I think there’s a gene that controls the abilities to French braid hair, wake cheerfully, and enjoy shopping. I don’t carry this gene! My daughter wore ponytails until she learned to do her own hair. I stumble through the first hour of the day like a really drunk zombie (with straggly ‘un-French-braided’ hair). Also, I’d rather clean out the chicken coop than shop. Seriously!
Between not carrying the shopping-enjoyment gene, my schedule, and the almost twenty-minute drive to the nearest grocery store, it should be no surprise that I do one big grocery shopping trip per month. There are many things that make this possible. I keep a well-stocked pantry, have a large chest freezer, and meal plan. Yet, if I mention shopping monthly, folks’ eyes tend to bug, their mouths gape, and they ask, “but what about fresh produce?”.
The answer to this question varies by season. In spring and summer, depending on the garden, Liam might actually stop by the store weekly to grab fruit or fresh greens. In fall and winter, the produce choices are more shelf-stable. We can easily stretch our produce for a couple of weeks. With careful planning, I can actually stretch it to a month. However, we miss variety after the first two weeks.
In the past couple of months, we’ve been keeping outings to a minimum due to social distancing. Since others are doing the same, I’ve received more interest than usual about how we limit the number of shopping trips we make. After several questions about how to manage produce, I decided I’d put a few tips here. This way, I can write it at 02:00 am and the braided hair cheerful-in-the-morning folks, who enjoy shopping, can read it at their convenience.
- Buy in season when possible. The quality is higher, and prices are lower.
- Buy the freshest you can find. Often older produce is on top or in the front of displays. It’s worth it to dig around for the best the store has.
- Follow FIFO. First In; First Out. Eat, bake, or freeze older (soon to spoil) produce before starting on new purchases. Keep an eye on your produce and cull any that are going squidgy.
- Buy produce with different shelf-life expectations. For example, berries and bananas can only be stored for a few days. Grapes, zucchini, and summer squash keep well for several days. Most cruciferous and root vegetables will last more than a week, while apples, carrots, cabbage, and potatoes can last a month or more. So, for example, I might buy a few days’ worth of berries, a week’s grapes, and a lot of apples. This means, we enjoy variety without a fridge full of moldy berries.
- Only buy enough. If strawberries only last three to four days, then buy three days’ worth of berries. If bananas are too ripe for your family after four or five days, then buy enough to last five days. If you like to bake banana bread, muffins, or baked oatmeal, then add the amount you want to use for baking to your purchase. Also, consider purchasing a few to freeze for smoothies or later baking.
- Prep each item to maximize its storage and ease of use. Wash berries and grapes with a vinegar/water solution and store them in ventilated containers. Peel and freeze bananas when they’re ripe enough for smoothies or baking. Open packets of mushrooms or store in them brown paper bags for air circulation. I also bulk sauté mushrooms and freeze them to use as needed. Braise kale in olive oil with a little garlic, then refrigerate or freeze. You can add other seasonings as needed to maintain flexibility. Precook, but undercook vegetables like beets and sprouts. This way they can be frozen and don’t go mushy when reheated throughout the week.
- Keep a few frozen or canned options for “produce emergencies”. In our home, this may mean home or commercially canned/frozen/dehydrated produce. Sometimes, it helps to have a secret stash of frozen fruit. Apart from the obvious smoothie potential, frozen strawberries or peaches make great emergency cobblers! These can be day savers when mood management through fat and sugar is required!
So, how are you managing fresh produce in this time of limiting exposure and limited availability? Do you have the French-braided shopping gene or a very clean chicken coop? What other dilemmas are you facing as you adapt to this situation? I hope you and yours remain well and healthy!
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