Rescuing Greens is easy!
We’ve all done it - we’ve left greens in the back of the fridge for a week too long, forgot a tote bag in our car or spent a little too long hanging out after shopping the farmers market only to find the greens we got with the best intentions have wilted. As long as there’s a little bit of life left, it’s an easy fix to revive your leaves.
What you’ll need:
a large pot, pitcher, bowl or container that can fit a bunch of greens
cold water
ice - optional
patience
What to do:
Remove any stems that simply can’t be saved - those that have wilted entirely in half, become slimy or fully yellowed out.
Fill your container 3/4 full with the coldest water out of your tap.
Stick your greens in the water - for bunched greens, stick them leaf end down, stem end up in the water. For loose greens, float them all in the water and use your hands to gently disperse them into the water.
If you have space in your refrigerator, it’s ideal to let them rest in the water in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. If refrigerator space is not available, add ice to the water to help it keep cool as the greens rehydrate.
After 2 hours or overight, remove your greens from the water. For bunched green, simply shake the excess water off outside or over your sink. Loose greens should be spun in a salad spinner or clean dish cloth to dry them.
Storing your greens
For best results when you get home from market, store your greens wrapped gently in a clean kitchen towel or cloth napkin inside a plastic bag in your refrigerator.
Loose greens such as salad mix benefit greatly from a container transfer - swap them from the bag they arrive in into a clean container - glass or plastic - with a paper or small cotton cloth on top.
We package our lettuce blend in cellulose-based, fully compostable bags because we feel strongly about limiting single-use plastic at market. We also feel strongly that greens do best stored in hard-sided containers with a little room to breath, which is why we recommend decanting your loose greens into a reusable container once you get them home.