Produce Storage: leafy greens
Produce Storage: leafy greens
Are your spinach and lettuce wilting too quickly? Have you ever opened a bag to use for dinner one evening, and by the next day they are a mushy mess, and you have to throw the rest out? How do you solve these issues? The most important thing to keep in mind is to keep the leaves dry! The best method for washing and storing leafy greens is to separate the leaves from the head and soak them in cold water for about five minutes. Then you’ll want to gently swirl the leaves in the water and transfer them to a salad spinner to dry. If you don’t have a salad spinner, you can use a large clean and dry dishcloth to gather and wrap leaves in, then gently bounce and shake excess water off. I prefer this method. Next, you transfer them to another dry towel to dry off completely. Ensure they are dry before storage. They need to be dry because storing wet leaves can turn your greens into a mushy mess almost overnight. Finally once you’ve got your greens rinsed and dried, line a container with paper towels and place them inside. The hard sides of the container will help protect the tender leaves from getting crushed, and the paper towels will absorb excess moisture.
I hope you have enjoyed this information. Until next time!
Emma Alexander-Cook.