#Scoutspiration // Preserving Leaves and Flowers

Spring might not have officially "sprung" everywhere, but there's no doubt the trees and flowers will start budding and blooming soon. How do you make a little piece of spring last longer? One way is to collect your favorite leaves and flowers and preserve them.

(above) A collection of pressed flowers from the garden of My Petal Press ($7).

pressed flower tutorial

To get you started, The Dainty Squid has some great plant pressing tips. You may have done this process in grade school, but it's definitely not just child's play.

Herbarium

Once your plants are properly pressed, you'll need somewhere to keep them. If you're the type of person who likes systematic categorization, this herbarium folder by ARMINHO ($54) is a perfect way to archive spring.

pressed flower jackelope art

Of course, you don't need to keep the pressed flowers in a notebook or herbarium. There are numerous ways you can put them on display year-round. Here one idea from Sofia Rose Vintage ($26).

light switch plate pressed flower

And another crafty idea in the form of a light switch plate by My Petal Press ($11).

pressed flower necklace

With a little bit of help from some resin, pressed flowers can also make gorgeous wearable items, like this Queen Anne's Lace necklace by Lowe Lowe Jewelry ($26).

pressed flower artwork

Or, if you're feeling particularly ambitious, you can try your hand at pressed flower art. This amazing, intricate work is by Irina's Art by Nature ($150). Yes, those are all real pressed plants!

pressed plant print

If you're not a plant-pressing pro yet, you can also purchase prints like this one by Day Three Creations ($10) for your home. Happy pressing!

Back to Basics // 10 Foods You Shouldn't Refrigerate

We have a tendency to put anything we don't want to spoil in the fridge. But when it comes to produce, trying to prolong freshness in the fridge might backfire. These 10 foods actually lose quality when chilled. 1. Tomatoes: Tomatoes love heat and hate the cold. Once you put a tomato in the fridge, the cell structure of the fruit starts to break down and it becomes mealy and dull. Ick. Store tomatoes on your counter or, if they're not quite ripe, on a windowsill.

2. Basil, Parsley, and Cilantro: Like tomatoes, these herbs prefer the heat. Treat a fresh bunch of herbs as you would fresh-cut flowers. Store them in a cup of water for up to a week; just be careful to keep them away from direct sunlight and be sure to change the water every few days.

3. Potatoes: Spuds like to be kept cool but not cold. Storing them in the fridge converts their starch to sugar more quickly, making them gritty and strangely sweet (some people might even say inedible). Store them in cool, dark places instead—like the pantry or inside a paper bag.

4. Onions: The refrigerator is simply too damp for onions, which need to be kept and cured in a dry environment—like a pantry. Just keep them separated from potatoes; when these two foods are stored close together, gases are produced that spoil both.

5. Garlic: For best results, store garlic in a ventilated container in a cool, dry place. One you break open a bulb, you should use the cloves within 10 days.

6. Stone Fruits: Apricots, nectarines and plums should be allowed to ripen at room temperature. Once ripe, you can prolong their life in the fridge for a few days, but why not just gobble them up?

7. Avocado: Unless you're trying to prolong the life of an almost- or already-ripe avocado, you shouldn't keep avocados in the fridge. The cold environment won't allow the avocado to ripen, so store them in a cool, dark place instead. You only have a small window for ripeness—one to two days—so check on them daily.

8. Berries/Brambles: Although you can refrigerate fresh berries, they're best stored at room temperature and eaten quickly. Putting them in the fridge will cause them to mold more rapidly than if you left them out. Besides, you might forget about them in the fridge!

9. Melons: Before you cut them open, you should keep watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew on the counter. After these melons are sliced, the fruit can be kept for a few days in the fridge.

10. Coffee: Ground or whole, you shouldn't store these beans in the fridge or freezer. Condensation is not coffee's friend; it can greatly affect the flavor. Instead, coffee is best stored in an airtight container in the pantry.

As a rule of thumb, if your grocer doesn't refrigerate it, why should you? Try to buy only what you'll eat within a few days, and you'll be treated to fresher, better-tasting food.

Photo by pj_vanf, flickr.

Edible Plants A to Z // Chicory

Chicory is as versatile as a foraged plant can get. You can use just about every part of it: the fibrous leaves, the hearty root, and even the dandelion-like flower. Since it was first cultivated in ancient Egypt—and, by the way, also in ancient Greece and Rome—this plant has been developed for many different uses. You'll find it in a variety of sizes and colors, and it is known by several different names: radicchio, sugarloaf, and Belgian endive, to name a few.

Although chicory is mostly consider a weed in the United States, the plant's root is the not-so-secret ingredient in the coffee brewed at Café Du Monde in New Orleans. As the story goes, the endive was used to stretch out meager supplies when coffee was scarce during the French civil war. The French brought it to Louisiana, and today, you can still order up a cup of the coffee/chicory mix with the cafe's world-famous beignets.

Using this Plant

• Greens: used for salads, juices, and other recipes; can be harvested through the growing season but will be most tender and less bitter before flowering in Spring
• Roots: can be roasted, ground, and used as a coffee substitute; best harvested autumn through winter
• Flowers: can be used for dye and have many medicinal qualities; flowering can happen April through October, depending on the variety and zone

chicory recipes

Chicory Recipes from Around the Web:

1. Braised Chicory (gluten free, meat free)
2. Chicory and Grapefruit Green Smoothie (dairy free, gluten free, meat free)
3. Chicory, Leek, and Chicken Stew (dairy free, gluten free)
4. Chicory Salad with Anchovy Dressing (dairy free, gluten free, meat free)
5. Raw Salad with Fennel, Seville Orange, Chicory, and Kohlrabi (dairy free, gluten free, meat free)
6. Pickled Eggs with Mayonnaise on Chicory Leaves (dairy free, gluten free)

Warning: Only consume plants you can positively identify and know are safe to eat.

Top photo by joeldinda, Flickr. All recipe images are copyright their original owner. Sources: Hungry Native, Temperate Climate Permaculture, and Wikipedia.