03/29/2023
Data pulled from anyone who’s ever bought fruit, veggies and herbs and made the time to clean and prep them. It really does work. 🥬
1. Buy the produce. You’re never going to eat more fruits, veggies, or herbs if you don’t buy them. When making your grocery list, make it a goal to add 4 unique fruits and veggies to your cart each week. Maybe 3 are familiar and can be used in a variety of ways and one is new, something you haven’t tried or don’t use often.
I post a seasonal fruit and veggie list every month so you always have a cheat sheet.
2. Wash and prep things as soon as you get home. I have a giant bowl that sits in my sink and I take everything out and toss it in. Mushrooms are the only thing I don’t wash in advance. Washing mushrooms can cause discoloration so just wait and rinse those before using. Fill the bowl with fresh filtered water and add a produce wash or a 4 to 1 ratio of water and vinegar. There’s great info out there about adding salt and lemon juice in with your vinegar. I plan to test this. After a 30 minute soak, give it all a rinse and lay it on dish towels to dry. Anything that can be cut up to save you time down the road; carrots, radish, broccoli, greens, do it now.
3. Store your produce where you can see it. If you can make sections in your produce drawers for specific items, great. Store things in glass or clear containers so it’s visible. Large shallow containers are best for stacking so things don’t get shoved behind something else. If you can see it you don’t have to remember everything that’s in your fridge. Even a sticky note list on the outside can be helpful. Make sections for sauces, pickled things, fruits, veggies, dairy and leftovers so it’s easy to see what you have in each category.
4. Store your produce properly to make it last longer! After cutting carrots, radishes and celery, store them in water, fully covered. Change out the water every few days to keep them fresh. Berries store really well in glass containers but you have to make sure they’re fully dry first. Lettuce can be stored in an airtight bag, throw in a paper towel or small reusable towel to dry excess moisture. See my recent reel about herb storage.
