Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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Storing vegetables
http://old.veg.ca/living/storing-food.html

Most vegetables should be stored in the refrigerator. A cold temperature
slows respiration, but you don't want to stop the breathing completely.
Place items loosely in the crisper or in open bags to allow breathing.
Don't overcrowd. "The worst thing you can do is seal fruits and vegetables
in air tight bags" says Barry Swanson, professor of food science and human
nutrition at Washington State University.

Mushrooms should be stored refrigerated in paper bags.

Don’t wash fresh fruits and vegetables before storing. Fresh produce has
a natural protective coating that keeps in moisture and freshness. Washing
and scrubbing will damage the coating and speed up spoilage.

Produce will last longer when it is whole. When shopping, look for greens
that have some of the stem intact. Don't buy prepared salad greens or
veggies unless you plan on using them that day. At home, don't chop veggies
and store the pieces for later use.

Root veggies such as beets, carrots and radishes can be purchased with
their greens. For these items, cut off the greens once you get home to
prevent the roots from going soft. Radish and beet greens are good in soup.

For greens, cut off elastic bands and damaged leaves before refrigerating.

Inspect your greens daily and remove any wilting leaves. Check your other
produce and remove any rotting items immediately. One bad apple can spoil
the bunch.

Don't refrigerate garlic, cooking onions, winter squash, and potatoes.
These items can be stored uncovered in a dark cool place, but try to use
them up within a week or two.

Fresh ginger will keep for up to a couple of weeks in the fridge in a paper
bag. Ginger also freezes well, either whole or grated. One of the best way
to store ginger is to bury it in a small clay pot filled with sand.

Some vegetables can be stored for several months in a root cellar if
certain criteria are met. The ideal cold storage room must be dry, dark and
cool (7°C to 10°C). Basements, garages and cupboards in today’s homes
are often not equipped to meet these three conditions.

For more information:

Storing vegetables
Vegetables listed alphabetically along with instructions for storing.

Vegetables: How to select, store and serve these healthy foods
www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/NU00203

Vegetarian Times, April 2006 issue
Read the article on storing veggies.

Storing Spinach, a case in point

spinachEating fresh spinach that has been sitting in your refrigerator for
a few days may not make you as strong as your mother told you. According to
Penn State food scientists, by eight days after being harvested, spinach
has lost about half of its nutrient content.

Luke LaBorde, associate professor of food science, found that spinach
stored at 4 degrees Celsius loses its folate and carotenoid content at a
slower rate than spinach stored at higher temperatures. However, the
spinach at 4 degrees still loses much of its nutrients after eight days.

If the spinach is coming from the other side of the country, then the
produce might be kept at a warm temperature in a shipping truck for an
extended period of time. By the time the spinach reaches the dinner table,
much of the nutrient content might already be gone, noted LaBorde.

Also, an attractive appearance does not mean that the spinach is still rich
in nutrients. Sticking spinach in water to fluff it up does not change
anything because nutrient loss is irreversible.

Spinach, the second best source of folate and carotenoids behind kale, is
prized because of its high nutrient content.

Folate is responsible for producing and maintaining new cells in the body.
Folate deficiency in pregnant women can lead to birth defects such as spina
bifida. Carotenoids, commonly associated with carrots and other red and
orange vegetables, help support vision and protect eyes from UV damage.
Spinach is high in both nutrients.

Unless you can find local fresh greens, you may be better off with canned
or frozen alternatives. “There is also a fallacy that fresh spinach is
always better than canned,” said LaBorde.

Despite the damage done during the heating process for canned spinach, it
may retain more of its nutrients than fresh spinach kept in the
refrigerator for a few days. The same holds true for frozen spinach.

Storage Time and Temperature Effects Nutrients in Spinach
March 18, 2005, Journal of Food Science, vol 69, no. 9