| My refrigerator has two vegetable bins at the very
bottom. But we have lots of the meal moths that are attracted to cereals
and grains, so they are kept in the bins instead of veggies. It isn't much
space but is enough for flour and cornbread mixes, dry spaghetti and such.
Even if you bring home an item with their eggs, they won't hatch and you
will never see them.
The vegetables that would be in those bins often find grocery store plastic bags to be just right if the top is closed tightly. If I have something you will be using from for a good while like lettuce, I put the head of lettuce in a plastic gallon sized storage bag. I love the slider type of zip bags since they are so much easier to close. Add a dry paper towel to absorb moisture. It will keep the veggie fresher and keep rust from forming in lettuce. Hate to waste the water that comes with canned veggies? If so, save it for when you need to add some liquid to your own soups, gravies, casseroles and juices. It won't have a lot of taste, but little or no salt and all of the vitamins that were lost in the processing. Gardeners save their veggie scraps most often for the compost pile yet some items are fine for eating. The tops of beets are an excellent green rich in the same things as is spinach. Iron, vitamins and minerals. Since I don't like turnip greens because of the taste, I don't go looking to eat anything but spinach. I was raised having to eat canned turnip and spinach greens. Fresh is better but I still don't like turnips greens. Turnips are okay but I would put the greens in the compost. Keep a supply of extras. Those little bits that are fun to add to the soup for some color and flavor. Celery tops are great and dry easily if you won't be using them fresh. Small bits of broccoli are delicious as well. See what you use in your cooking that will work. To keep an onion from making you cry, refrigerate the onion and cut into the root end last. You can also hold it under cold running water. Make delicious potato wedges by dusting them with a seasoned flour. Use some of your favorites like garlic salt or flavored salts in the flour. Fry or bake as usual. You cannot use your orange or lemon rinds in the compost but if you enjoy the taste for hot or cold tea and fruit drinks, save the rinds, boil in water. Strain and use right away or freeze for another day. Keep a baggie with cubes for easy use. Never waste leftovers. Instead of losing them into the back of the frig, put those little bits into freezer safe bowls and store in the freezer. When you are making a stew or soup, add the collection for a bountiful meal full of good taste. To make the perfect hard boiled egg use eggs that are about a week old. Bring them to room temperature and add a hearty dash of salt to the water. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and remove from heat. After 15 minutes, drain water and cool. Top with ice if you are in a hurry or refrigerate after the eggs have cooled. Don't know what to do with those thin metal pie pans? Clean and save for covering the stove burners when they are not in use. Whenever I fry on one burner, it pops and spatters over the others. They are easy to clean or toss into the trash as needed. Love the cut flowers from your garden? As you place them into the vase, remove all the leaves and discard. It is often said to add an aspirin to the water but changing the water every day does just as well. Since we use the microwave for nearly everything, I have discovered
the new steaming bags from Glad. Great for not just steaming vegetables
but also fish, shrimp and sausages. Apples with cinnamon or make a
breakfast scrambled eggs with diced meats. |