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How To Store Salad Greens So They Last Two Weeks Or More

One of my favorite parts of gardening is making salads using all of the fresh vegetables that come out of my garden.

There is nothing quite so good as a sun-warmed tomato, or the spectacular crunch of a cucumber that you just picked.

But even better is the flavor and perfect crispness of freshly cut greens. Store-bought lettuces can’t compare.

You just can’t beat a salad made with all of the bounty from your garden.

Whether you grow salad greens to be picked when they are young and tender, or you prefer something more substantial like a head of romaine or buttercrunch, you can’t beat salad greens you grew yourself.

Related Reading: How To Grow Cut & Come Again Lettuce

Often these tender plants need to be picked all at once, and once picked, they don’t last very long. And while eating salad greens from your garden is great, it’s incredibly frustrating going to your fridge to make a salad and finding wilted, brown, or even mushy greens that have gone bad.

An excellent way to avoid this from the start is by planting your salad greens over the course of a few weeks. That way, everything isn’t ready to be picked all at once.

But what do you do if it’s too late for that or you get a bumper crop when you’re harvesting? How do you keep all of those ruby red and emerald green leaves from going bad before you can eat them?

It’s all in how you prep and store your greens.

While lettuces need a little humidity, they quickly break down if they’re exposed to too much moisture. Salad greens tend to be very delicate also, so they bruise easily. If handled roughly, the leaves spoil within days.

A few years ago, I stumbled upon the best way to keep salad greens fresh and crisp for nearly two weeks at a time.

All it takes is a little extra prep work, and you’ll be amazed at how much longer your beautiful homegrown lettuces last.

This method works incredibly well for store-bought containers of salad greens too.

I used to get so mad when I would buy one and get maybe one or two salads from the package before the whole thing would go bad, and I’d end up throwing it away. What a waste of food and money!

If you’re using a store-bought prewashed salad mix, you can skip to step 3.

A note:

  • You’ll want to get your greens in the fridge as soon as possible. Be sure to follow these steps as soon as you have picked your lettuces.

Step 1 – Rinse in Cold Water

Fill your sink with cold water. If your tap water doesn’t get very cold, add a few ice cubes. This will give greens a nice drink and boost their water content before you store them. It will also help to perk up greens that have started to wilt a little if you weren’t able to get to them right after picking or if it’s an especially hot day.

Along with getting them clean, washing your salad greens in icy, cold water gives them a hydration boost before storing them.

Soak your greens in cold water, swishing them gently and then letting them sit for a few minutes so that dirt and debris can settle in the bottom of the sink. Be gentle, remember bruised leaves spoil fast.

If your lettuces are especially dirty, you can repeat this step a couple more times, starting with fresh water each time. No one wants to chomp down on a bit of gritty dirt in the middle of eating a fresh garden salad.

Step 2 – Spin

I’m not big on kitchen gadgets; if it’s in my kitchen, it serves more than one purpose. But if you’re going to grow salad greens you really should have a salad spinner. It’s essential to get as much water off of the surface of your lettuces before storing them in the cold fridge.

You can pick up a good salad spinner for less than $30 that will last you for years.

And in my experience, the best way to do that is with a quality salad spinner. I’ve had a Zyliss salad spinner for nearly two decades.

When the first one finally died last year, I immediately replaced it with the same model. This one has a different handle, and it’s green now, but it’s just as good, if not better than the last one.

Get yourself a good salad spinner; it really does make a difference.

If you don’t have a salad spinner, you can use this quick and easy method instead. You’ll want to do it outside; this is also a fun job to give to the kids. Put the freshly washed greens into a plastic grocery bag, poke several holes into the bottom of the bag with a paring knife. Now spin the grocery bag quickly in a circle above your head or to your side.

When you’re spinning your greens, do them in batches. Only fill your salad spinner basket halfway. Again, you want to be gentle, and you don’t want to crush your lettuces. Bruising leads to rotten lettuce.

Don’t overfill the salad spinner. Spin out your greens in smaller batches if they won’t all fit.

Step 3 – Gently Pack Your Greens

This step is the most important. You can either use your salad spinner or a large plastic food storage container to store your greens. If you’re using the salad spinner, be sure to drain and wipe dry the inside. You want as little moisture in there as possible. At this point, the moisture should all be inside your greens, not the container you are storing them in.

