The wonderful greens continue, thanks to careful covering during those really cold nights this week–it’s been down into the teens F out there.  Freezing temperatures mean sweet kale!  This week we will get our share of the apple cornucopia–a season of plenty–from Cider Hill.  Also, don’t forget to look for Jessica and her honey harvest–only this week. She’ll have her own table set up selling honey from their Arlington-area hives.

Share contents for Saturday, November 16, 2013

Use these within a week or so (or blanche or make a dish for freezing):

Lettuce-1 head green butter, 1 head red

Kale—1 bunch—great in soups, grated and marinated for a salad, or kale chips!

Arugula – a bunch—use in salads or make arugula pesto and store in back of fridge or freezer

Radishes (depending upon the harvest yesterday after the freeze)

These will keep for a couple of weeks in your fridge crisper drawer (high moisture): 

Parsley – a bunch of flat leaf

Leeks—keep whole or chop for soup and freeze (no need to blanche)

Salad turnips – a bunch (cut off the greens and use them first)

Brussels Sprouts-2 stalks (pop off the sprouts and store in crisper drawer)

These will keep for many weeks in cold, dark storage (keep moist in perforated bag, with some ventilation), back of the fridge or cold porch or garage:

Carrots – 5#,

Potatoes – 4 1/2#,

Beets – 2#,

Gilfeather Turnips 3#—sweeter, starchier, milder than purple top

Cabbage—if you are making sauerkraut or kimchi, do that asap. If storing cabbage for a while, you can peel off any outer layer that has turned brown and the rest should still be good.

 

Apples-all apples will keep longer if stored cold (33-45 degrees) and kept moist.  Storage varieties can keep for months, staying crisp and even have their flavor enhanced.  In this category are Mutsu, Braeburn, Northern Spy, Spigold, Suncrisp, Cameo—we’ll be getting some of these.  Please note: apples off-gas a ripening agent, so it is better to store apples separately from other things that may soften up if stored with them (e.g. greens)

 

These will keep for many weeks in cool, dry conditions (40-55 degrees), like a shelf in your basement or unheated room as long as it doesn’t freeze:

Garlic ½ #(can also be stored in a tightly closed jar in the refrigerator)

Onions, yellow

Popcorn—store in cool dry, but remove a few kernels each week and pop to check for readiness.  Once they are good poppers, remove the rest of the kernels from the ears and store in an airtight container. Pops the best when not too dry and not too moist, so you want to keep it that way with the airtightness.

These will keep for months at 50-70 degrees—NOT COLD STORAGE:

Sweet potatoes 3 #’s

Butternut squash – average three pieces, 9 pounds.  If blemished use sooner. Can peel to make soup now or peel and freeze for soup later.