Storage Suggestions For Greens

[RaspberrySwirl]

I find it very frustrating to throw greens away after only a couple days, even thoughthey aren't expensive. So, I've been constantlyresearching recipe sites for salad storage and such, and then experimenting with storagemethods. I've tried to store parsley infresh water, stems trimmedas you would fresh flowers. I don't think it made a significant difference, but I might try it once more to compare again.

I've also bought Romaine Hearts that were organic and already sealed in a ziplock bag that had small punch holes init. It lasted very well, over a week. I will buy it again, Sebastian loved the Romain hearts!I've read about using a salad spinner to wash large greens,spinning them damp/dry, thenrolling them up individuallyin a paper towel and storing them in a large ziplock. I've done this process only without the spinner and it did work well. Especially because thenI can wrap a daily portion in the paper towel, a mixture of whatever I want, and others in the house can pull out a single portion at a time. It helps to insure that Sebastian doesn't get overfed his greens.

I'd like to know how to keep radish tops,cilantro and carrot tops fresh longer.....

RaspberrySwirl

 

[JimD]

Yep. I hate to waste the greens , too. It's either toss em or get chubbie bunnies. Luckily they are cheap and we have a farmers market just down the street.

I can't wait for spring so I can plant the bunnie greens garden. That way I can pick it fresh every day if I want to. I'm also thinking of setting up an inside window box to grow some herbs for the buns.

Nothing I hate worse than slimy romaine!

:~) Jim

 

[Stephanie]

The paper towel thing is a great idea, Raspberry. We used to do that at this gourmet deli I used to work at forever ago.

I'm with you Jim, I cannot wait for Spring so I can grow my own herbsand such, for both myself and my rabbits. Cooking with fresh herbs is just the way to go, plus the rabbits love them too, so it's a win-win situation. I hate it when things get all slimy and yucky, even though I try to use them all in timely manner, it's near impossible.

 

[JimD]

What kinda stuff are you plannin on planting Stephanie?

We always plant a lot of stuff and I'd like to try some different, more bunnie friendly crops this year.

I gotta go through the veggie list to see what's good for the buns that is easy to grow.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

You know, they used to sell those storage bagsthat had tiny holes in them (similar to what you got the romaine in....I've gotten that also and it does last a long time!)

I usually wash cilantro and things like that in a strainer then putthem in zipper bags. Sometimes I poke a couple of holes inthe bag to give it some air. I usually get about 5 days outof cilantro, parsley, etc.

 

[Stephanie]

Just the basics, as I live on the 12th floor and dont have much space on our balcony for a "real" garden.

I am going to grow rosemary, oregano, basil, parsely, bay leaf (notgoing to give that to the buns though), dill, catmint (for my kitties),thyme and maybe some lettuces. I also want regular flowers out there,such as petunias, but that's getting off the subject. My rabbits won'tbe out there much, and if they are it will be with me sitting there aswell. These herbs will obviously be in pots, most of them on a shelvingunit.

 

[JimD]

Pots are a great way to garden. I have a lot of yard space, but it seems that anything we put in pots grows so much better.

I guess it's a bunch of factors...

My wife uses Miraclegro Potting Soil.

She also uses their plant food and I think the pot contains it so the plants get the best benefit.

In pots the plants don't seem to be affected by bugs either.

And the pots can be moved around to get the best sun exposure. too.

During really bad storms the pots can all be moved to safety.

I can't wait!!!!
(singing happily....Greeeen Acres is the place to be! Faaaarm livin is the life for me...)

 

[dr_peter_kraz]

JimD wrote:

Yep. Ihate to waste the greens , too. It's either toss em or get chubbiebunnies. Luckily they are cheap and we have a farmers market just downthe street.

I can't wait for spring so I can plant the bunnie greens garden. Thatway I can pick it fresh every day if I want to. I'm also thinking ofsetting up an inside window box to grow some herbs for the buns.

Nothing I hate worse than slimy romaine!

:~) Jim

Oh yea thats a great idea. I would like to givethat a try. I am on the east coast as well so what time of year do youstart?

Peter

 

[Stephanie]

As soon as it's sunny and warm Peter!

I think May is usually a good time to start gardening for us in thenortheast, maybe April if it's not too bad. As long as the frost isdone, it's usually good to go.

I soooo want winter over all of a sudden. I've been feeling very, very blah and not myself lately.

 

[JimD]

dr_peter_kraz wrote:

Oh yea thats a great idea. I would liketo give that a try. I am on the east coast as well so what time of yeardo you start?

Peter

Yeppers....says here in the ol' Farmers Almanac that the last springfrost should be on April 4th. Right after Daylight Savings starts.

Howevah...in Portland, ME it indicates May 10th as the last frost.

Our growing season is about 2 months longer than in Maine.

