Storing & Serving

Keep it Fresh for the Feast!


Ours isn't fast food in the over-processed, fat-loaded, mega-sodium, sugar-addled sense of the word, but Pure Market Express fare is stopwatch-fast by a raw foodist's clock. Some dishes require a minute or two of your attention. We supply individually wrapped components for, say, a Caesar salad: You toss it on the spot for crispness and peak flavor. Ditto with folding cut veggies into a soup base or smoothing out smoothies with a turn through your blender. All Pure Market Express items arrive individually labeled with storage instructions and serving suggestions. Some tried-and-trues for best enjoying your selections:

STORING
  • Crackers and breads can keep on the countertop for one week and in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. Flax crackers can keep in the refrigerator for up to three months in an airtight container. Cereal can keep on the countertop for two weeks or indefinitely in the refrigerator.

  • Nut milks can keep three to four days in the refrigerator's crisper; two to three days on the refrigerator's regular shelving.

  • Be mindful of raw dishes that have been refrigerated for around two weeks. Try a tiny taste: Any tingle on your tongue and the item is best tossed.

SERVING
  • If a sauce or salad dressing has separated, whisk or shake it until completely blended, adding water to thin it to the desired consistency.

  • Pasta may arrive in a liquid base but this is only veggies' natural release of water. Pour water off and discard, or save it and use to thin the accompanying sauce. (Raw sauces tend to thicken after preparation.)

  • Certain dishes are best enjoyed warm yet are still considered raw, provided the temperature doesn't exceed 118 degrees Fahrenheit. Warm items in a dehydrator, over a space heater or in an oven at the lowest possible temperature, cracking open the door for airflow.

  • Smoothies ship frozen on dry ice, arriving very cold if no longer ice-hard. Thaw enough to pour into a blender. If the consistency is too thick or the ingredients have settled, add water hot from the teapot or tap to the blender. Add cubed or crushed ice if the consistency is too thin. (For cacao bean, adding hot water and whirring through a blender gives it just the right steamy texture.)

CELEBRATING
  • Create a relaxed dining atmosphere that reflects the goodness of the food being served. Remove clutter from the table. Turn on soothing music. Light an unscented candle. Eat slowly and with gratitude.

  • The eye cues the appetite. Raw foods made from fruits and vegetables are naturally colorful, so beautiful presentation is a given. Plate items on vibrantly designed dishware, letting the design frame the food, or on simple, monochromatic plates atop lettuce or kale leaves.

  • Stemware makes gorgeous vessels for puddings, yogurts, smoothies and juices. Teacups can be novel for puddings, yogurts and ice cream, too. Goblets or tumblers chilled beforehand in the freezer make for a frosty presentation that's particularly refreshing in hot weather.

  • Pretend you're a chef or photo stylish when garnishing. Cut radishes and strawberries into fans. Twirl thin slices of lemon, lime or orange into twists. Peel thin strips of cucumber, zucchini or carrot into ribbons and curls (secure the latter with toothpicks). Finely chop red, yellow, green and orange bell peppers into confetti. Place desserts atop squiggles of sauce squirted out of a plastic ketchup-type bottle.

Discover the difference of raw.