3 Ways to Save Your Salad Greens at Home
Hate throwing away the salad greens you needed for tonight’s dinner? We got you! Cut down food waste and learn how to improve the shelf life of your salad greens at home with AeroGarden’s food-saving tips!
It's a modern horror story.
We go to the grocery store and carefully pick the freshest salad greens, only to let them rot in the back of our fridge until they're no longer recognizable… Sound familiar?
We've all been there.
Maybe you had the best intention of making a delicious salad or stir-fry, but life got in the way, and those poor veggies were left alone.
But things can be different.
If you want to make a difference in the longevity of your salad greens, growing at home with AeroGarden is step #1, as growing your own produce helps you cut, use, and eat what you need instead of buying produce in bulk and hoping you can use it before you lose it.
So, beyond growing with AeroGarden®, further your food-saving efforts, with our three food-savings tips to extend your salad green shelf life:
3 Ways to Save Your Salad Greens at Home
Method #1: Plastic Bag and Paper Towels
So, your salad greens are ready, and after you cut, wash, and dry off what you need, lay out the leaves on paper towels, then roll them up and place them in a plastic bag. Be sure to press out as much air as possible and seal the top before placing it in the fridge. The best place in your fridge for this baggie of greens is the crisper drawers. These drawers typically have humidity controls to keep your produce fresh and healthy longer.
WHAT THIS DOES: The paper towels absorb excess moisture, keeping greens from getting slimy, while the sealed bag keeps excess air from circulating in and out, slowing down the wilting process.
Method #2: Plastic Container and Paper Towels
If you do not have plastic bags big enough, you can line a plastic storage container with paper towels and place the salad greens in an even layer on top, and cover it with another layer of paper towels before locking down the lid. Be sure not to jam-pack it full of produce, as you need space for it to breathe.
WHAT THIS DOES: The paper towels serve the same purpose as with the first method, but the leaves aren't packed down as tightly. A hard-sided container also protects the leaves from getting knocked around or bruised by other foods they might sit against in the refrigerator.
Method #3: An Inflated Plastic Bag
The final and most intriguing method came from New York Times bestselling cookbook author Dorie Greenspan1. Her technique is to put your salad greens in a plastic produce bag and then inflate the bag, twist the top and tie it closed with a rubber band.
WHAT THIS DOES: Blowing in air is said to provide enough carbon dioxide to keep the greens fresh.
Keeping it (Real) Fresh
So next time you have salad greens ready to eat, don't let them die a slow, sad death in the back of your fridge.
Try one of these methods to help extend their shelf life and keep them fresh and delicious for as long as possible. Your taste buds (and your wallet) will thank you!
1Greenspan, Around My French Table: More than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours, Harvest, 2010
