The best place to store broccoli is in the refrigerator, but like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli likes having some room to breathe. Keep it in a loosely wrapped or perforated plastic bag so it will still get some air circulation.
Place your broccoli stems into a bowl or container with a half-inch of water at the bottom. The broccoli heads should be sticking out of the container. Cover the heads loosely with plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator. Change out the water each day, and the broccoli will keep for a week in the fridge.
Stash the broccoli in a cold part of your refrigerator — like the crisper drawer — preferably away from fruits and that produce excessive ethylene gas like apples. If there's no room in the crisper, store it on a shelf near the back of the fridge.
Fill a glass or small pitcher with ice water and place the entire stalk of broccoli in the water. There's no need to cover it—broccoli requires air circulation so that it can breathe, so let it all hang out. The other way to store broccoli is by loosely wrapping the broccoli stems in damp paper towels.
Store broccoli and cauliflower unwashed in an open plastic bag in fridge. Don't store on the counter. Use within 1 week.
If your broccoli is starting to look a little sorry, try this: Trim about 1/2 inch from the base of the stalk and set the stalk in a glass of cold water; refrigerate overnight. It should perk right back up. See Superfood: Broccolifor recipes featuring versatile broccoli.
Most vegetables, like carrots, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage and celery should be stored in a plastic bag or container in the crisper of your fridge. Mushrooms are best stored in a paper bag. Vegetables should be stored in a different part of the fridge than fruit. This will prevent them from ripening too fast.
Immediatley before cooking, soak your broccoli, head down, in cold, salted water (1 tsp salt to 8 cups water) for 5 minutes. Any critters will float to the top where you can rescue them or allow them to suffer a salty death.
Wrap Veggies in Aluminum Foil Before storing broccoli, lettuce and celery, wrap it in aluminum foil. The foil will help to keep veggies crisp for up to 4 weeks. Just wrap in foil and store in your fridge's crisper drawer.
Storage. Consume fresh broccoli as soon as you can as it will not keep long. To store, mist the unwashed heads, wrap loosely in damp paper towels, and refrigerate. Use within 2 to 3 days.
Learning about how to store broccoli properly is one easy way to prevent your broccoli from spoiling in the first place. Broccoli can be stored in the fridge or freezer, whole or cut into florets and can last anywhere from 3 to 5 days.
To maximize the shelf life of raw broccoli, refrigerate in a plastic bag; do not wash until ready to use. Properly stored, broccoli will usually keep well for about 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Freezing broccoli is such a great way to avoid waste if you have a glut. It will also make the cooking time a little quicker when you come to cook it from frozen.
To store broccoli meal prep in the fridge, use airtight containers. The broccoli will last in the fridge for up to 5 days. To further extend the shelf life of roasted broccoli, you can store the broccoli meal prep in the freezer. It will last for up to 12 months this way.
Protect cauliflower in a plastic bag or an airtight container. To ensure longevity, keep cauliflower whole, unwashed, and well-protected. "A whole head of broccoli or cauliflower will do well in a plastic bag in the fridge," says North Carolina chef John May.
Broccoli and cauliflower both keep well when stored properly in the freezer. Take a tip or two and start freezing fresh broccoli and cauliflower at home.
To minimize prep on cooking day, wash and cut the vegetables in advance. If you're using roasted broccoli and cauliflower as a topping for salads or bowls, bake the vegetables up to three days ahead of time.
CARROTS AND BROCCOLI
Adding a ½ teaspoon of baking soda to the simmering carrots or broccoli for pureed soups helps the vegetables break down quickly and create restaurant-level creaminess.
Add a pinch of baking soda to the pot.
By adding baking soda, you make the water slightly alkaline (the opposite of acidic). This preserves a compound called chlorophyll, which gives vegetables like green beans, asparagus, Brussels sprouts and broccoli their vibrant, green color.
3. In a white vinegar solution: If you know your broccoli heads have aphids or cabbage worms, you can kill them with a solution that is ten percent white vinegar and ninety percent water.
Beet greens– place in an airtight container with a little moisture. Broccoli– place in an open container in the fridge or wrap in a damp towel before placing in the fridge. Broccoli Rabe– left in an open container in the crisper, but best used as soon as possible.
Most refrigerated produce stays fresh longer when sealed, whether in zip-top plastic bags, reusable silicone pouches, or containers with tight-fitting lids. These containers hold in moisture, preventing produce from dehydrating, and they help protect sensitive produce from the effects of ethylene gas.