the share.
Give it Space
As much as possible, give your veggies breathing room in their bags/in your crisper drawers. The closer they are, the faster they will decompose.
Likewise, removing rubber bands from bunched items will give them room to breathe
Tips by Veggie
Salad Greens
sealable plastic bags or clamshells from grocery store greens offer the best storage & are reusable over and over! Adding a damp towel in the container can also help improve longevity.
Do not wash your greens before storing, it will reduce storage life. Just rinse when using (all salad greens are triple rinsed before they arrive to you!)
Bunched Roots with Greens
Separate the greens from the roots and remove rubber bands before storing. Store the greens and roots each in separate plastic bags to keep them the longest.
Carrot greens are great for soup stock and can be blanched and made into pesto! Turnip greens and beet greens (aka Swiss Chard) are wonderful cooking greens!
Herbs
Fresh herbs make a lovely bouquet! They’ll store best in a small glass of water on your counter (out of direct sunlight) or placed in the fridge.
Or save them for later! Hang your bunch of dill to dry. Or try freezing your bunch of basil.
Tomatoes, Potatoes, Eggplant & Winter Squash
keep these things in a cool, dry, dark place, but they do not need to be in the fridge.
Refrigeration can extend the life of potatoes, but is damaging to the flavor of tomatoes and squash. Refrigeration & moisture can speed spotting and deterioration of eggplant. Be sure to keep potatoes out of direct sunlight or they will sprout!
Onions, Shallots & Garlic
cured onions and garlic can be left at room temperature! Cured alliums have dry papery outside and no greens, they way you’re familiar with from the grocery store.
Fresh onions or garlic that have greens and no papery outside should be kept in the fridge
tips from other resources:
from Red Fire Farm / from Spade & Plow / from Woven Roots Farm / from Shared Harvest CSA