2.28.2013

Which Fresh Vegetables Last The Longest?

If you're like me, you may buy fresh veggies and fruits with the best of intentions, just to forget about them and find them weeks later, rotting in the crisper drawer.

My own onions, taking matters into their own hands after being ignored for a while.

Thankfully, OrganicGardening.com compiled a list of the top 11 longest-lasting types of produce and how to keep them fresh. Here's the rundown (click on the address link to see more details and tips):

1. Apples: they can last for weeks sealed in a bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge.

2. Beets: remove the stems and they can last 2-4 months in your fridge.

3. Cabbage: they can last up to 2 months wrapped in plastic in the fridge.

4. Carrots: keep them as dry as possible by putting paper towel in their bag, and they can last several weeks to a couple of months.

5. Celeriac: as long as you keep it moist (or wrapped to preserve its own moisture) and in the fridge, it will last a couple of weeks, even after being cut.

6. Garlic: it will last the longest in a dark kitchen cabinet or in a brown paper bag in the fridge.

7. Onions: keep in a cool, dark location in a mesh bag and they can last for up to a month or longer.

8. Potatoes: they will last usually between 2-4 months in a cool, dark location, like in a basement cabinet.

9. Winter Radishes: remove the greens and store them like you would carrots and they'll last for about a month.

10. Winter Squash (Pumpkins, Butternut, etc): these can last for 2-6 months when kept in a dark place.

11. Rutabagas: store them as you would celeriac and they'll last several weeks.

Of course, as the website also recommends, you can also opt for frozen veggies, which are frozen within hours of being picked (so they are always fresh!) and will never go bad. :)

2.18.2013

How To Chop An Onion

According to Lifehacker.com, knife accidents led to 33,000 ER visits in 2011. The following video shows how you can chop or dice an onion safely and effectively, so you save kitchen time and hopefully don't become another statistic. :)

(thanks to Debra Shigley, Lifehacker contributor and chopper extraordinaire!)