How to Store Your Spring Veggies so They Last a Really Long Time

Farm Update

The weeds are really taking off at the farm!  Fortunately we
have Ben, Emily, and Jewel to help keep the weed population
under control. 

Hi everyone!  What a difference two weeks makes!  Before I jumped into this whole farming thing, I had no idea of the love/hate relationship farmers have with rain.  Rain can either make or break our season, whether by not having enough, or by having too much, or having it at the wrong time.  When we've had several weeks of drought, there is nothing more beautiful than a dark rain cloud moving in our direction.  Then a few weeks later after we've had pretty solid rain and just need the field to dry out enough to plant, those same clouds draw a groan.  That's what is going on right now, so we're really hoping we can get a break in the rain for a few days, so we can get into the field and plant the next round of crops.  Fortunately we didn't experience the severe flooding that some other areas did, so none of our plantings got washed out.  And the crops are coming along well!  The blueberry bushes are loaded down with unripe berries, to the point that the plants are starting to lean over a little, so we should have plenty of blueberries!  We've got green tomatoes on the vines in our coldframes, and they're growing quickly, putting on 8 to 12 inches a week.  The cucumbers and zucchinis are also producing more, and everything is starting to take off, including the weeds.  When the weather is wet and warm, the weeds go crazy, so we've been spending a lot of time weeding.

We are also super grateful for our new deer fence!  The deer were our constant enemies last year, and this year, they haven't caused any damage because they just can't get in.  In fact, a few weeks ago, Fred was walking along the inside of the fence, and he scared up a deer who was sleeping on the other side after giving up on trying to get in.  That has made such a huge difference to the farm!  The woodchucks and rabbits are still around, but they don't do nearly the damage that the deer did.  It seems like as time goes on, we make incremental changes to the farm that drastically improve our efficiency, our ability to control factors like deer and draughts, and our quality of life.  We're already living so much better now that Fred doesn't have to go out in the middle of every night and scare away deer like last year, so who knows what summers will look like 10 years from now?  I don't know for sure what the future of the farm will bring, but I am excited to find out!

What to Expect in this Week's Share

If you're picking up at one of our regular drop-offs, here are next week's choices.  If you have a half share, choose one item at each station, and if you have a full share, choose two.

• Broccoli or radishes
• Spring mix, head lettuce, or romaine lettuce
• Baby carrots
• Kale or Swiss chard
• Cucumber, zucchini, or bok choy
• Green onions or pearl onions
• Microgreens, herbs, or 2 kohlrabi

If you are having your share delivered to you or you're picking up at our Lansing or Okemos drop-offs, here are your options:

Share A:                        Share B:

Broccoli                         Broccoli

Spring mix                     Romaine

Baby carrots                  Baby carrots

Kale                               Swiss chard

Cucumber                      Zucchini

Green onions                 Pearl onions

Microgreens                  2 Kohlrabi

How to Store Your Spring Veggies so They Last a Really Long Time

Mary harvesting kale for the shares last week.

One of the great things about being part of the CSA is having such fresh produce!  When you pick up your shares each week, the produce in it has been harvested either that same day or the day before, which is about as fresh as it gets.  So when you store it right, it will last a really long time!  Here's what you need to know to get the most life out of your spring CSA shares:

Broccoli, head lettuce, kale, Swiss chard, green onions, pearl onions, cucumbers, zucchini, bok choy, unbagged herbs:  store separately in plastic grocery bags in the fridge, and they will last a good week and a half, or maybe longer.

Radishes and baby carrots:  Both radishes and carrots will last months if you remove the greens and store them in a plastic grocery bag in the fridge.

Spring mix and bagged romaine, micro greens, bagged herbs:   The best way to store these things is to just leave them in the bag and put it in the fridge.  You don't need to wash them or anything.  In fact, if you do rewash them when you get home and put them in the bag, that will likely decrease their lifespan because the moisture in the bag will cause them to go bad sooner.

Kohlrabi:  Just put it in the fridge, and it will last three or four months until you cut into it.  You don't need a bag or anything, because kohlrabi is one of the ultimate storage veggies. :-)

Basil:  If you get basil in your share, that is the one thing that you don't want to put in the fridge, because the cold will make it turn black.  In order to maintain its beautiful color, just put basil in a loose plastic bag on the counter.

So that's it!  That is how to get the most life out of all your spring veggies!

Recipes

If you've been in the CSA before then you'll recognize kohlrabi, but if you're a newbie, you'll probably wonder what that crazy bulb thing that looks like a space alien is.  Unfamiliar to most Americans, kohlrabi is actually a staple vegetable in Europe, as recognizable as carrots or broccoli are to us. So if you're not sure what to do with kohlrabi, here are some ideas from the Kitchn.  Enjoy!