In light of the recent economic downturn, that relatively free-spending era of my youth— the decade or so surrounding, oh, the year Madonna released "Material Girl"— seems positively wasteful. Case in point, I remember how my friends and I used to laugh at one elementary-school classmate for carrying his lunch in used plastic breadbags when everyone else had a crisp brown paper bag each day... everyone other than me, that is, since I did not bring lunch from home but instead bought prepackaged bologna sandwiches at school. I felt particularly cool that my lunch came wrapped in multiple layers of plastic on a disposable styrofoam tray. Being able to throw stuff out meant that I was not cheap, my family was not "poor"— we had resources to burn, or so went the conventional 3rd-grade wisdom. Oh, how times have changed!
Now I proudly catalog the ways I can be cheap, especially when it comes to food. It pains me to throw anything out. I freeze shrimp shells for stock, make old milk into yogurt, and toast bread heels to make croutons. Old tortillas are great for chilaquiles, and even fatty pieces cut from a roast can be thrown into a pot of beans later. I exercise my most obsessively artful stinginess when it comes to produce, however. There really is almost no reason to throw out old fruits and vegetables unless they smell like death or wiggle of their own volition. Moreover, with a little advanced legwork you can prolong the freshness of your vegetables by days or even weeks. If you aren't convinced, keep reading.
Helping Fresh Vegetables Live Longer, More Productive Lives: Some vegetables belong in the refrigerator, while others do not. All green vegetables belong in the fridge, as do peppers. Root vegetables can be stored at room temperature ONLY if they are to be consumed within a day or two; otherwise, keep them in the fridge. One exception I always make is garlic, which seems to retain its flavor better when kept at room temperature. But for the love of God, don't ever put a "fruit" vegetable (ie a tomato or avocado) in the fridge unless it's been cut. Even then, I leave those out unless I know I won't be finishing it for a few days. Refrigeration positively murders the flavor of the juicier fruits and especially tomatoes and citrus.
• Take some time to wash and store vegetables properly when you return from the store. First, invest in a salad spinner. Use this to wash and dry all greens and herbs, then LOOSELY pack them into plastic bags and refrigerate. Pull out any browning pieces every day or so, which will prevent these from contaminating the rest. You may also wish to wash and chop other veggies for easier use later. On the other hand, avoid chopping veggies that you probably won't use for several days. They will dry out and end up tasting like everything else in the refrigerator.
• Wash your herbs in advance, but don't cut them. Cutting herbs causes them to bruise which results in rapid decomposition. If you find that you have a baggie full of herbs you probably won't be using in the next few days, move them to the freezer or hang them up to dry instead.
• Do not pack vegetables into crisper drawers— they will only rot faster. Instead, place a few loosely into the drawers and the rest on shelves with plenty of space. Like people, vegetables are not happy if they can't breathe.
Aged Vegetables (i.e. slightly softened, bruised, limp, or tasting of the refrigerator— but definitely not rotten): These do not have to be cooked, but they have lost their flavor and at least some of their nutrition. Therefore it is wisest to prepare these with other ingredients that provide satisfying flavor and texture.
• Often, these can be perked right up by being soaked in very cold water for 15 minutes or so.
• These are perfect for juicing or, in the case of greens, chopping up and adding to soups or smoothies.
• Non-leafies can be grated and easily mixed in with other salads, especially tuna/salmon/chicken salad, slaws, or sauerkraut.
• In general these work very well in recipes that involve chopping/grating/shredding the vegetables into small pieces and cooking with other strong flavors, ie, adding at to a stir-fry towards the end of cooking or lightly steaming and then marinating in vinaigrette for a few hours.
• These are the ideal vegetables for any recipe that involves baking, ie sliced on top of pizzas, cooked into muffins or breads (zucchini bread! carrot cake!), or added to stratas and casseroles.
• These are also ideal for dehydrating if you have a dehydrator or can reliably set your oven to less than 180°, since technically these vegetables are a little dehydrated already. Carrots and squashes work especially well; simply cut into thin slices, dip in soy sauce (add a little chili powder for extra zing), and dehydrate until the consistency is how you like it.
Funky, or “Dead” Vegetables (i.e. bruised or having some rotten parts): Funky vegetables are not suitable for eating raw but can be incorporated into many cooked dishes, especially ones that involve blending the vegetables or cooking them to the point of mush. This should render whatever funk might be growing on the vegetables harmless, plus help to concentrate whatever nutrition is left. Make sure to wash these vegetables very well and cut out any moldy/wormy/highly discolored parts before cooking them.
• These are perfect for canning, pureeing as soup, or making into sauces (works for fruits, too, ie tomatoes and apples).
• Freeze for use later in vegetable stock.
• Cook well and add to highly seasoned mashed potatoes.
Miscellaneous Parts (i.e. leftover salad, scraps that might otherwise be composted or thrown out): As long as these are clean and not rotten, they can be eaten raw or cooked.
• If it’s a part that you would eat raw under ideal circumstances, it’s suitable for juicing.
• Freeze for use later in vegetable stock.
• Shred and add in small amounts to potting or garden soil for added nutrients, no composting needed.
Mushrooms: A Special Case: Always err on the safe side with mushrooms, i.e., throw them out if you see any signs of rot, and don’t eat aging mushrooms without cooking the bejesus out of them first. In fact, with the exception of the occasional white button mushroom sliced into a salad, mushrooms should not be eaten raw ever. This is because raw mushrooms a) contain compounds that can be potentially toxic; b) can be difficult to digest due to aforementioned compounds, and that’s the least of your worries; and c) are often grown on poop. In fact, the brown “dirt” you see on store-bought mushrooms is not dirt at all, but … you guessed it.
On the other hand, many commercially dried mushrooms are often dehydrated at relatively high temperatures and are therefore sort-of “cooked” already. Even then however, if you are going to eat dehydrated mushrooms without additional cooking, first soak one thoroughly in warm water and eat a very small piece– on an empty stomach-- to make sure your digestive system will tolerate it. The main signs that your system disagrees with a mushroom eaten in small quantity will be flatulence, headache, or nausea, which may sound unpleasant but are far preferable to the Exorcist-type physiological responses the human body may have to eating unvetted mushrooms in quantity.
Bon appetit, and remember: if it doesn't wink at you, you can probably eat it.
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