No one likes wasting fresh produce, but did you know the way you store your fruits and veggies can make all the difference? Here’s how to store these fresh and ripe fruit so they can last longer.  

Apples  

Whether you love a crisp Granny Smith or lean more towards a sweet Honeycrisp, you’ll find apples all year round, but it’s more prominently an in-season autumn fruit. According to Ken Wortz, the head distiller for Sauvage Distillery New York, apples should be stored in a cool, dry place. If you keep them on the counter, they will last about one week. But if you want to store them long-term, keeping them cool in the fridge will be the better, more reliable option. “They can last six to eight weeks stored in a refrigerator,” says Ken. 

Oranges  

Oranges are winter fruit – and just in time to give us that extra vitamin C boost when the cold and flu season is at its peak. They should be stored in a cool, dry place like the fridge, but it is quite picky when it comes to which fruit it can be stored with. Oranges emit a small amount of ethylene gas, so they shouldn’t come into contact with apples and bananas. They can, however, be stored with other citrus fruits.   

Pro tip: Looking to eat an orange that’s been in the fridge? “Like a fine red wine, if you’re keeping your oranges in the fridge, ideally, you would pull them out about an hour before you want to eat them,” says Riley Davies, produce category manager at Misfits Market, an online grocery store. She adds that the flavour will be more intense when the orange has slightly warmed up.

Lemons 

From slicing them into a warm cup of tea to using them in delicious zesty desserts – this citrus fruit is always handy to have at home. But how do it keep them fresh? “You can keep them on the counter but they won’t last as long and will start to dry out,” says Anina von Haeften, co-founder of the food delivery service Farm to People. “On the counter, they will last about a week, and in the fridge, they can last up to a month.” She advises that you pop the whole lemons into a sealed, airtight container first and store them as is to keep them juicy. 

Image: Pexels 

The post How to store these 3 fruits to keep them fresher for longer  appeared first on MyKitchen.

Embrace the flavours of autumn’s harvest and get helpful recipe ideas to get the most out of them in your cooking this season. 

As the seasons change, so do the produce. Not only do you pay less for produce when it’s in-season, it was harvested at the right time, and leaves a smaller carbon footprint due to less transport. Cook with these yummy in-season fruit and vegetables this season:

Pumpkin

In the culinary world, autumn and pumpkin are synonymous. From cannelloni to a delicious meringue dessert, this orange vegetable is packed with vitamins and minerals and adds a sweet, earthy flavour to your dishes.

Try these yummy pumpkin recipes: 

Low GI pear & pumpkin breakfast muffins

Low-carb pumpkin and sage cannelloni

Pumpkin meringue pie

Peas

Whether you eat them in the pods or not, peas are delicious and filled with protein, Vitamin C and zinc. It also adds a vibrant and sweet flavour to all your dishes.

Try these yummy easy-peasy recipes:

Rösti with creamy smashed peas and poached eggs

Sugar snap pad Thai with peanut sauce

Hake kebabs with mushy peas

Bangers and mash with buttery peas

Apples

As they say, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Apples are not only nutritious, but this versatile autumnal fruit is also the star of many a hearty (and delicious) dish.

Try these (golden) delicious autumn meals with apples:

Roasted apples with yoghurt & oat crumble

Walnut-crusted hake with apple-cider radishes

Buttermilk fried chicken with apple slaw

Onion and apple pork chops with butter bean mash

Mini salted-caramel-and-apple Tartes Tatin

Pomegranate

One of the most eagerly awaited autumn fruits, the pomegranate is this season’s superfruit thanks to its high levels of antioxidants that may reduce the risk of many diseases. Not only is the colour rich, but the burst of flavour brightens up any dish.

Try these delicious pomegranate recipes:

Kofta with roti and pomegranate-mint gremolata

Pomegranate and chocolate fudge to make with the little ones

Lamb tenderloin with pomegranate yoghurt

Photography: Pexels

The post Seasonal produce to cook with in autumn  appeared first on MyKitchen.

