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How to Use Your CSA Share

Jessica Fisher · July 16, 2012 · 18 Comments

Subscribing to a regular CSA or produce co-op delivery can be a great way to support local farmers as well as get your eight servings a day of fresh fruit and vegetables. Here are some tips to help you use your share and make the most of it.

(These tips work for good produce sales regardless of how you get it.)

A box filled with produce

Once upon a time, I dreamed of being the gardener extraordinaire. Years ago we lived on two acres along the central coast of California. It was mostly weeds, but I dreamed of taming that flat, dry, hard land, and creating a smallish homestead.

I come from farming stock. My dad grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota. They grew a lot of what they needed for sustenance. And Dad always had a full garden growing in my childhood backyard.

As an adult I realized that I knew nothing about growing food, despite my illustrious heritage. In the aftermath of my first miscarriage, I poured my heart into reading, learning and growing as much as I could on that two acres. It was good therapy.

Life began in a garden. It makes sense that sustenance, health, and happiness should come from there as well. God has been very good to us.

Once I figured out how to keep us supplied in fresh fruits and vegetables, we moved.

And while, yes, I know that I could grow things in a postage size backyard, it’s just not doable for our season of life. Instead I’ve found other great sources for fresh produce when you don’t grow your own.

A tree in front of a barn and silo

What is a CSA anyway?

For years I was enamored with the idea of joining a CSA, or community-supported agriculture. Subscribers to a CSA are basically partnering with a local farmer. Their subscription fee provides some of the capital that the farmer needs to grow his crops. In exchange, the subscriber receives a weekly allotment of produce.

There are different payment plans and structures available. Some require that you pay upfront in one large sum. Others, like the ones I’ve seen in Southern California, operate year-round and allow for weekly or monthly payments.

Either way you’re investing in a local business, eating seasonally based on your locale, and hopefully enjoying lots of farm fresh produce.

One of the caveats of a CSA is that if it’s a poor year for the farmer due to weather, disease, pests, etc, well, then it’s a poor year for your produce box.

There are many variations of this subscriber-based produce cooperative. Currently, we subscribe to a larger produce cooperative called Abundant Harvest Organics. Our farmers are all from Southern California and weekly provide a ginormous box of organic produce.

A variety of fresh fruit and vegetables on a table

The challenge of a weekly produce box

The benefit of a weekly produce box is huge. A huge collection of aromatic, diverse, farm fresh, seasonal produce, often organic, packed just for me? Sweet!

The challenge? A huge collection of aromatic, diverse, farm fresh, seasonal produce.

Sometimes huge is a problem. What in the world will I do with all this? There’s so much of it!

Sometimes diverse is a problem. I’ve met vegetables I’d never heard of previously! Parsnips, turnips, and rutabagas? Do people still eat those? And what in the world do I do with a pea tendril?

Sometime fresh is a problem. Since it’s not canned or frozen already, it needs to be used pretty quickly to maximize that freshness. The last thing you want is to waste all this beautiful fruit and veg.

Sometimes seasonal is a problem. Now that we’ve been getting a produce box every week for almost a year, I’m learning what the seasons really produce. The foods we buy in the store are not naturally available year round. The tomato season is not as long as the supermarket would have us believe, nor, thank heavens, is butternut squash season.

A plate of salad on a blue table

How to Make the Most of Your Produce Box

Over the last few months, I’ve developed some techniques to help us make the most of our weekly produce box.

1. Divide and conquer.

Our delivery comes on Wednesday afternoons. Even though I get a sneak peak on the previous Friday, the kids and I are still pretty excited to see what’s in the box. Sometimes there are last minute changes. Sometimes we’re just blown away by a ginormous squash or an abundance of fresh pluots.

My little girls, 3 and 5, dash to the cupboard for bags, baskets and boxes to sort our produce haul. We use large, clear plastic boxes with lids to store the items that need to be refrigerated. Baskets are for the items that can be stored in the pantry (onions, potatoes) or on the counter (summer fruit and tomatoes). We also reuse grocery store plastic bags for some items like lettuce, carrots, and beets.

(I’d love to find some nice reusable bags, but just haven’t found the right product for the right price. I’d love to hear your recommendations.)

We divvy up the box right away so that we can store each item appropriately. Some fruits and vegetables are not good to be stored together. The offgassing can make one ripen more quickly or give it an odd taste or texture.

A bunch of basil on a table

2. Use up the perishables.

In the early months of our produce box I thought we’d just cook everything fresh the night of serving. I found this to be a lot of work and a little anxiety producing. I was nervous that I would lose our cash investment if the food went bad before I could get around to cooking it up. It just wasn’t very fun.

Now I know better. On the first day or two after we get our box, I focus on the extreme perishables. Arugula flowers need to be used right away. Sweet corn tastes best soon after it’s been picked. Some things need to be consumed as soon as you possibly can.

For instance, basil doesn’t keep well. I’ve tried a variety of methods including storing it on the counter in a glass of water. At my house it seems to wilt very quickly. So, I use it up the night of our delivery, making an Herbed Compound Butter or Rustic Basil Sauce (a poor man’s pesto) if I don’t have a recipe that night that will use a ton of basil. These two items keep or freeze well and make great use of that fabulous flavor.

