Feed Scarborough Presents: How to make Food Last Longer + Vegetarian Recipes!

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Why do we need to store food properly?                                                                Storing certain foods in the right sections of your refrigerator or freezer doesn’t only help with freshness but also helps with taste and nutrient levels. 

As a rule of thumb, cooked food should never be kept in the same place as raw food.

Small steps to extend life of your fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables should never be kept together. Many fruits, in fact, release gases that speed up the ripening process of fresh products if placed close together. 

To keep salads alway crisp and fresh, transfer the leaves to a bowl or container. Put a couple of sheets of kitchen paper towels on top and wrap tightly with plastic wrap (optional) to exclude all possible air. This will prevent moisture from settling on the leaves, helping them to stay cool and prevent wilting.

Most vegetables, like carrots, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage and celery should be stored in a plastic bag or container in the crisper of your fridge. Mushrooms are best stored in a paper bag. Vegetables should be stored in a different part of the fridge than fruit. This will prevent them from ripening too fast.

 How long can I store canned vegetables?

Canned vegetables can be kept for 1-2 years. Label the can with the date to help you keep track of how long it has been in your cupboard.  

Some canned vegetables will have a “use by” date. This is how long the food will be at its best quality as decided by the manufacturer. Cans that are not damaged and have been stored properly will still be safe to eat after this date.

 Freeze your vegetables if you can't eat them right away

• Freezing vegetables at home is a fast and easy way to preserve nutrients and enjoy the taste of summer vegetables all year long. 
• Most vegetables need to be blanched before they are frozen. This means that you should boil the whole or cut up pieces of the vegetable for 1-2 minutes and then immediately place in ice cold water to stop the cooking process. This will keep your vegetables from getting freezer burn. Frozen vegetables will be fine for up to one year.
• Freezing is not recommended for artichokes, Belgian endive, eggplant, lettuce greens, potatoes (other than mashed), radishes, sprouts and sweet potatoes. 

Store produce properly 

Make a point of storing fresh fruit and vegetables properly to keep them fresh and safe to eat. For most vegetables and fruit, washing produce before you store it can make it spoil faster. Rinse fruit and vegetables (except for leafy greens) only when you are ready to use them. Leafy greens will stay fresh longer if they are rinsed, wrapped in paper towel and then placed in a container or sealed plastic bag after bringing it home.

Some vegetables and fruit need to be stored in the refrigerator, others need to ripen before being placed in the refrigerator, and others are best stored at room temperature. If you don’t think that you’ll be able to eat your produce before it spoils, try freezing.

Rule to remember is to refrigerate most fresh fruit and vegetables except for: 

• Apricots, avocados, kiwifruit, mangoes, melons, nectarines, papaya, peaches, pears, plums, tomatoes. Keep at room temperature until ripe, then refrigerate. 
• Bananas, garlic, onions (except green onions), mature potatoes, pumpkins, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, winter squash. Keep at room temperature, best not in the refrigerator. 

Dense raw vegetable such as potatoes and onions are well suited to being stored in cold cellars or cool room temperatures.

Be sure to store fresh fruit and vegetables in a refrigerator or cooler at or below 4°C (40°F) within two hours of peeling or cutting. Always use clean containers to store washed or prepared vegetables and fruit.

Remember to keep fresh produce away from any raw meat, poultry or seafood when preparing or storing it. Throw out any fruit or vegetables that are spoiled or that are left out at room temperature for more than two hours after they have been peeled or cut. 

Storage times are different for each type of vegetable  

The guidelines below are for vegetables at their best quality. They still may be safe to eat after the stated times as long as they are not mouldy or rotten. 

Vegetable (Cupboard/cool room temperature)	How long?
Potatoes	1-2 week (2-3 months in a cool, dark place)
Tomatoes	1-5 days
Onions	1-2 months

 

Vegetable (In the fridge)	How long?
Asparagus	3-4 days
Beans (green, wax)	3-5 days
Beets	2 weeks
Broccoli	3-5 days
Brussels sprouts	3-5 days
Cabbage	1 week
Carrots	3-4 weeks
Cauliflower	1 week
Celery	1-2 weeks
Corn	1-2 days
Cucumbers	1 week
Green onions	7-10 days
Lettuce	1 week
Mushrooms	4-7 days
Parsnips	3-4 weeks
Peas in the pod	3-5 days
Peppers (green, red)	1-2 weeks
Potatoes (new)	1 week
Rutabaga	2-3 weeks
Spinach	3-5 days
Sprouts	3-5 days
Squash (summer, ex: zucchini)	4-5 days

