BUYING & STORINIG FRESH PRODUCE FROM THE FARMERS' MARKET
Purchase produce without bruises or damage
Go directly home from the market! Avoid side trips. Produce may decline in quality if left sitting in your car, especially when it is warm.
Produce that tastes best stored at room temperature include: melons, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes & winter squashes. Store in a clean, dry, well-ventilated place, away from direct sunlight. Remove from plastic bags; leaving produce on the counter in a plastic bag may slow ripening & increase off-odors & decay.
Some produce can be ripened on the counter & then stored in the refrigerator. Examples include: peaches, pears & plums.
Most other produce keeps best whwen stored in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 40 degrees F or below. Use your refrigerator crisper drawer for whole produce.
Store fruits in a separate crisper drawer from vegetables. Fruits give off ethylene gas which can shorten the storage life of vegetables. Some vegetables give off odors that can be absorbed by fruits.
Refrigerate produce in perforated plastic bags to help maintain moisture yet provide air flow. If you don't have access to commercial, perforated bags, use a sharp object to make several small holes in a food-grade plastic bag.
Wash hands before working with produce
Wash produce thoroughly under clean, running water. Wash produce before you use it, NOT when you bring it home.
Alice Henneman, MS, RD - University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County
Here's some information I came across in one of my cook books the other day that you might find helpful!
INGREDIENTS: How much do I buy?
1 cup chopped onion........................................1 large onion
1 cup chopped sweet pepper............................1 large pepper
1 cup chopped tomato......................................1 large tomato
1/2 cup diced celery..........................................1 large rib
3 Tbs. slice scallion...........................................1 large scallion
1 tsp. chopped garlic.........................................1 large clove
4 cups sliced raw potatoes.................................4 medium size potatoes
3 Tbsp. lemon juice...........................................1 medium lemon
2 tsp. lemon zest................................................1 medium lemon
2 Tbsp. lime juice..............................................1 lime
1/3 cup orange juice..........................................1 medium orange
4 tsp. orange zest..............................................1 medium orange
1/2 cup mashed banana.....................................1 medium banana
2 cups sliced strawberries..................................1 pint strawberries
1 egg white........................................................2 tsp. powdered egg whites + 2 Tbsp. water
4 cups sifted flour..............................................3 1/2 cups unsifted
1 cup soft bread crumbs....................................2 slices fresh bread
1 cup bread cubes.............................................2 slices fresh bread
2 cups shredded hard cheese.............................8 oz. cheese
1 cup chopped carrot........................................1 large carrot
1 cup grahm cracker crumbs..............................14 cracker squares
MEASURE FOR MEASURE: Dry & liquid Equivalents
This Amount Equals
1/8 tsp. or less....................................................pinch
3 tsps.................................................................1 Tbsp.
4 Tbsp...............................................................1/4 cup
5 1/3 Tbsp.........................................................1/3 cup
8 Tbsp...............................................................1/2 cup
10 2/3 Tbsp.......................................................2/3 cup
16 Tbsps............................................................1 cup
2 cups................................................................1 pint
2 pints................................................................1 quart
4 quarts..............................................................1 gallon
Question: Does boiled food take longer to cook on a stormy day
A. Since the atmospheric pressure is lower on a storm day, the boiling point of water is lower than the usual 212 degrees, and food takes longer to cook. (check the Weather Channel before pulling out the pots and pans!) Also keep in mind that salt raises the boiling point of water, so it will take longer for water to come to a boil. That's why it's not a good idea to salt cold pasta water.) But once salted, the water will "cook" at a higher temperature, by 1 or 2 degrees, thus shortening cookin time. Salting the water will also help bring out the flavors of the food.
HOW FRUIT MEASURES UP
Apples - 1 lb. of apples =
4 small apples
3 mediuum apples
2 large apples
3 cups diced
2 3/4 cups sliced
1 1/2 cups grated
Peaches - 1 lb. of peaches =
2 large peaches
3 medium peaches
2 cups sliced
1 2/3 cup diced
1 1/2 cups pureed
Strawberries - 1 pint strawberries =
12 very large berries
Up to 36 smaller berries
3 1/4 cups whole berries
2 1/4 cups sliced
1 2/3 cups pureed
Tomatoes - 1 lbs. tomatoes =
3-4 medium tomatoes
1 1/2 cups pulp
Pears - 1 lb. pears =
2 large pears
3 medium pears
2 1/2 cups sliced
2 1/3 cups diced
1 3/4 cups pureed
Plum - 1 lb. plumbs =
6 medium plums
2 1/2 cups sliced
2 cups diced
1 3/4 cups pureed
How Vegetables measure up
1 lb. cabbage = 4 cups shredded or coarsely chopped
1 medium size carrot - 1/2 cup chopped or sliced
1 medium size celery rib = 1/2 cup chopped or sliced
1 cup fresh corn kernels = 2 - 3 ears
1 lb. mushrooms = 3 cups sliced
1 lb. potatoes = 3 1/2 cups sliced or 2 cups cooked & mashed
1 medium sized tomato - 1/2 cup chopped
Here's some information I came across in one of my cook books the other day that you might find helpful!
