Page 28 - Florida Sentinel 5-8-20

Health
EGGS
ASPARAGUS
MUSHROOMS
LEAFY GREENS
Spinach, lettuce, watercress, and similar veggies often come in plastic clamshells. Or you might bring them home in plastic pro- duce bags. Don’t stash them straight away in your fridge drawer. First, wrap the leaves in a paper towel to keep them from getting damp and slimy.
OILS
Air, light, and temperature are three big culprits behind food spoilage. Rancid oil may look fine, but it smells and tastes terri- ble. It may be convenient to keep olive, canola, and other cooking oils next to the stove. But they last longer when they’re far from heat and light.
Time to crack down! Eggs are among the foods we throw out most often. It’s best to keep them in their original carton. The handy caddy that came with your fridge lets odors seep through the thousands of tiny pores that cover the shell. Eggs also stay fresh longer on the shelf than your re- frigerator door, where the tem- perature dips and rises.
BREAD
Baked loaves taste best if you keep them somewhere cool and eat them within a week. Anything longer than a few days tends to suck out the moisture and lead to stale bread. Keep it in its original bag and store in the fridge. Bread -- sliced or whole -- also freezes well. Just make sure to wrap it airtight.
Ever feel like the tender stalks dry out halfway between the gro- cer and your kitchen? Treat them like you would a bouquet of fresh flowers. Trim the ends and stand the spears in a glass with just enough water to cover the bot- tom. Wrap the tips in a moist towel or cover with a plastic bag and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
NUTS
You might think that bulk bag of walnuts or cashews might keep forever. But oil in nuts goes ran- cid if they stay too warm for too long. If your pantry is cool and dry, they should be fine in an air- tight container for 3 months. You also can leave shelled or un- shelled nuts in the refrigerator for 6 months or in the freezer for a year.
If you’ve ever washed a mush- room, you know this fungus acts like a sponge. That’s why it turns slimy in your fridge. Whether you buy them loose or packed and wrapped, transfer the mush- rooms to a brown paper bag to keep away moisture. Refrigera- tion is key. At room temperature, mushrooms lose color and flavor quicker.
BERRIES
Resist the urge to wash the dusty carton of berries when you get home from the farmers mar- ket. Instead, rinse them quickly under the faucet just before use, or enjoy them right away. Store the rest in the fridge in a con- tainer lined with paper towels to absorb moisture. If you wash them first, the dampness will spoil the fruit more quickly.
FRESH HERBS
The best way to store them for a few hours is in the fridge wrapped in a perforated plastic bag that lets the herbs breathe. To keep them for days, trim the stems, arrange them in a glass or small vase, cover loosely with a plastic bag, and refrigerate. Swap out the water every day.
TOMATOES
Tomatoes taste best when you leave them on the counter. Yet they also turn moldy sooner at room temperature. They last longer in the fridge but become mealy and flavorless. Limit their stay in the refrigerator to a day or two. Tuck tomatoes in a crisper drawer in a paper or plastic bag with a few slits to keep it from drying out.
PAGE 16-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020