Recommended fruit storage times in the fridge: 

Fruits	How long?
Apples	3-4 weeks
Apricots (ripe)	4-5 days
Avocado (ripe)	3-5
Blueberries	1-2 weeks
Cherries	4-7 days
Cranberries	3-4 weeks
Gooseberries	2-3 days
Grapefruit	2-3 weeks
Grapes	5-7 days
Guava (ripe)	3-4 days
Kiwifruit (ripe)	5-7 days
Mango (ripe)	5-7 days
Melons (ripe)	7-10 days
Nectarine (ripe)	3-5 days
Oranges	2-3 weeks
Peaches (ripe)	3-5 days
Pear (ripe)	5-7 days
Pineapple	3-5 days
Plums (ripe)	3-5 days
Pomegranate	1-2 months
Prickly pear (ripe)	1-3 days
Raspberries	2-3 days
Rhubarb	5-7 days
Strawberries	3-5 days
Watermelon	2 weeks

 Tip to Remember: You’ll need to use your best judgement when deciding if a fruit is safe to eat. 

 Storing fruit in the fridge

• Most fresh fruit, including apples, berries and grapes, will last longer if kept in their original packaging and stored in the crisper of your fridge.
• Berries can last in the fridge for about a week. It’s a good idea to eat as soon as possible so they don’t spoil.
• Plastic bags with tiny vents (openings) help keep fruit fresh longer by releasing moisture. They are great for grapes, blueberries, cherries or strawberries.

Did you know? Apples cause other fruit and vegetables to ripen faster. Keep them in a separate place in the fridge, if possible.

Fruits that need to ripen first on the counter:

Fruit that should ripen on the counter are: apricots, avocados, guava, kiwi, mangoes, melons, nectarines, papaya, peaches, bananas and plums. Once they are ripe, you can store them in the fridge.

Can I store fruit in a root cellar?

Yes. Fruit like apples can be stored in a cool, dry, dark place like a root cellar (or even a dark cupboard) for about six months depending on the temperature and humidity of your cellar.

Freeze your fruit if you can’t eat it right away!

Most fruit can be frozen and is a delicious way to enjoy ripe fruit all year long. Frozen fruit is great for making smoothies, adding to hot cereal, using in muffins and quick breads, mixing with yogurt, or making a fruit sauce for pancakes and waffles. Most fruit will be fine in the freezer for up to one year.

To freeze fruit:

There are a number of different ways to freeze fruit. You can freeze them whole, in small pieces or pack them in a jar with syrup. 

This method works well for freezing berries:

1) Gently wash the berries with water and drain.

2) Spread berries in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place in freezer. This helps to keep the berries from sticking together.

3) When the berries are hard, place berries into labelled freezer bags or containers. 

How long can I store canned fruit?

• Canned fruit can be kept for 1-2 years. Label the can with the date to help you keep track of how long it has been in your cupboard.   
• Some canned fruit will have a “use by” date. This is how long the food will be at its best quality as decided by the manufacturer. 

Time saving tip -- Do you want some of your fruits to ripen faster? Place the fruit in a paper bag with an apple or banana. Apples and bananas release a gas that helps other fruit to ripen.

Vegetarian Inspired Recipes

Chickpea & Vegetable Curry with Rice

Prep & Cook Time: 20-30 mins Servings: 4 

Try a fresh take on curry night with this filling chickpea and veggie alternative. And thanks to a jar of curry sauce, it’ll be ready in under 30 minutes! Any leftover curry will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chickpeas
• Half of a broccoli head, cut into small florets and stalks cut into batons
• 1-2 carrots, peeled and cut into even-sized chunks 
• 1 500 g jar curry sauce of your choice (or you can make your own)
• 2 bell peppers, finely sliced
• 1-2 white or yellow onions, chopped
• 200 g long grain brown or white rice
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or preferred household oil) 
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (optional: may also add other spices such as garlic powder) 

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan on a medium heat.

