Produce storage

Welcome to Day... How many days has it been since the quarantine started again? If you’re having trouble figuring out what day it is already, you’re not alone.
In our last blog post, we outlined some things you can do while you’re in quarantine. Here at Bonito Poke, we call them #Quaranthings. Okay, that was bad. We’re sorry.​

Anyway! For our blog post this week, we will be talking about something that is more practical: produce storage! Even before the quarantine rule was imposed, your favorite poke truck has already been well acquainted with best practices on how to store the different produce you can find in your favorite poke bowl! With everyone staying at home and grocery runs only done when absolutely necessary, it is important you guys know how to store your produce as well. We’ll be giving you a few tips to further the lifespan of your produce.

We’ll start with leafy greens! Us Californians have a healthier diet than most Americans. That said, leafy greens are a staple at our dinner table. To further the lifespan of your leafy greens, which include lettuce, bok choy, kale, cabbage, and spinach, rinse them as soon as you get home. After you do this, wrap them in a paper towel and store them in a sealed plastic bag or container.

For asparagus, this staple should be stored in the fridge too. Following the same principle with leafy greens, we want to keep this tasty vegetable most and fresh. To do this with asparagus, wrap its long stalk with a damp paper towel.
Root crops time! This is very important since a lot of our staple produce are root crops. These include but aren’t limited to squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, and pumpkins! These fellas should be stored in a cool, dark, DRY, area. Moisture will cause shoots to spring up from your root crop – we don’t want this.

For our last produce hack, this involves freezing your vegetables. In case you bought hella vegetables and you can’t eat them within a reasonable amount of time, freezing your vegetables will extend their lifespan significantly. Most vegetables need to be blanched first before being frozen. This prevents it from getting freezer burns. Cut the veggie you want to freeze into pieces, boil them for 1- 2 minutes, then immediately drench it in cold water to stop the cooking process. Although this works for many various produce, this storing method is not recommended for artichokes, eggplant, lettuce, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and radishes.