How do you take care of greens? (In fridge)

[Jean in Newcastle]

I have been getting the Organic Girl greens (prewashed, packaged ). But I have been finding that even when I open them the first day they are damp. And they get slimy much faster than the bunnies and I can eat them (two bunnies and I eat them daily). Any tips for longer shelf life?  

[vonfirmath]

Not sure what bunnies are

 

We buy clamshells of greens regularly since we have a bearded dragon. Used to be she would go through them fast enough they rarely went bad. But for the last three months, I think the greens have been closer to spoilage because they don't last as long in the fridge.

[kbutton]

Pat dry or spin in the salad spinner and then wrap in paper towels before putting them in a clean bag/container that has some airflow. You don’t want or need it to be completely sealed.

I also sometimes rinse, spin, drain the spinner, and then leave them in the salad spinner as a crisper if I have room.

Cloth or a paper lunch bag might work as a wrap as well. We don’t get tons of greens (I like cabbage much better), so I don’t worry too much about the wasted paper. I imagine if you remove compromised leaves diligently, you could dry and reuse the paper towels. 

Slime can also mean the leaves are too cold and getting frozen in the wrong part of the fridge.

[Harriet Vane]

I usually throw in a paper towel or two and make sure there's a little air flow.

[kbutton]

1 minute ago, vonfirmath said:

Not sure what bunnies are

At first I thought it was an autocorrect for some other kind of produce. I think she shares the greens with real rabbits. Pets.

[regentrude]

4 minutes ago, vonfirmath said:

Not sure what bunnies are

Small furry mammals with long ears, traditionally associated with Easter

[Ausmumof3]

I would assume that the quality you are getting isn’t very good if they go off too fast. When I buy grocery store greens we get a day or two if they aren’t already slimy. When I get greens from our market we sometimes get up to two weeks with baby spinach and at least a week with baby lettuce leaves. The one main difference is they are packaged in a box not a bag but they are just far less bruised or damaged from the outset.

many bean growers have moved to mechanical pickers now. When you get mechanically picked beans they develop weird black bruise stripes and go off after a few days. Handpicked beans have more of the slightly furry stuff and last much longer and also taste better fresh without cooking. So picking techniques for the growers can be an issue as well.

Whole heads of lettuce tend to keep better than bagged greens in my experience.

[Selkie]

I find that the greens I get from Misfits Market are much fresher and longer lasting than those in the grocery stores around here. The brand is EarthGreens.

[regentrude]

I only buy whole heads anymore. The prewashed bagged stuff often goes bad.

I guess you could open the bag and add a paper towel to absorb moisture 

[Laura Corin]

If I buy prewashed greens, I only buy one packet and eat it immediately.  Then I'll buy whole head greens, broccoli/cauliflower, beans,  courgettes/aubergine/peppers, root vegetables to eat in that order.

[Katy]

Go for whole heads. If you’re picking them yourself avoid the ones with pink, red, or brown color developing on the cut, that’s a kind of mold that makes them go bad, and while it’s harmless to most people it makes my allergies worse. Bring home, cut (I use a ceramic knife), wash, spin well in a salad spinner, put in containers.

I’ve heard wide mouth mason jars make them last the longest, but I use plastic 32 oz deli soup containers with lids from Amazon. Fill with lettuce, put a folded piece of paper towels on the top, lid on, then invert the container so the extra water drains into the paper towel. I can get 5-8 days out of this.

If you do this and they still only last days try a different grocery store or use something more hardy for shipping like spinach. I often found that it’s hard to get lettuce in summer in warmer areas of the country (Florida, Oklahoma), but I don’t remember having trouble in the winter before. I thought it was because most produce isn’t shipped in refrigerator trucks.

You might also try growing it yourself. I had a thread a while back about that but discovered a different grocery store had reliably better produce. 

[vonfirmath]

31 minutes ago, kbutton said:

At first I thought it was an autocorrect for some other kind of produce. I think she shares the greens with real rabbits. Pets.