Greens shouldn’t be smashed together in a container, doing so leads to spoiled leaves within a day or two.

Lay a small piece of paper towel in the bottom of your container and gently place greens inside. Do NOT pack the greens down. They should lay in the container lightly compacted, but not smushed. Use several containers if you need to. Once you have all of your greens divvied up, place another piece of paper towel on top and put the lid on the container.

If you don’t use paper towels, a small piece of clean flannel or birds-eye cloth will work too. Essentially, you need an absorbent layer on the top and bottom of the container.

Step 4 – Fluff Gently and Enjoy

Whenever you make a salad, gently fluff the greens to be sure they have plenty of space and pull out any with brown spots on them. Check your paper towel and replace it if it’s too damp.

I use rectangular, two-liter sized food containers to store my greens. Every few days or whenever I make a salad, I turn the containers over – top to bottom, or bottom to top, so that the greens don’t slowly compact under their own weight.

Greens shouldn’t be compacted tightly in a container.

Using this method, I stopped throwing out spoiled salad greens altogether.

Gardening is hard work. Who wants to work so hard growing good food, only to have to throw it away? With a little extra care, you can eat crisp and delicious salads for weeks after picking your greens. Enjoy!

If you’re looking for even more ways to curb food waste, then you’ll definitely want to read our pantry staple guide.

15 Pantry Staples You’re Storing Incorrectly – How to Store Dry Goods to Save Money & Preserve Flavor

How To Store Salad Greens So They Last Two Weeks Or More

How To Store Salad Greens So They Last Two Weeks Or More

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: Free
A few years ago, I stumbled upon the best way to keep salad greens fresh and crisp for nearly two weeks at a time.

Materials

  • Fresh salad greens
  • Salad spinner
  • Food storage container
  • Paper towels

Instructions

    1. Soak your greens in cold water, swishing them gently and then letting them sit for a few minutes so that dirt and debris can settle in the bottom of the sink.
    2. Fill your salad spinner no more than half way and spin your lettuce dry.
    3. Lay a small piece of paper towel in the bottom of your container and gently place greens inside. Do NOT pack the greens down. Once you have all of your greens divvied up, place another piece of paper towel on top and put the lid on the container.
    4. Whenever you make a salad, gently fluff the greens to be sure they have plenty of space and pull out any with brown spots on them. Check your paper towel and replace it if it’s too damp.

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Tracey Besemer

Hey there, my name is Tracey. I’m the editor-in-chief here at Rural Sprout.

Many of our readers already know me from our popular Sunday newsletters. (You are signed up for our newsletters, right?) Each Sunday, I send a friendly missive from my neck of the woods in Pennsylvania. It’s a bit like sitting on the front porch with a friend, discussing our gardens over a cup of tea.

Originally from upstate NY, I’m now an honorary Pennsylvanian, having lived here for the past 18 years.

I grew up spending weekends on my dad’s off-the-grid homestead, where I spent much of my childhood roaming the woods and getting my hands dirty.

I learned how to do things most little kids haven’t done in over a century.

Whether it was pressing apples in the fall for homemade cider, trudging through the early spring snows of upstate NY to tap trees for maple syrup, or canning everything that grew in the garden in the summer - there were always new adventures with each season.

As an adult, I continue to draw on the skills I learned as a kid. I love my Wi-Fi and knowing pizza is only a phone call away. And I’m okay with never revisiting the adventure that is using an outhouse in the middle of January.

These days, I tend to be almost a homesteader.

I take an eclectic approach to homesteading, utilizing modern convenience where I want and choosing the rustic ways of my childhood as they suit me.

I’m a firm believer in self-sufficiency, no matter where you live, and the power and pride that comes from doing something for yourself.

I’ve always had a garden, even when the only space available was the roof of my apartment building. I’ve been knitting since age seven, and I spin and dye my own wool as well. If you can ferment it, it’s probably in my pantry or on my kitchen counter. And I can’t go more than a few days without a trip into the woods looking for mushrooms, edible plants, or the sound of the wind in the trees.

You can follow my personal (crazy) homesteading adventures on Almost a Homesteader and Instagram as @aahomesteader.

Peace, love, and dirt under your nails,

Tracey
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