Freshly harvested chicory is a delicate winter vegetable. It should be handled carefully and stored properly. But please not for too long! Because the line between edible and spoiled is quickly crossed. Don't worry, you definitely won't miss a bad chicory.
When is chicory bad?
The chicory is bad if it already has brownspotsormould, smells unpleasant, has dried, torn leaf edges ormuddy spots has. When purchasing, you should only choose closed, crisp, firm specimens that have undamaged leaves and are light yellow in color.
Do I have to throw away bad chicory completely?
It depends on the extent of how badly a bud is affected. If only the outer leaves are damaged or stained, you can remove them and throw them away. If the rest underneath is still visibly good, you can eat it after washing it thoroughly. Chicory that is moldy or mushy should be thrown completely into the organic waste bin, regardless of how large the damaged area is. This also applies to chicory, which has an unpleasant smell.
How does chicory stay fresh for a long time?
Chicory should not be stored if possible, or at least not for long. In any case, it is available fresh at any time and almost everywhere. And if there are a few unused pieces left over, they belong in thevegetable compartment of the refrigerator, where it is cool and dark. Since chicory also loves and needs moisture, you should also wrap it in amoist cloth. Under these storage conditions it stays fresh for about a week. Nevertheless, always make sure that it is still good. You don't know how many days he waited for you at the supermarket.
Is green chicory still edible or poisonous?
A chicory with green spots has received too much light. The following applies to him, and also to the green rosette of leaves that grows outside in the bed in the first year and nourishes the chicory root:
- isnot spoiled
- and not poisonous either
- green leaves containmore bitter substances than yellow ones
- are no longer edible for many people
Some people like the bitterness or combine the greenish chicory with sweet ingredients so that it no longer tastes so bitter. If only a few areas are green, they can also be removed generously. By the way, red chicory is a unique variety that was created by crossing with radicchio.
Chicory turned black when frying, why?
You will probably have usedIron or aluminum cookware. Since it cannot be ruled out that other substances have also been dissolved, you should not eat the discolored food as a precaution.
Tip
You can also freeze larger quantities of chicory
To prevent unused chicory from going bad, you can blanch it without the stalk and then freeze it. It will keep in the freezer for up to a year. Speaking of regrowing: Unfortunately, no new chicory can be grown from the removed stem.