Oh I read it your way as well -- some other brand of produce other than organic

 

[MEmama]

We are very fortunate to have local baby spinach available in our grocery year round. I buy big clamshells and can use them up quickly by using it in smoothies, and it could last a week or more because it’s very fresh. We have an amazing amount of local produce available even in deep winter. Our local supermarket chain prides itself on supporting local farmers and producers. We sometimes subscribe to a winter CSA and there are local winter farm markets with a crazy amount of fresh produce.

We eat through bagged lettuce/salad much faster than it could spoil. I do buy small bags though, since it’s just the two of us. The added cost is worth the lack of waste, for me. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

32 minutes ago, regentrude said:

Small furry mammals with long ears, traditionally associated with Easter

One of my rabbits is a lop. His ears hang  low and they wobble to and fro. 

[Melissa in Australia]

 Do what I do and Pick fresh from your garden every day. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

17 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

 Do what I do and Pick fresh from your garden every day. 

It’s winter. 

[happi duck]

With clamshell packages I put in a napkin or paper towel and give it a shake each time.  I replace the napkin when it's soaked.

[Carol in Cal.]

The Fridgesmart line from Tupperware is amazing to preserve veggies and fresh herbs longer.  If I’m not going to eat bagged greens pretty quickly, I move it into my Fridgesmart and set the humidity at the right one for that food.  One of the design advantages is a non flat bottom so fluid tends to settle there, off of the leaves.

[Ditto]

6 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

The Fridgesmart line from Tupperware is amazing to preserve veggies and fresh herbs longer.  If I’m not going to eat bagged greens pretty quickly, I move it into my Fridgesmart and set the humidity at the right one for that food.  One of the design advantages is a non flat bottom so fluid tends to settle there, off of the leaves.

Do you have to order these through the Tupperware site or are they available other places?    I really need to get these.  I have the same problem OP has and it is maddening.

[Carol in Cal.]

38 minutes ago, Ditto said:

Do you have to order these through the Tupperware site or are they available other places?    I really need to get these.  I have the same problem OP has and it is maddening.

I got mine through a Tupperware distributor.  I tried 1-2 of them, and was hooked enough to buy more.  

I’ve had the predicted increase in shelf life of greens, and carrots and mint seem to be almost preserved they last so long.  Celery life was extended but not very much.  I have not tried them on blueberries because I buy those in clamshells and eat them pretty quickly. Oranges and other citrus keep so long in the fridge anyway that I have not tried those either.  Tupperware says that this product doubles the fridge life of your produce, and it seems to do that to me.

I have to say, though, I also do eat produce in the order of fragility, so prewashed salads go on the table earlier than other produce, and also generally arugula before spinach before romaine before cabbage, for instance.  I can’t just go to sleep on produce that is very fragile to start with, even with these containers.

[ShepCarlin]

A paper towel in the container helps as many have already said. I'm a big believer in the Debbie Meyer GreenBags. https://www.amazon.com/Debbie-Meyer-GreenBags-Reusable-Vegetables/dp/B00I4V1U06/ref=sxts_rp_s_a1_0?crid=12U323ZZQSLWQ&cv_ct_cx=debbie+myers+fruit+and+vegetable+storage+bags&keywords=debbie+myers+fruit+and+vegetable+storage+bags&pd_rd_i=B00I4V1U06&pd_rd_r=7d0ba04e-1a8c-4504-868d-bbaf90af359a&pd_rd_w=APdhX&pd_rd_wg=6GCIY&pf_rd_p=ef09fc8b-f6fe-450c-ac89-05f354bc6e1d&pf_rd_r=KE7X1SPBFFYW10QAB0MP&psc=1&qid=1642553372&sprefix=debbie+my%2Caps%2C433&sr=1-1-5985efba-8948-4f09-9122-d605505c9d1e

I started using them when the pandemic started to keep our vegetables fresher longer and they really do work. You just have to be sure the greens are dry. I just finished drying off some spinach we got in our farm box today. It's tucked into a Debbie Meyer bag and should stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. 

[Melissa in Australia]

2 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

It’s winter. 

Greens especially lettuce grow extremely well with hydroponics . There are many very easy green wall kits or plans available. For a very small outlay and almost no maintenance you could have greens fresh year round.

