Ah! it's the time of year that I affectionately call "Lettuce Days"! For a vegan, like me, that spells nirvana! But, it can be a little overwhelming, because greens can wilt in a heartbeat if they are not prepped properly.
So, this week, let's talk about greens: how to keep them fresh and how to prep them for the freezer for later use.
(Please note: My posts contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I will receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. Thank you!)
General tips:
#1: Use Your Greens in Order of Spoilage
I always plan to use my greens in order of spoilage. For instance, a bag of mixed lettuces will spoil in a heartbeat. Why? Because, usually there is too much moisture in that bag. So, they wilt and you wind up throwing them out. So, if you I get a bag of pre-washed mixed lettuces, it gets used first. Kale, on the other hand, is a the Sherman tank of greens. It will easily stay fresh for a week or more.
#2: Get A Salad Spinner
If you don't have a salad spinner, get one now! They are generally under $20. If you are cheap, like me, visit your local thrift store. People donate them all the time! A salad spinner allows you to use centrifugal force to spin the water and dirt off of your greens.
This 5 quart OVOS salad spinner has all my favorite features! All salad spinners come with either a rip-cord arrangement on the top or an actual handle that you turn. I prefer the handle version (like this unit) to spin the greens. The handle is easier to hold on to and is less likely to break. The bowl of this spinner is also designed to double as a serving bowl! I like that a lot! This OVOS spinner holds a full 5 quarts. So, it's big enough to handle a whole head of lettuce at one time. Finally, the price is right! It's just $22.00! That's a great value!
Lettuce
Let's talk lettuce, first. Basically, you need to remember that water is the evil foe of tender greens. Lettuce are especially susceptible to the influence of sitting in too much moisture. They wilt and die, just as they would in the field with too much moisture.
Step-by-step instructions for cleaning and storing greens.
1. Wash thoroughly.
I throw them in the basket of the salad spinner and rinse them over the sink, using a strong jet of water. Move the greens around in the basket to insure that there are no bits of dirt stuck to the underside or folds of leaves.
2. Spin in your salad spinner - or alternately, put them in a colander.
If you use a colander, drain off as much water as possible. Then, transfer to a clean kitchen towel, gently patting dry with a second towel. Otherwise, place the lid on the salad spinner and spin until the leaves are fairly dry.
3. Don't worry about removing every spec of water.
Just a bit should remain on the leaves - like the "mister" in the grocery store - you know, that unit that your kids try to put their hands in the little stream of water and you try to stop them but secretly want to do it yourself.
4. Place a paper towel in the bottom of a ziplock bag.
*Here's where I tell you that if you are environmentally conscious (and aren't we all these days?) that the reusable mesh produce bags work great. You can also use a rigid sided container and place a paper towel or a thin, clean, cloth at the bottom of the container or bag. The idea is that the cloth or paper towel will wick away any excess moisture from the greens, while maintaining enough moisture to keep the environment inside the bag at just the right humidity to keep your greens "happy".
Vegibag is the grand champion of reusable storage bags! Seriously! It's a little pricey. But, oh boy is it ever good! Made with organic cotton, it uses European practices for vegetable preservation.
Here's another option for most produce. These plastic free mesh bags get fantastic ratings and are priced at under $20 for the whole set. They are really designed to take to the grocery store with you or to place items like tomatoes or grapes in them at home - really anything you don't want to place directly on the shelf of the refrigerator. They are not really designed for storing washed greens.
5. Put the freshly washed greens on top of the paper towel.
6. Leave a gap in the seal. You want a little air to get to the greens.
You can see in the photos that I leave a hand's width gap unclosed at the top of the plastic bag.
7. Place in fridge.
That's it! This technique should help greens stay crisp and crunchy for 7 days.
Freezing
Kale, turnip greens, beet greens, mustard greens, and more can be frozen for later use. Just throw in a pan with a little water in the bottom. Cook over low heat until they just wilt. Cool and then store in cup cup increments in the freezer. Be sure to label your containers or you will wind up like me - with a whole lot of packages of green items inside and NO idea exactly what sort of green it actually is!
Green onion tops can be cut and flash frozen on a large tray and then removed and placed in a labelled container and moved to the freezer.
Green onion tops can be cut and flash frozen on a large tray and then removed and placed in a labelled container and moved to the freezer.
Detailed Freezing Instructions
You can view detailed freezing instructions for flash freezing and steaming and then freezing produce in: "Putting Food By for Winter: Freezing". It's the first in a three-part series I did on "Putting Food By for Winter".
Just in case you'd like to read the other posts in the series:
If you'd like even more tips!
Seasonal produce book
Right now I'm offering a free copy of my seasonal produce book when you sign up to follow me by e-mail. It's the best way to insure that you don't miss a single post!
*Note: If you're already a member of my e-mail group, just throw me a note at: underthemedian@gmail.com and I'll send you a link so you can download the e-book.
This 8 page Seasonal Produce e-book tells you:
- How to find the freshest produce each season
- Preparing and storing produce to insure that it lasts as long as possible
- Dehydrating or freezing produce for later use
FREE Energy Savings E-Book
One more thing! In case you missed it, last week I did an 1 hour Facebook Live interview with Citizen's Utility Board. I gave 20 tips on how to lower your utility bills. We had a great time! I even put together a free, downloadable 16 page Energy Savings e-book. It's my gift to you!
You can download it by looking for this photo on the right side of the blog. (It's right under my profile description!) Just click on the image and it will take you directly to the download.
To view the entire interview:
Click on this photo and it will take you directly to my interview with Citizen's Utility Board.
Your turn!
If love to know if you enjoyed the Energy Savings E-book. Produce E-book, or the interview.
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Hope
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