Greetings from the Produce Department!

Today I come to you with helpful tips on how to perk up the produce items that are not as firm as they could be. The Oregon Food Bank is not set up to receive iced produce. Ice equals water which requires drains and expensive infrastructure to maintain and that is not financially feasible. Fun fact, a whole lot of produce is packed and shipped with ice which increases the shelf life. Bringing in certain crops like broccoli, hardy greens or green onions, for example, without ice means it sometimes comes in a little limp. But there are some simple solutions for perking up these veggie friends and extending their shelf life once you bring them home. Produce, like cut flowers, lose their ability to intake water when their stems have hardened. Simply cut the stems a little, put them in water and et voila your flowers or your produce will start to perk up. 

We received some beautiful but slightly limp broccoli and celery this week. I cut ¼ inch off the stems, put the heads in jars of warm (yes warm water opens up the cells for intake) and put it in my fridge overnight. When I checked it the next morning it was perfectly firm, plump and stunning. You can do the same with herbs, lettuces, hardy greens, etc. Once firm you can leave the produce in or take out the water based on space. Below are some before and after photos. 

Happy Friday and bon appetit’!