[J-rap]

I find that certain stores consistently have certain produce that goes bad quickly.  I don't know why that is.  But sometimes what I've done is take the greens and rinse them thoroughly, pat to dry as thoroughly as I can (or put them through a spinner, which I don't have), and then let them completely air-dry on a towel for a few hours.  They do seem to last longer in the fridge then. 

[Pam in CT]

We eat salad pretty much every day. Even before COVID i had a fragility-based greens cycle

Days 1-2: arugula (my favorite; and it always goes)

Days 2-3: baby spinach (anything that starts getting a bit wilted I'll cook up into palak paneer or a quiche)

Days 4-6: whole leafy heads stored loose with a sheet of paper towel

Days 6-10: romaine, which if stored with a sheet of paper towel will last up to 12 days in the back of my crisper drawer

 

When at the height of COVID lockdown when I was really trying to stretch out deliveries to 14 days, I added kale as a final stage in the cycle. Kale, being made of actual rubber, does not EVER go bad; but sadly, being made of actual rubber, it's not very satisfactory as a salad green, and is only to be used in desperate times, quick-blanched then and thoroughly doused with lemon juice vinaigrette.

[KrissiK]

Wrap them in a cloth tea towel. 

[elegantlion]

5 hours ago, kbutton said:

Pat dry or spin in the salad spinner and then wrap in paper towels before putting them in a clean bag/container that has some airflow. You don’t want or need it to be completely sealed.

 

SO does this with his spinach. If he layers it between paper towels it can least a couple of weeks in the fridge. He uses plastic containers to store them - just leftover food storage boxes of some kind. 

[Laura Corin]

4 hours ago, Pam in CT said:

We eat salad pretty much every day. Even before COVID i had a fragility-based greens cycle

Days 1-2: arugula (my favorite; and it always goes)

Days 2-3: baby spinach (anything that starts getting a bit wilted I'll cook up into palak paneer or a quiche)

Days 4-6: whole leafy heads stored loose with a sheet of paper towel

Days 6-10: romaine, which if stored with a sheet of paper towel will last up to 12 days in the back of my crisper drawer

 

When at the height of COVID lockdown when I was really trying to stretch out deliveries to 14 days, I added kale as a final stage in the cycle. Kale, being made of actual rubber, does not EVER go bad; but sadly, being made of actual rubber, it's not very satisfactory as a salad green, and is only to be used in desperate times, quick-blanched then and thoroughly doused with lemon juice vinaigrette.

Have you tried massaging your kale? Life is too short for me to do it often, but if you remove kale stems and gently massage an acidic dressing into the leaves, then marinade, it softens right up. Scroll down here

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/may/05/yotam-ottolenghi-asparagus-recipes

[Jean in Newcastle]

I tend to get "baby" greens.  Mixed supergreens (which are baby kale, chard, bok choy, arugula)  or spring mix or 50/50 (which is spring mix and baby spinach).  But all of these are baby greens which are soft and tender by themselves. 

[Pam in CT]

re "massaging" rubber greens kale

7 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Have you tried massaging your kale? Life is too short for me to do it often, but if you remove kale stems and gently massage an acidic dressing into the leaves, then marinade, it softens right up. Scroll down here

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/may/05/yotam-ottolenghi-asparagus-recipes

I have a nephew who is a startlingly good cook, and twice when we've gone over for dinner he's done this, and it was, indeed, delicious.

It's just not... my personal kitchen style... to put that much effort into making a green that isn't really digestible, digestible.  I mean. If you just buy spinach instead, you're good to go from the get-go, KWIM?

[But then, I don't get kale.  5+ years ago, kale swept New England; everybody I knew was raving about it. Every restaurant was rolling it out. I was like, what is the point of this?  How is this better than the prior versions? Thankfully the fad seems to have subsided.]

 

That asparagus/pine nut/sourdough crumb/anchovie recipe, OTOH, looks just my style.  I adore all of those things, even the anchovies.

[Laura Corin]

24 minutes ago, Pam in CT said:

re "massaging" rubber greens kale

I have a nephew who is a startlingly good cook, and twice when we've gone over for dinner he's done this, and it was, indeed, delicious.

It's just not... my personal kitchen style... to put that much effort into making a green that isn't really digestible, digestible.  I mean. If you just buy spinach instead, you're good to go from the get-go, KWIM?

