Summer days, with invitations of impromptu outdoor BBQs and last minute trips to the ice cream shop, can speed by. Often that beautiful head of lettuce from the farmers' market, which looked irresistible on Saturday morning, doesn't look as nice Thursday night. Try this counter-intuitive tip for making your prime summer produce last long enough for you to enjoy it!
More than a simple rinse, the process of soaking fruits and vegetables in water can revive them and better prepare them for a few days in the refrigerator. Strangest example: soak berries in warm water. Yes, warm water. The tactic is also recommended by the author of Modernist Cuisine, Nathan Myhrvold, who calls the result "heat-treated fruit." Bathe the berries in warm water for 15 seconds, dry well, and refrigerate.
Use a cool water bath to revive lettuce and other leafy produce. This technique works wonders on the flavors of other vegetables like onions (as we've mentioned before), and potatoes too!
Read more: The benefits of bathing your vegetables at The Telegraph UK
Related: Revive Limp Lettuce With Lemon Juice!
(Images: Dana Velden)
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After cleaning and spinning my greens (kale, red leaf lettuce, spinach), I put them in gallon plastic zip bags and add a paper towel or two. If the paper towel becomes too wet, I change it out. I use the wet paper towels later for cleanup tasks. The paper towel absorbs excess moisture and keeps greens fresh and crisp in the bag for a week with no browning or wilting!
I would think that soaking berries in warm water, then storing them in the fridge, would do nothing for their flavor. I just prefer to use them right away--they taste best that way.
I usually spray oil on the tomatoes I leave out on the counter. They seem to resist mold a bit longer that way.