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

Sebastian's LittleGirl grew a few things this year. Parsley, carrots and radishes. Wealways pulled the radishes and carrots up for the tops and never caredabout if the veggies grew. When fall rolled around and we were doingfall clean up, she came squealing and running across the yard carryingsomething. She had pulled on a carrot top and a fat little carrot hadcome up with it! She had never gotten a carrot before! It was so cute!

Raspberry

 

[Stephanie]

That is cute, I used to love going to mygrandmother's house in the summer and eating carrots right out of theground. Cleaned up, of course, but you know what I mean.

I don't think I can really get away with growing veggies like that on abalcony, unless I got a huge tub or something, which I have thought ofdoing. I may grow some cucumbers....I have a weakness for those thingsfresh off the vine, but I do have to be realistic about things. LOL Ican see it now, veggies growing off the side down to the people belowme.

 

[JimD]

My Uncle had a farm in Michigan where I spent alot of my summers. He had the biggest veggie garden! Everyday beforedinner the kids were sent with baskets to collect the veggies for theevening meal. Gosh ... there was nothing to compare.

He grew everything you can imagine..

rhubarb (for pies..yum), cabbage, lettuce, green beans, peas, beets,potatoes, tomatoes, corn, melons, carrots, lima beans, cauliflower,asparagus, broccoli, cucumbers, radish, dill, mint, strawberries, greenpeppers, onions....

mmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[bancrpt]

your uncles farm sounds great, my grandfather hada farm just like that! I could bite into a fresh tomato right off thestem. Can't wait until spring! I grow mint in a bigpot on my porch for Scamper and basil for him in a herb pot that Ihave. The herbs come back year after year, never have toplant. I'd love to plant cat nip again my cats love thefresh, but so did the neighborhood cats!Raspberry,I have had good luck also with wrapping the herbsin a damp paper towel and putting them in the crisper drawer.

Debbie

 

[Buck Jones]

We used to salad spin several types of greensreally well, then place the greens in a large tupperware container,whereupon we could draw upon them for the rest of the week.

We cut and chopped our little bits for the salad, like peppers,carrots, radishes, celery, onions, scallions, anise,etc. and put it inanother separate tupperware container and drew upon it for theremainder of the week.

The only items necessary to cleanand cut daily were the tomatoes and cucumbers.

Nowadays, we buy the mesculin mix in a little clear plastic tub fromCostco, which also keeps the better part of a week. I refillthe tubs with Costco spinach and/or hearts of romaine for thebuns. The tubs seem to work as well as the tupperware did.

Radish and carrot tops are fed as soon as possible as they don't lend themselves to storage I find.

Buck

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

There are a coupleof the "mixes" I use sometimes too. I think one of them is a babygreens mix. I think it had baby spinach, romaine.....can't rememberwhat all....but those bags of mixes have a lot of variety and arealready washed and ready to go.

Raspberry

 

[Stephanie]

Oh yeah, those mixes are great. I like the mixed greens one myself.

 

[cirrustwi]

I keep massive amounts of veggies between my ownrabbits and rats and lizards and the ones at my store ( I make all thesalads). I LOVE the organic spring mix, it comes in a baglike the hearts of romaine and I simply keep it in there and don'ttouch it otherwise. I keep all other greens washed, dried andwrapped in a paper towel,in a paper bag in my crispier drawerwhich I keep VERY cold...actually some of the greens almost freezesometimes. I find I can get a week or so out of most greensand the spring mix lasts forever. I literally have a bag inmy fridge right now that says use by Jan. 14 and it is stillgood. I pay a little more for it, but it in the long run Ispend less because it lasts so long.

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

I think that springmix is one that we got recently and liked a lot too. I hadn't thoughtabout trying a paper bag in the veggie drawer...might have to try that.I imagine it lets things breathe a bit better.

Raspberry

 

[Carolyn]

In the Rabbits Only[/b] Mar-April 2001 magazine, there's an article entitled "Planning Your Rabbit's Garden", it says:

"...The Calendula officinalis will love this fertile soil. Alsoknown as pot marigold, the calendula can be used fresh or dried for thewinter, and you can add it to your pet's food whole or powdered.Calendula serves as a blood cleanser, and is used for gastrointestinaldisorders, stomach cramps, ulcers, inflammation of the large intestine,fluid retention, liver disorders, and worms. It is also recommended forchronic swelling of the salivary glands.

...If you know of anyone who has comfrey in their garden, beg them fora piece as I haven't had any luck finding it in nurseries. The tenderleaves can be cooked and eaten like spinach, but every part of theplant can be eaten, and you will see your rabbits rapidly confirm this.Comfrey's common name is knit-bone, as it spreads healing of brokenbones, but it also works on lung ailments, urinary tract disorders,diarrhea, digestive disorders, hemorroids, ulcers and skin and coatconditions."

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Great Post,Raspberry.


-Carolyn