Shelf Life of Fruits & Vegetables

January 27February 3Posted in FoodTagged freezer, fresh, fridge, fruit, grocery, how long, last, life, meal, plan, plastic, shelf, storage, time table, tips, vegetableLeave a comment

Plan Meals and Grocery Trips Using this Time Table

by Stepfanie Romine, Staff Writer on SparkPeople

In addition to storing your fruits and veggies properly, it’s good to know approximately how long the fresh stuff will last. Plan your trip to the grocery or farmer’s market accordingly so that your foods are at the peak of freshness when you plan to prepare them, and you’re not throwing away food that’s gone bad before you get a chance to use it.

So, how long will it last?
Once you’ve brought it home and stored it properly, you can prioritize your produce. First, eat the things that will spoil quickly, such as lettuce and berries. Save the longer-lasting foods (like eggplant and oranges) for later in the week.

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Vegetable planting chart via I Love Gardens

December 3December 5Posted in Garden & NatureTagged chart, direct, glass, harvest, indoors, planting, salad leaf, soil, sow, time, vegetable, what, when, where, windowsillLeave a comment

What to eat this month – December

December 2December 9Posted in FoodTagged Brussel Sprout, cabbage, eat, Fruit and Vegetable, season, vegetable, white cabbageLeave a comment

1Mondays

December's best

White Cabbage

Characterised by its crisp texture, white cabbage is a top choice for making coleslaw, or as an accompaniment to hearty winter meals and roast dinners.

Our quick and tasty tips:

For a twist on champ, try stirring cooked shredded cabbage into creamy mash with some finely sliced spring onions, then dot with butter.

Brussels Sprouts

They’re a cracking little winter veg packed with earthy flavour and goodness. Mash with parmesan and cream or fry with garlic and almonds to bring them alive.

Our quick and tasty tip

Try tossing hot cooked buttered sprouts with some finely chopped rosemary, crispy pancetta and crumbled chestnuts. Season well with pepper.

Source

What to eat this month – November

November 11November 25Posted in FoodTagged in season, november, potatoes, red cabbage, seasonal, vegetable, what to eatLeave a comment

1Mondays

Potatoes

Aren’t spuds splendid? Cheap, fat-free, bursting with vitamins and minerals, unbelievably versatile and a national favourite. Bet you didn’t know they were at their best in November?

Our quick and tasty tip:

Try making olive oil mash by adding a good lug to your potatoes before mashing with a knob of butter and plenty of black pepper. Excellent with grilled fish and lamb.

Red Cabbage

Compact, crunchy and colourful red cabbage is a winter favourite, and particularly perfect with rich meats like pork and game.

Our quick and tasty tips:

Try braising with apple, smoked bacon and balsamic vinegar. Serve sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley leaves.
Try stir frying finely shredded red cabbage in butter and oil with ground spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, some chopped apple, a splash of red wine vinegar and a sprinkling of sugar. Delicious with sausages and roast ham.

Much more information about seasonal fruits and vegetables under Eat Seasonably
Many more tips and recipes on Love Food Hate Waste

The 10 easiest fruit and vegetables to grow via ‏@changebehaviour

October 29October 29Posted in Garden & NatureTagged beetroot, courgette, dwarf french beans, easy, fruit, Garden Organic, grow, Home, homegrown, Lettuce, mint, onions, pea shoots, plant, pumpkin, Salad, seed, strawberries, tomatoes, vegetableLeave a comment

Fancy creating your own supply of juicy fruits, crunchy vegetables and fresh salad greens? This selection of great foods sprout more-or-less like magic out of the ground—with the minimum of effort. Whether you’ve only a windowsill, garden or balcony, get planting today. Here are ten of the easiest fruit and veg you can grow, with step-by-step instructions from the experts at Garden Organic.

Salad

Lettuce, rocket and other crunchy leaves are easy to grow. Cut them and they keep coming back!

Super-easy to grow indoors all year around
Constant harvest – leaves can be picked over and again and they’ll grow back
Pick’n’ mix your favourite flavours, textures and varieties – peppery rocket, crunchy lettuce, exotic oriental saladini

Complete growing directions

You can grow salad all year inside. Try mixing different lettuces or adding rocket. Oriental varieties work best for winter use – sow in September and they’ll last you until March.
Fill a seed tray with compost.
Toss over about a quarter of a teaspoon of salad seeds.
Cover with a sprinkling of compost, water it carefully and place it on a sunny windowsill.
Don’t let it dry out.
Hint: Try stretching cling film over the top of the tray to keep moisture in. Take it off as soon as seedlings start to appear.
When the plants are about 3in tall you can start cutting them and they’ll keep growing back again and again.

Alternative method: you can grow salad in 12 inch pot or directly in the soil in your garden.

Watering

The easiest way to tell if something needs watering is with your finger: poke it into the soil to test.
If the soil is damp just under the surface, don’t water. If it is dry up to the first crease of your finger then you need to water.
Seeds and seedlings need care when watering – use a fine-head watering can so you don’t over-water them.
It is better to water well infrequently than to sprinkle a little every day.

Continue reading “The 10 easiest fruit and vegetables to grow via ‏@changebehaviour” →