by Texas Homesteader ~ 

An easy tip to keep broccoli fresh and crisp for several days during its storage in your refrigerator. It’s simple old-time wisdom I learned from my grandmother years ago.

If you’re wondering how to keep that fresh broccoli crisp for days, check out this Homestead Hack.

Cooking With Fresh Produce

First let’s go back several days ago earlier in the week when I’d invited my parents to our home for supper.

I’d decided I wanted to Roast Fresh Vegetables with a bit of flavored olive oil as a tasty side dish to go with our meal. It’s one of mom’s favorite side dishes.

Buying Package-Free Fresh Produce

So we were out shopping at our small-town grocery store. I was dismayed to see all the broccoli was being sold on a Styrofoam tray & entombed in plastic.

So I politely asked one of the cashiers if they packaged the fresh broccoli onsite or if it came to them already packaged.

When they told me they did the packaging themselves after the produce was received, I asked if there was any leftover unpackaged broccoli I might purchase.

They brought out the bulk produce box and allowed me to choose from the unpackaged broccoli.

By asking that simple question I was able to shop local, stand by my eco-beliefs and still bring home healthy produce.

I brought home only fresh produce – no plastic, no styrofoam!  It never hurts to ask, y’all!

Storing Fresh Produce

Anyway the roasted veggies were delicious. After our meal the rest of the raw vegetables were stored in the refrigerator. We’ll enjoy them on another night. 

Here’s my secret for keeping even very-perishable broccoli fresh: I placed the cut stem into a wide-bottom bowl with a little water in the bottom.

The water is drawn through the stem and keeps the broccoli hydrated, fresh and crisp.

It’s the same trick I often watched my grandmother use when I was a kid.

How did our grandmothers get so smart??!! So obviously it’s not a new idea, but it’s highly effective.

Keeping Leftover Fresh Vegetables Fresh

Fast forward several days when we decided to host my sis & her family for the weekend. RancherMan planned to grill out since the weather was nice.

I’d planned to roast some of the leftover fresh veggies that I had in the fridge from when mom & dad came to supper several nights ago.

So now here my sister and I are, staring at the leftover produce in the fridge from several days ago when I gained my sister’s admiration for keeping fresh produce FRESH.

My sister saw the broccoli stems submerged in water and exclaimed “That’s BRILLIANT!” I guess I just never thought about it since it’s what I saw our grandmother do years ago when I was a child. 

I do much the same thing with fresh celery, asparagus, carrots and cauliflower too. It keeps my produce crisp and wilt-free for several days.

As a matter of fact this homestead hack also helps me to easily Sneak More Vegetables into RancherMan’s diet.

The cut carrots stay fresh for a long time when placed in a glass jar with a little water in it. Then to get RancherMan to eat more vegetables I just use the power of suggestion to do the rest.

~TxH~ 

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Other Kitchen Hacks

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• Easy Reminder For Kitchen Stove
• Make Your Slow Cooker More Efficient
• No Cooking Fat Down The Drain
• Labeling A Glass Jar
• Cleaning A Narrow-Neck Jar
• Keep That Broccoli Fresh
• Sneaking Healthy Vegetables Into Their Diet
• Don’t Waste Onion Trimmings
• What Do The Dates On Food Packages Actually Mean?
• Heat-Free Way to Peel Tomatoes
• Peel A Whole Head Of Garlic Cloves In Seconds
• Cleaner Vegetable Chopping
• Quick Baking Measurement Reminder System
• Easily Separating Cream From Milk
• Using Frozen Water Bottles In The Kitchen
• Don’t Waste It – Free Vegetable Broth
• Easier Deviled Eggs – No Mess!
• MYO Crispy Taco Shells CHEAP
• Tame Kitchen Appliance Cords
• Save Your Fingernails When Cleaning
• Expand Your Muffin Tin Capacity With Canning-Jar Rings
• Use ALL Of Your Spray Cleaner
• Quick Coffee Stain Cleaning
• Repurposing Mesh Bags For Scrubbers
• Cute Windowsill Container For Herb Cuttings
• Less Mess When Measuring Honey
• How To Tell If Your Baking Powder Is Still Good
• Easily Opening Those Stubborn Jars
• Instant Pot Boiled Eggs WITHOUT The Shells
• Saute & Freeze Onions For Kitchen Convenience
• Roasting Peppers Quickly On Gas Stove Top
• Our Endless Soap Dispenser Setup
• …and many MORE!

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