Put your fresh salad greens in a big plastic bag, gather up the neck, blow a little air (a.k.a carbon dioxide) inside, then seal it up quick. Apparently this trick will keep your greens "bright, firm, and flavorful for at least a week."

Posted on June 19, 2007

readers comments:

I might give it a try in my own kitchen, but I can't imagine wanting to eat greens that have been steeping in someone else's breath for a week.

...says Tom on 06/19/07 at 11:40 AM

I was just about to say that, "mmmmm, breathy greens."

CO2 canisters are readily available, and though not free like bad breath, I see a Ronco product in our futures...

...says SP on 06/19/07 at 12:05 PM

I might give it a try in my own kitchen, but I can't imagine wanting to eat greens that have been steeping in someone else's breath for a week.

Yeah, it's a great idea for singles like me (I struggle to eat them all before they spoil), but perhaps it might be less appealing for serving to others.

...says melissa on 06/19/07 at 6:27 PM

i always do this when taking bulk greens home from the store. the puffy bag also keeps the greens from getting squished from inattentive baggers in the checkout line.

...says yi on 06/19/07 at 6:28 PM

I actually do the reverse of this and it works well for me. I prep my greens, wrap them (still slightly damp) in a paper towel, and *exclude* air by sealing in a ziploc. I have had pre-washed greens last for nearly a week this way.

To be fair, I do this with tough supermarket lettuce, and haven't tried it with the fresher, delicate stuff from the garden.

...says Mary on 06/19/07 at 8:26 PM

I will have to try this. I also struggle to eat the fresh lettuce before it goes bad but hate to throw it out. Or perhaps I will try the air excluding method, might take up less room in my refrig!

...says Rebecca on 06/20/07 at 4:05 PM

couldn't you just hang them upside down somewhere in a nice cool, dry place? if they dry out completely, hey - you've got fresh (dry) herbs.

...says zeep on 06/21/07 at 1:39 AM

oh - you're talking about salad greens. heh heh, never mind.

BUT WAIT ---

a nice bunch of dried salad greens crumbled over a hot, goat cheese cheese omelet are amazing!! ;)

...says zeep on 06/21/07 at 1:40 AM

I take my greens, wash and dry them very well, and store them in a tupperware container that has a layer of paper towels in the bottom. Works like a charm and they stay crisp for a week (although the arugula has a tendency to yellow after five days or so...)

When I worked in a delicatessen, we took our washed and dried greens and put them in a plastic bag with a paper towel in the bottom, and squeezed out some of the air and tied it closed... worked well for a few days storage (they never needed to last longer than that...)

...says K on 06/21/07 at 9:37 AM

Our simple solution is to use a salad spinner. After washing and spin drying the greens, pour out any excess water and store in the fridge. Easily keeps for days.

...says gatz on 06/22/07 at 2:01 PM

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