Shelf life of lemon grass

Adam Schwartz said:

Of course I know that all ingredients should ideally be purchesed as close the the use date as
possible for maximum freshness. However, I would like to know how long lemon grass remains
useable. Is it like most produce, which must be used within a few days of purchase, or is it
like garlic or cinnamon, which can potentially be stored for some time. I would like to buy
enough to have some on hand when I need it.

Buy it fresh, peel/stem it, chop it, and freeze it. I find the quality of lemongrass varies at the
store, so I buy it in 4 or 8oz containers already chopped and frozen. That doesn't help when I need
a bruised stem for a particular dish - Usually the mince is fine, though.

-sw

"Adam Schwartz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:xcyBb.487777$HS4.3749398@attbi_s01...

Quoted message said:

Of course I know that all ingredients should ideally be purchesed as close the the use date as
possible for maximum freshness. However, I

would

Quoted message said:

like to know how long lemon grass remains useable. Is it like most

produce,

Quoted message said:

which must be used within a few days of purchase, or is it like garlic or cinnamon, which can
potentially be stored for some time. I would like to buy enough to have some on hand when I
need it.

Thanks, Adam

It recovers well from freezing.

Jack Freon

Adam Schwartz said:

Of course I know that all ingredients should ideally be purchesed

as

Quoted message said:

close the the use date as possible for maximum freshness. However, I

would

Quoted message said:

like to know how long lemon grass remains useable. Is it like most

produce,

Quoted message said:

which must be used within a few days of purchase, or is it like

garlic or

Quoted message said:

cinnamon, which can potentially be stored for some time. I would

like to

Quoted message said:

buy enough to have some on hand when I need it.

Thanks, Adam

When I have bought it, it looks dry and not at its peak but when I mince the fibrous stuff, it seems
to work. I want to compare it to scallions and other green onions but it is a tough grass and not a
moist onion-y thing so I would think it tends to last longer than the moist-y herbs. We have
recently planted a pot and it does seem slightly moister when it is growing. It has perplexed me too
as to whether I was getting old or new lemon grass from the store and that was the reason for
growing some of our own. aloha, Thunder smithfarms.comsmithfarms.comOpen ↗ Farmers & Sellers of 100% Kona
Coffee & other Great Stuff

Adam Schwartz said:

Of course I know that all ingredients should ideally be purchesed as close the the use date as
possible for maximum freshness. However, I would like to know how long lemon grass remains
useable. Is it like most produce, which must be used within a few days of purchase, or is it
like garlic or cinnamon, which can potentially be stored for some time. I would like to buy
enough to have some on hand when I need it.

Thanks, Adam

Adam - Buy some with a bit of viable root still left on it, and plant it in some dirt. The stuff
grows well indoors, and you'll have plenty after awhile. Peg

Smithfarms Pure Kona said:

Adam Schwartz said:

Of course I know that all ingredients should ideally be purchesed

as

Quoted message said:

close the the use date as possible for maximum freshness. However, I

would

Quoted message said:

like to know how long lemon grass remains useable. Is it like most

produce,

Quoted message said:

which must be used within a few days of purchase, or is it like

garlic or

Quoted message said:

cinnamon, which can potentially be stored for some time. I would

like to

Quoted message said:

buy enough to have some on hand when I need it.

Thanks, Adam

When I have bought it, it looks dry and not at its peak but when I mince the fibrous stuff, it
seems to work. I want to compare it to scallions and other green onions but it is a tough grass and
not a moist onion-y thing so I would think it tends to last longer than the moist-y herbs. We have
recently planted a pot and it does seem slightly moister when it is growing. It has perplexed me
too as to whether I was getting old or new lemon grass from the store and that was the reason for
growing some of our own. aloha, Thunder smithfarms.comsmithfarms.comOpen ↗ Farmers & Sellers of 100% Kona
Coffee & other Great Stuff

I grow it each year (I am too far north for it to winter over & it is too large to take inside)
and have never seen any Asian store here in NJ that has it in a condition that I would call
"really fresh."

I usually pick as best I can and when I cook with it, peel down to the innermost stalks to get some
relatively moist leaves. It is fibrous & tough even in its freshest state, so I generally pick it
out of the dish before serving.

The only resemblance to scallions, is in use, in the way I thinly slice the stalk on the bottom 2
inches (at most).

By the way...you broke my heart when you ran out of Lehua honey...I wanted to get some for gifts. I
will know better next year & order earlier.

Boron

Boron Elgar said:

Smithfarms Pure Kona said:

Adam Schwartz said:

Of course I know that all ingredients should ideally be

purchesed

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

as

Quoted message said:

close the the use date as possible for maximum freshness. However,

I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

would

Quoted message said:

like to know how long lemon grass remains useable. Is it like most

produce,

Quoted message said:

which must be used within a few days of purchase, or is it like

garlic or

Quoted message said:

cinnamon, which can potentially be stored for some time. I would

like to

Quoted message said:

buy enough to have some on hand when I need it.

Thanks, Adam

When I have bought it, it looks dry and not at its peak but when I mince the fibrous stuff, it
seems to work. I want to compare it to scallions and other green onions but it is a tough grass
and not a moist onion-y thing so I would think it tends to last longer than

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

moist-y herbs. We have recently planted a pot and it does seem slightly moister when it is
growing. It has perplexed me too as to whether I was getting old or new lemon grass from the store
and that was the reason for growing some of our own. aloha, Thunder smithfarms.comsmithfarms.comOpen ↗
Farmers & Sellers of 100% Kona Coffee & other Great Stuff

I grow it each year (I am too far north for it to winter over & it is too large to take inside)
and have never seen any Asian store here in NJ that has it in a condition that I would call
"really fresh."

I usually pick as best I can and when I cook with it, peel down to the innermost stalks to get some
relatively moist leaves. It is fibrous & tough even in its freshest state, so I generally pick it

out

Quoted message said:

of the dish before serving.

The only resemblance to scallions, is in use, in the way I thinly slice the stalk on the bottom 2
inches (at most).

By the way...you broke my heart when you ran out of Lehua honey...I wanted to get some for gifts. I
will know better next year & order earlier.

Boron

Oh I am very sorry about the Lehua Honey. We hope to harvest more in early summer.

Thanks also for the information on the Lemon Grass. I used it in a Thai dish and liked the flavor
but didn't really know what part would be considered the real part of the Lemon grass <g>. We did
plant the root part and now have the pot of stuff. Must go dream up a use for it🙂.Thaks again.
aloha, Thunder smithfarms.comsmithfarms.comOpen ↗ Farmers & Sellers of 100% Kona Coffee & other Great Stuff