I have an unusual tip to share but oh so useful! We all know that the darker greens are the healthiest for us, so we all know that romaine lettuce has a very short life in the fridge! My daughter and her hubby loved caeser salad, but were constantly throwing out romaine, since they both worked at jobs that could take them out of town for a few days with little notice. As a visitor, I noticed this, and was put in the position of remaining a few days to take care of my granddaughter. There sat the romaine, ready for a wilting death in the fridge.
I washed it well in cold water, broke off the core at the bottom, lined a large plastic container with paper towel, and layered romaine leaves and paper towel, hoping it would keep a few days. I was very surprised that if you kept the top tightly shut, it would keep up to three weeks, and be just as crisp and green and crunchy as when it was newly purchased!
As my daughter likes to say,"Who Knew?" This really works!
I've done this for years also. I wrap everything in PT's, radishes, broccoli, cabbage, celery, green onions, asparagus, just about anything. As soon as I buy but before I wash except lettuce. Even half used cucumbers, peppers get wrapped. Then I put them in ziplock bags which can be re-used. I also line my crisper drawers with a cotton kitchen towel.
I buy the "green bags" sold in drugstores, Walmart & Kmart, etc. They are re-usable after a simple (non-soap) rinse & air dry many times. Directions are on the pkg. but I take an extra step & wrap the produce, fruit in paper towels then put in green bag, fold down top & close with a clothes pin. These bags are a produce saver; saved my throwing out produce many many times over & saving money. I highly recommend them.
I've been doing this with lettuce for years but just recently tried it with alfalfa sprouts and bean sprouts (because they always get mushy so quickly) and it works great with them, too !!! Kept the bean sprouts crunchy for a tad over a week and the alfalfa for about two weeks! I found they last longer layed in a plastic container rather then their original packaging though :-)
I agree...a paper towel is great! I do the same with with many things. I put one in the bottom of the bag that stores celery, and loosely wrap herbs such as parsley and rosemary. It definitely prolongs their life.
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Tip: Store Salad Greens With a Paper Towel
(07/09/2009)
I always buy the big containers of organic greens. Every time I went to use them, the moisture from the greens would make under the lid wet.
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Tip: Store Salad Greens With a Paper Towel
Archived on 07/09/2009
I always buy the big containers of organic greens. Every time I went to use them, the moisture from the greens would make under the lid wet. I got so aggravated, because the greens would be soggy and go to waste, and they are not cheap.
My tip is this: when you open the greens wipe the lid off. Then lay a piece of dry paper towel on top of the greens, and replace the lid. The paper towel absorb the moisture. I do this every time now and it works just lovely.
I do that, too :-) I like to prepare food ahead, enough for a few days ... I cut up the greens myself and they stay fresh just over a week and a half :-) Another trick to keep the greens fresh is to not place other cut up veggies (like tomatoes, they go in to their own containers) in with the greens until you're actually having the salad :-) (04/23/2009)
If you buy lettuce by the head, store it with a paper towel when you get it home. I cut the end of the leaf lettuce off, rinse the lettuce,let it dry in the colander, then wrap a piece of paper toweling around the lettuce and store it in the same bag. I close the bag but don't twist-tie it. I may have to trim the ends, but the lettuce stays fresh for the weeks' salads. (04/24/2009)
