We know that summer is the time of year when you can get the most fresh produce. A bunch of fruits and vegetables are at their peak. But fresh produce isn't cheap and there's no point in buying good stuff if it's just going to go bad on the counter or in the fridge. So, I thought I'd share some of the professor's tips for getting the most bang for your buck during the summer.
1. Watch for specials (plan, but be flexible): Before you buy produce, have a sense of what you're going to use it for. Is it for snacking, cooking, or baking? It's easy to impulse buy when everything in the produce section looks good, but try to avoid that. If you don't have a plan for what you buy, there's a greater chance that you won't use it.
During the summer, your supermarket is likely to have specials on produce. Keep an eye out for 2-for-1 deals and sales. If you go to the store for raspberries, but strawberries are on sale, you're better off changing your plans. If you're willing to be flexible with what you buy, you'll save more.
Also, check our your local farmer's markets. Often you can get a larger quantity of produce for your money. While your supermarket might have a pint of blueberries for $3.99, your farmer's market might have two pints for $4.50. If you're willing to get up a little earlier on a Saturday, you can save cash and get some really high-quality produce.
2. Store it right (for you!): I think one of the biggest obstacles people have to produce is that they don't know how to keep it once they have it. You'll see a billion different websites with a billion different kinds of advice. My storage tips are the methods that have worked best for me. Storing your fruits and veggies is really about what works best for how you want to eat and cook; there's no one-size-fits-all policy. So, I'll give you my tips and why they work for me.
FIRST, I wash ALL my produce when I get home from the store. I line the counter with clean kitchen towels and let everything air dry fully before I put it away. For me, having all my produce ready to cook or eat makes it much more likely that I'll use it before it goes bad.
SECOND, I have a collection of plastic food storage options at my disposal. I have small and large tupperware containers and small and large plastic bags. I use them all! You don't need anything fancy; the 4 pack of Ziploc will do just fine. They make my life so much easier.
Now, here are some examples of specific foods:
Berries: Berries are delicate and go bad quickly. I rinse them under cold water when I get them home and then let them air dry completely. I've had the best luck storing them in tupperware containers in one layer and with a paper towel lining the bottom of the container. I can keep blueberries for at least a week this way. I've kept blackberries about 5-6 days and raspberries 4-5 days. The exceptions are grapes and strawberries. Grapes I keep in a colander or bowl in the fridge. Strawberries I wash, dry, and then slice or quarter them (pictured above). I store those in one layer in tupperware with no paper towel.
I put fresh berries on my yogurt & oats in the morning or I eat them with lunch just straight up. When they start to get less fresh, I bake them into muffins or scones.
Stone fruits and tomatoes: I put my stone fruits (plums, peaches, apricots) away whole. I put them in the veggie drawer in my fridge. Tomatoes I leave on the counter in a bowl. I think tomatoes keep their flavor longer on the counter. If I'm using them for sandwiches, however, I slice them and put them in tupperware in the fridge. It's way easier for me to pull the already sliced ones out than to have to slice them every time I want to eat one!
I eat my stone fruits whole just like an apple. I don't even bother to peel them--there's lots of good nutrients in the skins!
Snack veggies: I'm making a distinction here between snack veggies and cooking veggies. I usually take cut veggies in my lunch. My favorites are baby carrots, raw green beans, snap peas, snow peas, and cucumbers. If I'm planning to eat veggies with lunch or as a snack, I wash them with everything else, let them dry completely and then prep them so they are ready to eat straight from the fridge. I slice my cucumbers and put the slices in tupperware. I snap the ends off my green beans and put them in a tupperware container. Unlike berries, I don't line them with paper towel and I don't bother keeping them in one layer.
This way, I can literally reach in the fridge and eat them straight out of the container or put them in snack bags to go. Doing things this way helps me not only to use up my produce, but also eat much healthier. If the good stuff is in the fridge ready to go, I've got no excuses not to eat it!
Cooking veggies: If I'm planning to cook veggies later in the week, I wash them and dry them, but I don't prep them. Here's where things get a little complicated because it depends a great deal on which veggies I have. I keep asparagus and carrots in the fridge wrapped in a paper towel in a food storage bag, but I keep zucchini and fresh corn in a bowl on my counter. The key here is to do what works for you. Barring a few exceptions, most veggies are fine in the fridge, so if it's easier for you, throw them all in your veggie drawer.
If you have busy weeknights, it might work better for you to prep your veggies once they're dry. Planning on stir fry, for example? Why not go ahead and chop everything, put it all in one big container, and stick it in the fridge? Then it's ready for you when you need it.
3. Make friends with your freezer: Freezers help us slow down the aging process of our foods, so why not let them help you? If you have too many berries, toss them in a freezer bag. You can still put them on your yogurt in the morning if they're frozen. Chop up your stone fruits and do the same. I've thrown bagged spinach right smack in the freezer and used it pastas later (I wouldn't use it in a salad though--it's a bit too wilted). You may end up using your fruits and veggies in a different way than you intended, but they won't go to waste and you won't lose your hard-earned money in the process.
Enjoy the bounty of summer without breaking the bank!
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