Consider which items will perish first in your box. This might depend on how ripe they are when they arrive at your house. Use those first.

bags of frozen puree in freezer

3. Chill out.

If you’ve got items that can be frozen, then prep them for the freezer. We enjoyed summer corn and green beans all winter since I blanched them and packaged them for the freezer in season. And that avalanche of butternut squash? I roasted, pureed, and froze it for future baking.

There’s a wealth of items that you can freeze to enjoy later. You can freeze vegetables for side dishes later and freeze fruits for baking or for smoothies. Zest the lemons and other citrus and store the zest and juice separately in the freezer. So much better than bottled! Chop and freeze fresh herbs for tasty goodness all year long.

To make it easier to store and use berries and chopped fruits, be sure to quick freeze them before storing them in the plastic bags. Storing the fruit with sugar will extend its quality while frozen. But, if you’re going to use them with a few weeks, you should be fine.

Check out this list from the University of Minnesota that shows how to prepare vegetables for freezing. They’ve also got some tips for freezing fruits.

For even more convenience, do a bulk batch of baking and bake up your surplus fruit, berries and zucchini into these recipes. Cool and wrap well before freezing:

  • Zucchini Muffins with Streusel Top
  • Bulk Batch Zucchini Bread
  • Cinnamon Zucchini Waffles
  • Ruth’s Chocolate Zucchini Cake
  • Raspberry Baked Oatmeal
  • Blueberry Scones
  • Red, White, and Blue Scones
  • Mixed Berry Pie with Cinnamon and Lemon
  • Blueberry Nutmeg Muffins
  • Lemon Blueberry Scones

pomegranates sitting on top of a counter with jars of jelly

4. Can it.

Just as knitting and frugal living are seeing a new popularity, so is home preserving. The things that our grandmothers did second nature have almost become lost arts.

Years ago back on the wanna-be homestead, I bought a Ball canning book and all the supplies. I taught myself the things I missed out on having Gramma John teach me.

Our produce box has brought the experience all back to me. Over the last year I’ve made pomegranate jelly, several types of jam (cherry, plum, apricot), and pickles.

I’ve had some hit and miss success. (Don’t even get me started on the mushy pickles.) But, overall, it’s been extremely satisfying to “put up” a variety of jams and jellies over the last year.

Be sure to check out Aimee’s Canning Week over at Simple Bites for all kinds of tutorials and tips for home canning.

A close up of mini peppers on a grill

5. Include it in your meal plan.

The first time I tried a CSA box, it stressed me out. A year later I gave it another shot and it stuck. It took some time to learn to work our meals around what was in the box as opposed to what I wanted to make. But, this is more reminiscent of how the Earth’s calendar really works.

It’s a good mental exercise to think according to the seasons. It tastes better, too.

Over the last year our family has become more and more accustomed to eating seasonal foods. They still don’t love butternut squash, but we’ve discovered some wonderful foods that we might not have ever tried.

I can’t wait to get more pea tendrils and leeks next year. The kids now think fondly on brussels sprouts. And even hubby has remarked that he knows when the seasons are changing. He knew his taste buds were ready for apricots when that first batch came in the box.

Check out this post FULL of summer produce recipes if you’re stumped for how to include your summer produce into your meal plans.

We’ve seen much good fruit from a regular produce subscription. In more ways than one. The benefits totally outweigh the challenges of a CSA box.

Eat Well Spend Less logo

This post is part of an ongoing series about how to eat well and spend less. Along with some fabulous foodies, organizers, and frugalistas, I’ve been bringing you suggestions on how to eat like a king without becoming a pauper to do it.

This month we’re sharing tips and tricks for enjoying summer produce. From a canning extravaganza to making it easier to eat more veggies to figuring what in the world to do with all that zucchini, we’ve got you covered.

Be sure to check out what the other ladies are sharing this week or browse their archives:

  • Aimee from Simple Bites
  • Amy from Kingdom First Mom
  • Carrie from Denver Bargains
  • Katie from Good Life Eats
  • Katie from Kitchen Stewardship
  • Mandi from Life Your Way
  • Shaina from Food for My Family
  • Tammy from Tammy’s Recipes

How do YOU make your CSA work for you?

Filed Under: Frugal Pantry

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. nicoleandmaggie says

    July 16, 2012 at

    I really like The Victory Garden Cookbook for things to do with large batches of veggies (especially if you don’t can!)

    Reply
  2. Krissa says

    July 16, 2012 at

    I use the Debbie Myer green bags to store my produce in…they’re reusable 8-10 times (not sure if that’s what you’re looking for or if you meant reusable forever, reusable) and they keep the produce fresh for a long time!

    Reply
    • Mindy says

      August 7, 2012 at

      I have tried using bags over, using all cotton bags from upcycled sheets, and reusing produce bags from the grocery. I much prefer Mrs. Green’s bags because of their ability to keep your produce fresh longer than any of the above options.

