It’s about that time for good produce.

Summer is approaching, slowly this year, but it is coming. With the amount of rain we are having this means fresh vegetables and juicy fruit. But it’s not about how much you buy; it’s how you buy. I’ll give you a few pointers on buying the right amount of produce the right way.
Most vegetables and fruits seem like an easy task to pick out to some, and others fear this part of the shopping necessity. Picking vegetables is actually the easy part; it’s the fruits that can be tedious and time consuming. Lets see if I can help you.

For vegetables, buy ones that are in between sizes. Too small and they are lacking in flavor, if they are too large, they may be close to “on their way out.” Heavy is better than too light, but don’t be overwhelmed. Look for colour. The basic rule of thumb; the brighter the colour, the more flavor.

Now on to the tricky part are the fruits. I will group items to make it easier and less intimidating.
You have to keep in mind, when most fruits are collected; it is usually before they are ripe to insure they last longer during transport. If you buy produce and it seems like it’s not ready, just let it do its thing.

-Melons, usually the hardest to find the ones with best flavor. They should be fairly heavy. This means they are full of life and not old and dehydrated. Tap the outside skin with three closed fingers and you should hear a hollow thud. This is good.

-With berries and grapes, color is a huge part of picking. The brighter the color the more flavor, however there are exceptions. Most berries are best picked when fairly firm yet plum, and no blemishes. The nice thing about these, you can try before you buy.

-Citrus fruits are almost all the same. Heavy for their size, firm and skins not too rough.
Like the melons, the heavy weight means there is juice in there. If they are light, they are either old and or dehydrated.

-Plums, Nectarines, Peaches and Kiwis, are very similar to each other. Smell them, do they smell nice? They should all be firm but render to slight pressure.

Tomatoes are really in a world of their own. They should be well formed, blemish free and plump an over all rich red color and slight softness.

Storing vegetables is easy. Almost all fruit can stay out of the fridge, but you have to use it faster than usual, as the warm temperature will deteriorate it faster. Tomatoes are another that can stay out and actually taste better.

You should now be able to go out and pick fruit and vegetables without being nervous. Remember that this is just a guideline and will help you, because all fruit and vegetables are different.

Storage Doesn’t Mean Hide.

Just because you don’t have the most cupboard space, shelving units, or counter space, doesn’t mean you can’t improvise. Take a wander around the proximity of your kitchen and look for a few things. Look for a bare wall for some shelving units, an empty corner where you can hang a hanging basket. Even look for some floor space for a freestanding shelf.

It doesn’t have to be made for a kitchen to use in a kitchen. In fact, I used to use cheap bookshelves for such things like my glasses and plates, leaving me more cupboard room for other things. I am actually using one right now for my small appliances like toaster, blender, food processor, and even my dries spices (just make sure the spices are in a darker area).

I found this wonderful little store called IKEA that makes half decent shelves, freestanding units, and even rolling cupboards like microwave stands. Before putting up any shelves, make sure its okay with your landlord. There are ways around leaving huge holes in your walls like using smaller shelves, but just use more of them.

Just take some time and utilize what you have, and what you can use. It may take some time, and it may get frustrating, but until you get it how you like it, Just keep putting along.

Insects Not Welcome!!

Stocking you kitchen can be tricky. But stocking it well requires knowledge, unless you have a hand that is. Whether it’s loading up your pastas, cereals, or grains, or stocking up on sugars, flour, or other baking goods. One thing you need to keep in mind is storage.

There are many things creeping about that are just looking for food, and if you have poorly sealed containers, that’s a recipe for disaster. I had two different types of insects I couldn’t get rid of. One of them is Silverfish. One of the most feared in the kitchen for people think they eat crumbs and left over bits of food. In fact, they eat sugars, cellulose, and such things as adhesives. The other more destructive insect is the Indian Meal Moth, also known as flour moths or pantry moths. Found munching on spices, dried fruits, as well as all grains like rice, cereals, breads, and pasta.
The reason I mention this problem is because I lived in an apartment with, well, not such great cupboards. I made a poor decision to buy some cheap canisters to store my pastas and cereals and found this to not only be a problem to deal with, but a problem for my wallet. I would buy pasta and leave it in the bag, but the moth larva would eat there way through. I scrubbed and cleaned and cleaned and scrubbed, but nothing would get rid of these horrible moths.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on fancy aerospace airtight, with twisting locks and a bulletproof cased containers. But you do have to keep you eyes open for those deals. A good recommendation is even those cheap Tupperware with the click locks. If you know its tight, then that’s all you can do.

Don’t Be Scarred!

I remember when I moved into my first apartment in Victoria with my “at the time” girlfriend. It was a good sized one bedroom with a wonderful view of the parking lot. Decent sized bathroom, large one bedroom, great sized living room, and the kitchen. Limited floor space, but you all know how apartment kitchens are. Small, no elbowroom, cupboards are space less, and counter space something we all could use a little more of. So when first stocking my new bare apartment for the first time, I had to use some improvising on what I bought, and how much of it I did buy. With the growing size of our population, it seems our oh-so precious living space is decreasing, or you are paying up the @$$ for it.

This being the first blog, I should let you know what it is all about. Well since you are already here, I assume you know that I am here to help you stock your small, crowded apartment kitchen. Or you can use this to stock a larger kitchen if you please. I will be informing on some gadgets, tips and tricks & shortcuts as well as to help you succeed in you kitchen adventures. With my close to ten years experience in the restaurant industry, I hope my ideas and directions are helpful.

Some of you may be asking how is this person going to help me with “MY” kitchen. Well, I will help you realize what you need, from questions you ask yourself.
I must end this here, with my current time being pushed short. But I shall be back soon with my next post.