How To Choose And Store Bok Choy

We all know it's important to eat our veggies, but doing so with the same carrots and lettuce every day can quickly become unappetizing. So, the next time you need to add some greens to a dish, try reaching for a bundle of bok choy instead. Hailing from China, bok choy is one of many types of cabbage. It has broad, rich green leaves that end in crunchy stalks, all of which are packed with important nutrients like vitamin K. As is the case with any other produce, your enjoyment of bok choy will rely heavily on picking out a fresh option. Luckily, it's easy to tell if bok choy is fresh: just look for green leaves and strong stems.

If bok choy has any browning or damage, it's likely past its prime. Fresh bok choy should be green at the leaves and white at the roots. You should also steer clear of cabbages with off textures. Squishy, rubbery, dried-out, or slimy leaves indicate a bad bok choy that is best used as compost. This applies to various different kinds of bok choy, such as smaller baby bok choy. When deciding how much bok choy to buy, remember that it doesn't shrink down like other greens during the cooking process, so you won't need much to complete a recipe.

Once you've brought your bushel of bok choy home, you shouldn't wash it unless you plan on eating it immediately. Otherwise, the moisture may cause it to go bad faster than normal. Instead, remove the thick root end of the bok choy so all the stalks separate. Then, use some damp paper towels to cover the veggie completely and stuff everything into a resealable plastic bag. This storage method should keep the bok choy fresh in the crisper drawer for just under a week.

On the other hand, if you want to freeze the bok choy, you should start by washing it and separating the stems and leaves, then dry everything thoroughly. The leaves need to be frozen on a flat sheet for at least 8 hours before being transferred to a sealed bag, while, before freezing, the stems need to be blanched, which is one of the best cooking methods for salads. It takes a bit more effort, but frozen bok choy can last up to a year in storage. This makes it easy to grab and defrost a serving to quickly add some vegetables to your meal, like making a leafy base for potstickers.