Slow Roasting Roma (Plum) Tomatoes
Roma tomatoes, a variety of plum tomatoes, are dense in flavor and best known for making sauces and pastes. When I have them in abundance, I love to slow roast them to concentrate their flavors even more and then freeze them so I can enjoy the taste of fresh tomatoes all winter long. These little […]
Freezing Bell Peppers
Take a few minutes to freeze fresh bell peppers at the end of summer, and you will thank yourself all winter long. Use your frozen bell pepper stash in soups, curries, pasta dishes; you name it. If you’re cooking something that calls for sautéed onions and peppers, just pull out the quantity you need, dice […]
Storing Fresh Basil
When you’re lucky enough to have a big batch of freshly harvested basil, I recommend storing it uncovered on your countertop. Trim the ends and drop the basil in a jar or vase with some water. Place near a window if possible so it can get sunlight. Change the water as needed and use within […]
Storing Fresh Rosemary
I love getting fresh herbs in my CSA. They’re always bigger and more impressive than the herbs I grow and, because they’re freshly cut, they inspire me to use them up quickly. Depending on how hot the weather is, most soft-leafed herbs can do fine in a cup of water sitting out on the counter […]
How to Manage Your Strawberry Bounty
Yay! Strawberries! Now what? Because strawberry season only lasts a few weeks, many of us will suddenly find ourselves with more than we can eat before they spoil. Making strawberry jam is a great option, but there are other simple things you can do to ensure you enjoy every precious strawberry. They’ll do fine sitting […]
Prepping & Storing Carrot Tops
When you are lucky enough to get freshly harvested carrots, with carrot tops still attached, use the greens as you would fresh parsley. As soon as you get them, cut away the tops, give them a rinse and shake them out or spin them in a colander. Loosely wrap them in a clean dish towel […]
Top 5 Things to Keep in Your Freezer
If I had to choose between owning a dishwasher or a freezer, I’d definitely choose a freezer. It helps us be more resourceful, minimize food waste and enjoy seasonal foods year-round — what Vinegar Home is all about! I’ll write another post at some point with tips for organizing your freezer, but the most important […]
Prepping & Storing Root Vegetables
Pictured above from left to right: daikon radish, purple mu radish, kohlrabi, and rainbow carrots. Have a makeshift root cellar? Root vegetables do fine in the refrigerator, but an overcrowded produce drawer can feel overwhelming. A cool basement in the late fall and winter can be a useful place to store excess root vegetables. […]
Prepping & Storing Kale (and other greens)
In preparation for writing this post, I Googled kale to find out where it fell in the list of top nutrient-packed vegetables and found a lot of different lists. So I’ll let you do your own searches. I did, however, find the following quote: “Of all the healthy leafy greens, kale is king.” That works […]