INGREDIENTS: How much do I buy?
1 cup chopped onion........................................1 large onion
1 cup chopped sweet pepper............................1 large pepper
1 cup chopped tomato......................................1 large tomato
1/2 cup diced celery..........................................1 large rib
3 Tbs. slice scallion...........................................1 large scallion
1 tsp. chopped garlic.........................................1 large clove
4 cups sliced raw potatoes.................................4 medium size potatoes
3 Tbsp. lemon juice...........................................1 medium lemon
2 tsp. lemon zest................................................1 medium lemon
2 Tbsp. lime juice..............................................1 lime
1/3 cup orange juice..........................................1 medium orange
4 tsp. orange zest..............................................1 medium orange
1/2 cup mashed banana.....................................1 medium banana
2 cups sliced strawberries..................................1 pint strawberries
1 egg white........................................................2 tsp. powdered egg whites + 2 Tbsp. water
4 cups sifted flour..............................................3 1/2 cups unsifted
1 cup soft bread crumbs....................................2 slices fresh bread
1 cup bread cubes.............................................2 slices fresh bread
2 cups shredded hard cheese.............................8 oz. cheese
1 cup chopped carrot........................................1 large carrot
1 cup grahm cracker crumbs..............................14 cracker squares
MEASURE FOR MEASURE: Dry & liquid Equivalents
This Amount Equals
1/8 tsp. or less....................................................pinch
3 tsps.................................................................1 Tbsp.
4 Tbsp...............................................................1/4 cup
5 1/3 Tbsp.........................................................1/3 cup
8 Tbsp...............................................................1/2 cup
10 2/3 Tbsp.......................................................2/3 cup
16 Tbsps............................................................1 cup
2 cups................................................................1 pint
2 pints................................................................1 quart
4 quarts..............................................................1 gallon
Question: Does boiled food take longer to cook on a stormy day
A. Since the atmospheric pressure is lower on a storm day, the boiling point of water is lower than the usual 212 degrees, and food takes longer to cook. (check the Weather Channel before pulling out the pots and pans!) Also keep in mind that salt raises the boiling point of water, so it will take longer for water to come to a boil. That's why it's not a good idea to salt cold pasta water.) But once salted, the water will "cook" at a higher temperature, by 1 or 2 degrees, thus shortening cookin time. Salting the water will also help bring out the flavors of the food.
HOW FRUIT MEASURES UP
Apples - 1 lb. of apples =
4 small apples
3 mediuum apples
2 large apples
3 cups diced
2 3/4 cups sliced
1 1/2 cups grated
Peaches - 1 lb. of peaches =
2 large peaches
3 medium peaches
2 cups sliced
1 2/3 cup diced
1 1/2 cups pureed
Strawberries - 1 pint strawberries =
12 very large berries
Up to 36 smaller berries
3 1/4 cups whole berries
2 1/4 cups sliced
1 2/3 cups pureed
Tomatoes - 1 lbs. tomatoes =
3-4 medium tomatoes
1 1/2 cups pulp
Pears - 1 lb. pears =
2 large pears
3 medium pears
2 1/2 cups sliced
2 1/3 cups diced
1 3/4 cups pureed
Plum - 1 lb. plumbs =
6 medium plums
2 1/2 cups sliced
2 cups diced
1 3/4 cups pureed
How Vegetables measure up
1 lb. cabbage = 4 cups shredded or coarsely chopped
1 medium size carrot - 1/2 cup chopped or sliced
1 medium size celery rib = 1/2 cup chopped or sliced
1 cup fresh corn kernels = 2 - 3 ears
1 lb. mushrooms = 3 cups sliced
1 lb. potatoes = 3 1/2 cups sliced or 2 cups cooked & mashed
1 medium sized tomato - 1/2 cup chopped
