Storing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Now that garden season is here, here are some tips on how to store fresh food.
Some fruits give off a gas called ethylene and unless you WANT your fruits and vegetables to ripen quicker, you need to keep them away from your produce.
Here are the foods that contain ethylene and should NOT be refrigerated:

• Avocados (ripen on the counter, then refrigerate)
• Apples 
• Bananas
• Tomatoes (if refrigerated, they will become mealy and will have less flavor

If you would like to print the complete chart here is the link to the pdf file:

More Food Tips:

POTATOES AND SWEET POTATOES	When potatoes are chilled, the starches in the flesh change to sugars. This will make the potatoes taste sweet when cooked.Make sure to keep potatoes and onions separate when stored.
HONEY	Honey will thicken and crystallize if stored in the refrigerator, even after opening. If this does happen, you can place the opened jar of honey in a pan of hot water and it will return to a pourable, smooth texture.
OILS EXCEPT NUT OILS	Most oils will thicken and turn cloudy if stored in the refrigerator. The exception is nut oils, which can turn rancid very quickly and should be stored chilled.
BAKED COOKIES	Do not refrigerate cookies if they do not contain a cream or custard filling. They will go stale much faster and lose quality quickly if stored in the refrigerator.
PEANUT BUTTER	Read the label on the peanut butter you buy. Some fresh, organic brands do require refrigeration. But most ordinary peanut butters should be stored, tightly covered, in the pantry, even after opening.
BREADS	The starch in breads will change structure under refrigeration (called retrogradation), making the bread texture tougher. Breads also lose moisture faster in the dry refrigerator environment. Do not refrigerate breads until the label says to.
CHOCOLATE	When chocolate is kept too cold, and is then brought to room temperature, condensation can make sugar condense on the top of the product, forming a rough surface called sugar bloom. Unless directed on the label, store chocolate, tightly wrapped, in a cool cupboard.
ONIONS	Do not store onions in the refrigerator. They should be stored in an open container in a cool, dry place - away from potatoes!

My house in Colorado is for sale. Several weeks ago a young couple looked at it and when they saw my rhubarb patch, one of them asked me what it was. I told them it was rhubarb. His comment was "what is rhubarb?". It wasn't until then I realized that rhubarb wasn't as well known in some parts of the country as in other parts. So I decided to post this for all of those who either don't know what it is or don't know what to do with it!


Here's what it looks like....

Basic things you should know about rhubarb:

• It's a staple in the Midwest. ;-)
• It's tart
• It's most common use is for desserts/sweets (pie, cobbler, cake, muffins, jams, sauces,etc.) See link for WAY more uses and recipes
• It's leaves are poisonous. (don't let you pets nibble on them!)

If you want to know more and want hundreds of recipes to choose from, go to 
The Rhubarb Compendium

Strawberry Rhubarb "Lemonade"

This recipe is simple and very refreshing (especially with a splash of Vodka!)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups water
1/2 pound rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup sugar, or to taste
Two 3-inch strips of lemon zest removed with a vegetable peeler
plus additional for garnish
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup fresh lemon juice

Procedure:

In a saucepan stir together the water, the rhubarb, the sugar, 2 strips of the zest, and the vanilla, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and simmer it, covered, for 8 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the strawberries and boil the mixture, covered, for 2 minutes. Let the mixture cool and strain it through a coarse sieve set over a pitcher, pressing hard on the solids. Stir in the remaining 1 cup strawberries and the lemon juice, divide the lemonade among stemmed glasses filled with ice cubes, and garnish each glass with some of the additional zest. Makes about 7 cups, serving 6