We could happily eat a bowl of oats all year round. But this recipe with apple sauce takes the cake! We even spiked it with a tot of whiskey. (optional)

SERVES 4 // COOK TIME 35 min

INGREDIENTS
For the porridge
3 cups oats (not instant or quick-cooking)
600 ml milk
600 ml water
½ tsp salt
For the apple sauce
4 Royal Gala apples, peeled, cored and chopped
30g brown sugar, plus extra to serve
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp whisky (optional)
50g flaked almonds, toasted
Cream, to serve

METHOD
For the porridge
1. Mix together all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring continuously, until thickened and cooked through. (It will thicken further on standing. Use a little more or less milk to reach your desired consistency.)
For the apple sauce
1. Place the apples, sugar and lemon juice in a pot and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the apples are soft but not falling apart. Add the whisky.
2. Spoon the sauce over the porridge. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and serve with cream.

Make your mornings sweet with these delicious sesame oats with fig jam. If you can’t find tahini, opt for nut butter of your choice instead.

The post Old-fashioned oats with warm apple sauce appeared first on MyKitchen.

JAZZ Apples are a naturally sweet and refreshing taste sensation. Grown with passion in sun-drenched orchards, these beauties give you crunchy, sweet, tangy and juicy invigoration like no other. This ultimate convenience snack captures all the best bits of nature and JAZZ Apples will be available in May, June and July to add some much-needed positivity to lockdown lunchtimes.

JAZZ Apples were first born in beautiful New Zealand orchards, and the collision of delightful flavours are a result of the natural breeding of the Royal Gala and Braeburn apple varieties. Sixteen years later, they have become a global favourite, and are now grown right here in sunny SA under a closely controlled quality growing programme.

Not only have JAZZ Apples grown in popularity as a healthy snack choice for when you’re on the go, but they’re also special in that their firm skin, dense flesh and versatility of flavour make them a sensational addition to salads or baked desserts.

Is your mouth watering yet? JAZZ Apples will be exclusively available at selected Checkers stores nationwide in May, June and July. And once you’ve got your hands on some, try them in one of our favourite apple recipes!

CARAMEL APPLE PIE

WHIPPED PEANUT BUTTER STACKS WITH HONEY & APPLES

ROASTED APPLES WITH YOGHURT & OAT CRUMBLE

For more info about JAZZ Apples, visit them online here, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

The post Find sensational JAZZ™ Apples at a supermarket near you! appeared first on MyKitchen.

You can whip up these delicious apple crumbles with vanilla cream cheese and oat crumble in no time for breakfast this weekend.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 15 min

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 apples, halved
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp vanilla vodka
¼ cup oats
¼ cup almond butter
¼ cup + 1 tsp honey
4 tbsp cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla essence

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Heat the butter and sugar in a pan. Add the apples, cut-sides down and fry for 5 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add the water and vodka, and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Mix the oats, almond butter and ¼ cup honey. Spread on a tray and bake for 5 minutes.
5. Mix the cream cheese with 1 tsp honey and vanilla.
6. Dollop cream cheese on to plates, top with apples, drizzle with pan juices and sprinkle with oat crumble.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto/HMimages.co.za

The post Deconstructed breakfast apple crumbles appeared first on MyKitchen.

No matter how busy you are, you should always make time for brekkies. Especially when it’s as good as these whipped peanut butter, apple and honey stacks!

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 10 min

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup peanut butter
¼ cup plain yoghurt
2 English muffins, toasted and halved
2 apples, thinly sliced
2 tbsp honey

METHOD
1. Whisk together the peanut butter and yoghurt until smooth.
2. Dollop on to both halves of the English muffins, top with apple slices and drizzle with honey.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto/HMimages.co.za

The post Whipped peanut butter stacks with honey and apple appeared first on MyKitchen.