2. Add the onions and gently fry for a few minutes until they become translucent.

3. Add the peppers and carrots and cook for a few minutes before adding the chickpeas and curry sauce.

4. Stir to combine well and bring the sauce up to a boil before covering and simmering for 15 minutes until cooked through.

5. While the curry is cooking, rinse the rice and cook according to the packet/bag instructions. Keep warm until serving.

6. Place the broccoli in a small pot on the hob and pour over just-boiled kettle water. Bring up to the boil and then immediately drain.

7. Add the broccoli to the curry just before serving, or you can serve on the side if you have fussy eaters!

Thai Red Sweet Potato & Green Bean Curry

Prep & Cook Time: 45-60 minutes Servings: 4 

This Thai-style curry is full of tasty aromatic flavours balanced out by creamy coconut. If your kids aren’t so sure about spicy food, go easy on the curry paste, add a little to start and taste to check flavour intensity! The leftovers will be blitzed up in a blender to make a delicious soup later in the week - just keep a few leftover cooked beans and they can be added to the soup for texture.

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
• 1-2 regular cans of coconut milk
• 1 small jar of Thai red curry paste
• 2-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 small white or yellow onions, finely chopped
• 1 bag green beans, trimmed 
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• ½ bunch coriander, leaves and stalks finely chopped (sub: basil, parsley or cilantro) 
• 1- ½ cup of long grain brown or white rice
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil (may use your preferred household oil)

 Instructions

1. Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok, then add the garlic and onions and fry for a few minutes until the onions are softened.

2. Next, add the sliced pepper and the sweet potatoes and cook for a few minutes until the potato starts to caramelise slightly.

3. Add in the curry pasta and stir well to coat the vegetables.

4. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil, before covering and reducing down to a low simmer to cook for a further 15-20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are cooked through.

5. While the curry is cooking, cook the rice according to the packet/box instructions, drain and keep warm until serving.

6. Add the green beans to boiling salted water until just-cooked. Drain and add ⅔ of the cooked beans to the curry. Rinse the rest of the beans in cold water, cover and keep in the fridge to serve with the soup (leftovers).

7. Just before serving, stir the coriander through the curry, keeping a few chopped leaves for garnish if you like, and serve with the rice.

Quick Tip: Healthy Banana pancakes and muffins

If your bananas are ripening quicker than they can be eaten, pop them into the freezer whole. Then defrost them at a later time to mash them; add to pancake batter or use in muffins or even add as part of the liquid to a chocolate cake mix (ex: ½ cup banana = ¼ cup fluid).

 Garden Vegetable Crisps

Prep & Cook Time: 30-45 mins Servings: 4 

This healthier version of nachos is a great way of using up root vegetables with delicious dips and can be served as a snack or sharing starter when entertaining.

 Ingredients: 

• 1 to ⅓ cup fresh beetroot
• 1 large carrot
• 1 large sweet potato 
• 2 tablespoon of canola oil
• Black pepper, desire spices such as paprika to season
• 1 cup mixed pack salsa/ guacamole/ sour cream 

Instructions 

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C/ 200°C Fan/Gas 7.

2. Cut off the top and bottom of the beetroot and carrot then clean the skins including the sweet potato by scrubbing in water. Alternatively if preferred they can be peeled.

3. Slice the vegetables very thinly, a swivel peeler or a mandolin are best for this but you could also use a knife if you are careful, then gently press between kitchen paper to absorb any excess moisture.

4. Line three large baking trays with baking parchment and brush with oil. Lay the vegetables on the trays in a single layer, keeping the beetroot on a separate tray to prevent it from staining the other vegetables.

5. Brush the vegetables with the remaining oil, season with black pepper then roast for 25 minutes, turning halfway through. Transfer to a tray lined with kitchen paper and allow to cool completely.

6. To assemble, arrange the vegetable crisps on a plate and serve with bowls of salsa, guacamole and soured cream.

 Tip: Wear rubber gloves when preparing beetroot to prevent the colour from staining your hands. You could also use up any leftover dips that you have or try making your own salsa from squishy tomatoes, chopped onion and some chilli powder or chopped fresh chillies. You can also use this recipe to make homemade crisps.

Take the survey below to receive an extra 10 points on your next grocery order!

 

Scarborough Food Security Initiative

2229 Kingston Road

Scarborough, ON M1N 1T8

For more information contact us at:

info@feedscarborough.ca

416-936-3975