      Reply
  3. barbaraC says

    July 16, 2012 at

    Google reuseable produce bags on Etsy for lots of options. I like these for trips to the Farmer’s Market and storing stuff in the fridge. I just wash in the washing machine after each use. I use the colored ones in the second link for certain dirty dozen foods only.
    http://www.etsy.com/listing/62693361/combo-7-pack-reusablewashable-produce?ref=correlated_featured

    http://www.etsy.com/listing/62693361/combo-7-pack-reusablewashable-produce?ref=correlated_featured

    Reply
  4. Christine A says

    July 16, 2012 at

    Love this post packed full of good information! I am especially interested in freezing tips for fruits & vegetables. Regarding reusable bags, I have had good luck with bags made to keep produce (and bread) good longer. Have you tried these? If so thoughts? If not, I dont remember the name of the brand off hand.

    Reply
    • Christine A says

      July 16, 2012 at

      Meant to finish the above with…”If not, I dont remember the brand off hand but can see if I still have the box.” 🙂

      Reply
    • Jessica Fisher says

      July 16, 2012 at

      I haven’t tried any of them since I’ve been hesitant to make the investment.

      Reply
      • Christine A says

        July 20, 2012 at

        Forever Bags by Gourmet Trends. I have had good luck with these. As long as the produce is completely dry when you put it in there. Lots of different sizes and different colors (breads in yellow, lettuce in green, etc). Hefty Fresh Extend is another brand out there – but they only have one size bag.

        Reply
  5. Rachel says

    July 16, 2012 at

    We aren’t doing a CSA share, but we’re thoroughly enjoying Bountiful Baskets here. Although the produce is not local, it does seem to be more seasonal and we love the variety we get every other week. Some things I do to manage the bounty are putting away the things I know will keep longer while using the highly perishable stuff first, making lots of fruit salads and green salads, making green smoothies to use up some of the kale and spinach, using fruit in raw overnight oatmeal, roasting squash while I already have the oven on and then using it in place of pumpkin for quick breads (none of us love squash here), and basically just eating more of all of it. I’ve noticed we are centering more of our meals around the fresh produce instead of grains or meats and I’m glad. We can’t afford the organic baskets right now, but I am very thankful to be able to offer my family lots of variety and volume of fresh produce.

    Reply
  6. Shannon H says

    July 16, 2012 at

    Take a look at this link for different produce bags
    http://www.thekitchn.com/ditch-the-plastic-10-reusable-produce-bags-174099

    Reply
  7. JoannaTopazT says

    July 17, 2012 at

    You can freeze fresh basil. Yes, it will turn black if you just freeze it by itself, but I’ve chopped it up, put pieces in ice cube trays, filled them with water, and frozen. When ready to use, set however many cubes worth you think you need (it’s kind of an eyeball method…) out to thaw (preferably in a bowl!) and then shake the water off your herbs when the ice has melted. I’ve used basil from last summer to make zucchini basil muffins (recipe from Get Rich Slowly.org)

    Reply
  8. Lizzy says

    July 18, 2012 at

    Here’s an idea for when butternut squash season comes around again: Make soup! I have never liked butternut squash, but when I made a butternut squash soup, I thought it was amazing. I can’t wait for them to be in season again so I can tried curried soup.

    Reply
    • Jessica Fisher says

      July 18, 2012 at

      Agreed. I have two new squash soup recipes that I really like. They also bake well into brownies and any recipe calling for pumpkin. I’m ready for squash season! Maybe. 😉

      Reply
  9. Rosemary says

    July 22, 2012 at

    Frozen diced up butternut squash is great when roasted and added to a pasta dish!!! Its sweeter than carrots.

    Reply
  10. 'Becca says

    July 27, 2012 at

    Nice article! We have learned many similar lessons as CSA subscribers.

    My family loves butternut squash, but when we got a winter CSA share last year we did begin to feel a bit tired of it! That’s when we thought of Butternut Squash Burritos. It’s also possible to substitute pureed squash for the pumpkin in Pumpkin Cornbread.

    Reply
  11. Kaitlin P says

    August 5, 2012 at

    I’m a big fan of “Chico Bag”, having lived in Chico. They have recently introduced a line of “Produce Stand” reusable produce bags. I personally haven’t purchased the produce stand bags, but have been considering it. I own some of the larger grocery bags and have not been disappointed! Selling at $12 for three bags and offering three different types of bags for different types of produce. Not a bad deal when you consider all the benefits!

    http://www.chicobag.com/product/produce-stand-repete-3pack

    Reply
  12. Anne Deeb says

    August 7, 2012 at

    I can’t wait to get my butternut squash each season once I found this recipe. It is delicious and a whole new way to enjoy butternut squash. http://whatscookingamerica.net/Vegetables/ButternutSquashGratin.htm

    Reply
  13. Maria says

    August 17, 2012 at

    If you enjoy sweet dishes. Try cutting your butternut (acorn…) squash in half. Place on a cookie sheet with butter and brown sugar in the “well” and bake in a 350 oven for a few hours. (Depending on how big it is, I like mine nice and soft) My toddler loves it and he doesn’t mind that I only put half as much sugar on his.

    Reply

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