Over a year ago we (hubby is along for the ride) have switched to little or no packaged food. It has been a process of learning to prep and plan meals, our meals are pretty basic which does make it easier. I do spend more time in the kitchen now, but that is because I am trying new ways to prepare real food; my learning curve is improving! I am always looking for kitchen tips that can either make my time in the kitchen more productive or ways to use every bit of the food we purchase. We purchase most of our food organic (check out my post Is Organic Worth the Money? to learn why we do this), getting the most out of the food is essential. I am going to share three tips in this post on how to get the most out of your fresh produce.
Tip #1
I regularly make my own bone broth so I save the celery tops and ends, carrot and potato peels, herb stems, onion and garlic peels, and any other root vegetable peel that I might have, and put it all in a freezer bag. I keep the bag in the freezer, adding to it almost every day. When I am ready to make my bone broth, I will take a bag out and add it to the broth. It is a great way to use every part of all those organic vegetables.
Tip #2
Did you know you can grow green onions in your own kitchen? I have started doing this, and my plan is to not purchase them any more! Here is a great link on the how to do it! It is best to use organic when doing this. I took it a step further and have planted the onions in a pretty yellow pot.
Tip #3
Have you ever bought some fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley, didn’t use the whole bunch for your recipe, and wondered how to help those herbs last longer? Here is how to extend the life of these herbs.
- Snip off the ends of the stems.
- The leaves should be dry; it is better to rinse right before you use the herbs.
- Fill a jar with clean water (I use filtered so the stems won’t absorb chlorine or fluoride).
- Loosely cover with a plastic bag. Cilantro and parsley can be stored in the fridge, basil should be stored at room temperature (it doesn’t like cold which I can relate to!).
- Change the water every few days.
Storing these herbs this way can make them last up to two weeks, maybe longer! I have been able to keep cilantro for close to three weeks. It does depend on how fresh the herbs are when you purchase them.
I hope these three quick tips have been helpful, and you can use at least one of them in your kitchen! Do you have a tip that you want to share on how to best use fresh produce? Leave a comment below with your tip.
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