Cleaning and Storing Vegetables

Hello Everyone,

Thank you to everyone who has requested a place at our ‘Organic September Open Days’. I have not replied to any emails yet as we are still receiving emails asking for a place. We still have places available if you wish to come to the farm. We are open for visitors on the 9th and 10th of September, between 1pm and 4pm. Please email veg@hexhamshireorganics.co.uk providing details of who is coming, how many in your party and which day you would prefer. We will reply at the beginning of September confirming places (it will no doubt be a yes me thinks).

There seems to be yet another ‘food fad’ over on the old social media sites. Now, I got this info from the daughter, obviously someone who is down with the trends. Apparently, it is all about food being stored in the fridge!?!

I have looked at a few of the posts and oh! my! I have been storing my goodies all wrong. I need to get even more containers on each shelf. I need to wrap some vegetables in damp cloths or kitchen roll. I need a complete new set of containers for the fresh food…some with lids and some without. A new enormous fridge is not in my plans. Laughing aside, some advice is quite good advice. I probably will not be going all out to wash each item, including jars, boxes, wrappers and clingfilm with bicarb.  But I will and do wash the fresh fruit and vegetables prior to cooking and eating.

All of our goodies we provide for you in the boxes delivered each week, will need washing before use. Here on the farm we do a pre wash if required. This is not a thorough clean. 

When we harvest any of our crops, there is muck of some description upon the vegetable. After we freshly harvest for you we may dip or spray the vegetables with water to take the ‘field heat’ from the item. The ‘field heat’ may be because the vegetable has been in a warm polytunnel or being grown outside and the weather has been hot. Removing the heat with a cold splash of water reduces the fast deterioration of, say kale, to a more slower rate. Some of the muck will drop off during this process. Other items, such as aubergines, courgettes or tomatoes, will just be rubbed clean of muck with a dry cloth or kitchen roll. Our potatoes are definitely mucky. They are harvested as and when we need them and they store better with a bit of muck. 

So, I would advise that the deliveries from us to you are washed prior to use.

The celeriac growing in the Pond Field above, shows the close contact the vegetables have with the ground. When it comes to harvesting this delicious vegetable, we may wash the initial muck off. But, we may also allow the compost around the celeriac to dry and then we will rub off the muck. You will have to wait a few more weeks before they are harvested. Something to look forward to, but they do look good.

Storing the Fresh Local Organic Produce does not have to be kept in a fridge. For instance, our tomatoes are best stored out of a fridge giving a much better taste at room temperature. Aubergines can also be kept at an ambient temperature for two or three days. Onions are best kept in a basket out of the fridge. The herbs are best kept in a jug of fresh cold water (change the water occasionally). Other goodies are best in the fridge. Cucumbers will stay fresher in a chiller drawer and wrapped in a damp cloth. Calabrese (broccoli) is best on a cool shelf but not in a covered chiller. Carrots keep best in a cool, dry, dark place with the green tops removed and stored damp.

However you store your goodies, I am hoping you are enjoying the prepping, cooking and eating of your meals.

Take care, hear from you soon, maybe,

 Ann👩‍🌾