From the Desk of our Parish Nurse, Barbara O’ Connell

Effective Utilization of Food

U.S. citizens throw away 25% of their bought produce.  University of Arizona research reveals that nationally, households discard $43 billion worth of food annually.  Not only does this dent our pocket-books, it is also detrimental to our environment.  When we throw away food, we’re also wasting the resources that were used to grow, harvest, process, package, transport, and prepare it.  Planning meals and using shopping lists can help reduce food waste.  However, even after planning, produce sometimes spoils before we can use it.  If your produce rots after just a few days, you might be storing incompatible fruits and veggies together, speeding the rate of decay.  Some produce prefer to be stored in the refrig-erator, others prefer the counter or cupboard.  Some fruits emit ethylene gas that speeds up ripening and can prematurely decay nearby ethylene-sensitive produce.  To prolong the life of your produce:

1. *Keep produce whole.  Keep all leaves, stems, etc. intact until you're ready to use it.
   

2. *Refrigerate ethylene-producing apples, apricots, cantaloupe, figs, and honeydew.
   

3. *Don’t refrigerate ethylene-producing avocados, bananas, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums. tomatoes.
   

4. *Keep the following fruits and veggies away from the ethylene-producing foods listed above: lettuce, ripe bananas, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggplant, and other leafy greens,  parsley, peas, peppers, squash, sweet potatoes, or watermelon.
   

5. *Eat most perishable items first: artichokes, asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cherries, corn, green beans, mushrooms, mustard greens, and strawberries.
   

6. *More perishable: arugula, cucumbers, eggplant, grapes, lettuce, lime, pineapple, and zucchini.
   

7. *Less perishable: apricots, bell peppers, blueberries, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, grapefruit, lemons, watermelon, leeks, oranges, peaches, pears, plums, spinach, tomatoes.
   

8. *Least perishable: apples, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, garlic, potatoes, and winter squash.
   

9. *If food does go bad, we can still harness some of the nutrients locked inside.
   

Explore home composting at http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/recycle          ---- Blu Bin News, July 2010

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