Kitchen Tips
Are you tired of constantly wasting food and money on spoiled vegetables? Learning how to store your produce properly is the first step in reducing food waste and making the most out of your fresh, local vegetables. But what do you do when your fridge is already overflowing with produce? The next step is to learn some “exit strategies” to help you use up those veggies before they go bad.
Step 1 – Learn How to Store Your Vegetables Properly
Properly storing your vegetables can make a significant difference in their shelf life, reducing the amount of food waste and saving you money in the long run.
To help you get the most out of your produce, download our A to Z Vegetable Storage Guide, which provides useful tips on how to store, prep, use, and freeze more than 40 fruits and vegetables.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy reference guide to display in your kitchen, download our 1-page Produce Storage Guide. This handy reference outlines whether your fruits and veggies should be stored in the crisper, on the counter, or in the pantry, making it easy to determine the best storage location for each item.
Step 2 – Learn Some “Exit Strategies”
When your refrigerator is overflowing with vegetables, you need an exit strategy. An exit strategy is a way to use up those vegetables before they spoil.
Strategy 1 – Roast Them
Whenever you don’t know what to do with the last vegetables left in your fridge, give roasting a try. There is hardly a vegetable that doesn’t taste amazing roasted. Roasting vegetables caramelizes their natural sugars, resulting in a sweet and savory flavor that is hard to resist.
If you’re new to roasting, don’t worry! Download our Roasting Vegetables Guide that outlines 7 basic steps to help you get started. You might just discover a new favorite way to enjoy your vegetables!
Strategy 2 – Freeze Extra Vegetables
Freezing your vegetables is a simple and effective way to preserve the flavor, texture, and nutritional value of fruits and vegetables for months. Some produce can simply be placed in a freezer safe container and frozen, while others require blanching first.
Strategy 3 – Make Vegetable Broth
Don’t toss your vegetable scraps! Save them in a gallon-sized bag in the freezer and use them to make a delicious homemade vegetable broth.
Download our Homemade Vegetable Broth Cheat Sheet for more detailed instructions.
Strategy 4 – Make a Sheet Pan Meal
Sheet-pan meals are a great way to use up the vegetables in your refrigerator—simple prep, easy cleanup. One pan, one dish, dinner’s done.
Download our Sheet Pan Meals eBook for more detailed instructions.
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