[But then, I don't get kale.  5+ years ago, kale swept New England; everybody I knew was raving about it. Every restaurant was rolling it out. I was like, what is the point of this?  How is this better than the prior versions? Thankfully the fad seems to have subsided.]

 

That asparagus/pine nut/sourdough crumb/anchovie recipe, OTOH, looks just my style.  I adore all of those things, even the anchovies.

Yes.  I've massaged kale a couple of times because I'm a big Ottolenghi fan, but.... not recently.  I like kale sauteed with garlic, then steamed a little, then drained and dressed with balsamic and parmesan.  This county is really good at growing kale and all kinds of brassicas, so my organic farm box is kale-heavy: red kale, frilly kale, green kale, plus cavolo nero, three other kinds of cabbage, brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, several kinds of radish, bak choi... 

[MEmama]

13 hours ago, Pam in CT said:

When at the height of COVID lockdown when I was really trying to stretch out deliveries to 14 days, I added kale as a final stage in the cycle. Kale, being made of actual rubber, does not EVER go bad; but sadly, being made of actual rubber, it's not very satisfactory as a salad green, and is only to be used in desperate times, quick-blanched then and thoroughly doused with lemon juice vinaigrette.

How do really feel about kale, @Pam in CT? 🤣

I take it yours is the car *without* the Eat More Kale sticker on the back, then? 

[Carol in Cal.]

13 hours ago, Pam in CT said:

We eat salad pretty much every day. Even before COVID i had a fragility-based greens cycle

Days 1-2: arugula (my favorite; and it always goes)

Days 2-3: baby spinach (anything that starts getting a bit wilted I'll cook up into palak paneer or a quiche)

Days 4-6: whole leafy heads stored loose with a sheet of paper towel

Days 6-10: romaine, which if stored with a sheet of paper towel will last up to 12 days in the back of my crisper drawer

 

When at the height of COVID lockdown when I was really trying to stretch out deliveries to 14 days, I added kale as a final stage in the cycle. Kale, being made of actual rubber, does not EVER go bad; but sadly, being made of actual rubber, it's not very satisfactory as a salad green, and is only to be used in desperate times, quick-blanched then and thoroughly doused with lemon juice vinaigrette.

I do this, too.  I’d add cabbage instead of kale.  Red cabbage is healthy and it makes a pretty good salad if sliced thinly with a blue cheese vinaigrette.

The trouble with kale in this area of the country is that it needs a hard freeze to sweeten and soften it.  Just a little frost won’t do it.  And a little frost is just about all we generally get.

Edited January 19, 2022 by Carol in Cal.

[Bambam]

19 hours ago, Harriet Vane said:

I usually throw in a paper towel or two and make sure there's a little air flow.

I put in two paper towels - one on top, and try to put one sorta on the bottom. Check every time you open to see if you need to change them out. 

[ikslo]

We don't buy bagged greens, normally.  We do fresh from the garden, or buy heads, or get the mixed salad greens in the thin plastic boxes - and those seem to last long enough for us to use them up.  

The only greens we ever had a problem with were bagged greens.  So we don't buy them anymore.

[Jean in Newcastle]

3 minutes ago, ikslo said:

We don't buy bagged greens, normally.  We do fresh from the garden, or buy heads, or get the mixed salad greens in the thin plastic boxes - and those seem to last long enough for us to use them up.  

The only greens we ever had a problem with were bagged greens.  So we don't buy them anymore.

The ones I buy are in the thin plastic boxes.  They used to last.  But now they don't.  (There was a news item on the evening news the other night about how there are less food safety audits lately due to Covid.  I don't know if this is connected.)

[ikslo]

Just now, Jean in Newcastle said:

The ones I buy are in the thin plastic boxes.  They used to last.  But now they don't.  (There was a news item on the evening news the other night about how there are less food safety audits lately due to Covid.  I don't know if this is connected.)

Do you have a salad spinner that you can use to spin out the water when you get home, wipe out/dry the container, and then put them back?  Or maybe it might just behoove you to switch to a different source? 

Is it possible your grocery store is placing the containers under a produce sprayer and they are getting wetter than they should?  Maybe you can ask the dept mgr to consider a new location and see if that helps.