How to Store Onions and Garlic
Onions and Garlic are pantry essentials, and nothing is worse than reaching into produce bowl to find they have passed their prime.
Avoid this meal ruining mishap with one simple trick: a brown paper lunch bag with hand-punched ventilation holes.
By reducing the storage temperature and restricting sunlight, your onions and garlic can last up to 3 months!
How to Cut a Mango
Mangoes may look smooth and round, but every mango has a bump on the flat side of the fruit, towards the tip. Locating that bump is the first step to cutting a mango with ease.
Set the tip of the mango on a sturdy cutting board, so the stem points straight up. Look for the bump and align it toward you - this places the large seed inside the mango perpendicular to you. Slice the mango just to the right of the stem, curving slightly away to follow the shape of the seed, and continue cutting straight down. You should have almost one complete side of the mango. Now rotate the mango and slice, in the same manner, to slice off the second side.
To cut the mango into smaller pieces, you can either slice each side into wedges and then cut the mango away from the skin, or you can score the flesh criss-cross, and then cut the squares from the skin, the same way you remove flesh from cantaloupe or avocado.
How to Peel & Prepare Fresh Ginger
Preparing large gnarly ginger hands can be daunting, but peeling them is actually quite easy—all you need is a metal spoon!
Let us show you.
How to Chop an Onion Without Crying
Why do we cry when we chop onions? Well, onions naturally produce a gas known as "Propanethiol S-oxide"—which triggers tears.
Here are our favorite tips to stop the crying:
- Freeze the onion prior to cutting
- Keep the sliced side facing the cutting board
- Keep a piece of bread in your mouth (we're not kidding)
- Use a super sharp knife
- Cut below the oven vent
- If all else fails...wear goggles!
How to Cut a Chile Pepper
Did you know that cutting a chile pepper correctly can help reduce the heat? Let us teach you.
How to Store Fresh Herbs
Handle herbs gently to avoid bruising. To extend the life of the fresh-cut herbs, store refrigerated either as a “bouquet” in a glass of water, covered lightly with a plastic bag, or in the original container.
Organic Farming Basics
Growing food organically blends the oldest methods of agriculture with recent advances in soil science and a deep understanding of ecology. Using methods that start by building soil fertility, organic farming creates healthy ecosystems that deliver their own pest and disease management solutions. Read more to discover key principles and some of the techniques we use at Jacobs Farm del Cabo.
How to Store Tomatoes
To refrigerate or not to refrigerate, that is the question.
When storing tomatoes you must fight the urge to place them in the fridge right away. It is a common misunderstanding that tomatoes need to be refrigerated immediately. They are best kept at room temperature, which allows the fruit to fully ripen and the complexed sugars fully develop. When tomatoes are placed in the fridge it stops the ripening process and makes the tomato lose flavor.
However, if your tomatoes are fully ripe and getting on the soft side—and you’re not one to let food go to waste—placing them in the fridge will enable you to get a few more days of shelf life. It’s a balancing act!
How to Store Basil
Basil is different from most herbs, it does not like cold temperatures or contact with moisture, both of which can cause the leaves to blacken. The ideal storage temperature is between 50—55°F so a cool room is preferable to your refrigerator. If your basil is bunched, try trimming the stems slightly and placing the "bouquet" in just enough water to submerge the ends, while keeping the leaves dry.
A plastic bag placed loosely over the top will further extend the life of your fresh basil. If your basil is in a container, remove it and either use the "bouquet" technique described or place it in a plastic bag leaving the top of the bag open enough to help prevent condensation from forming. If the room temperature is too warm, place the loosely closed bagged basil in the refrigerator.
Always wash basil with cold water just before use.
