Question: fresh ingredients for 2
By: Rich Grant
Published: December 31, 2010

How do you keep things like mushrooms, scallions, shallots, peppers, etc fresh for cooking when there is only two of us and we don't go to the store every day. Any tips would be appreciated.

Answers:
Chris Paulk

Mushrooms should be stored in a paper bag. You can also buy them dried- and re-hydrate them when you are ready to use them. I keep a Costco size bag of dried Shitake mushrooms on hand for last minute menus. (they're much cheaper that way too).
Shallots & garlic  I keep in the garage - as long as it's not too cold. They like it there this time of year. You can confit your garlic and keep it up to 4 months in a jar in the fridge. Haven't done this with shallots yet- but considering it!
I know this sounds weird- but turn the peppers over every few days - for some reason it seems to give me at least a few extra days with them. You can also roast and refrigerate the peppers or store them in olive oil.
Scallions are harder- I've seen where people put them in water glasses- but you have to constantly change the water. 
http://www.foodista.com/recipe/XYRZCGWR/herbal-garlic-confit
Rich Grant

How cold is too cold for the garage? I'm in NH and I don't think it ever gets below freezing but it gets darn close.
Never thought about the garage before. Might be a good place to keep a few other things. I do have a pretty clean garage without a lot of STUFF in it. Basically just 2 cars.
Rich Grant

Thanks much. Have to rethink our fall to spring storage but we are colder than that but the garage at least never to freezes. The Confit sounds REAL interesting and there seems to be a lot of recipes for shallots confit too but they don't seem to hold as long..
I'm an amateur cook so help me out.
How do you use the confit? Seems like you couldn't use it as "regular" garlic as it seems to be made milder by the heating. I know about baked garlic and how mild that is. If you want the 'punch' of the garlic, do you just use more or have to go back to regular garlic?