10 Tips to Store Your Greens and Keep Them Fresh
Storing greens can be a challenge. But fret not…we give you some tips on how to store them efficiently.
- The refrigerator is a great place to store greens. To ensure they stay fresh make sure your fridge is kept sparkly clean at all times. A periodical spring cleaning is required to get rid of all old vegetables that emit ethylene which causes the rapid spoilage of vegetables.
- Salad greens and spinach can stay for longer periods of time if sorted as soon as they are brought home. Throw out the bad and wilted leaves if any, ensure there is no moisture and wrap the leaves in kitchen paper towels, one layer at a time.
- Spinach chopped and steamed without water, once cooled, can be stored in the fridge or freezer in a plastic container. You can use them later in curries or smoothies at your convenience.
- Place fresh herbs and leafy greens in a jar of water. They last longer this way and will brighten up your kitchen.
- Spring onions can be chopped up and stored in a plastic water bottle and kept in the freezer to be used at a later date.
- Celery, lettuce and broccoli stay for longer periods of time in the fridge if wrapped in aluminum foil.
- Greens should be stored in the fridge as far away from meats as possible to ensure that they stay as fresh as possible.
- Finely chop up mint and coriander leaves and store them in ice cube trays with a bit of water. Drop these frozen cubes when cooking curries for an instant infusion of flavor!
- Herbs like basil can be tied in bunches with string and hung to dry in the kitchen to be used to flavor dishes.
- There are special plastic jars available in certain home stores which are meant for neatly storing herbs like coriander, mint and curry leaves. This helps to increase their shelf life. Shake any dirt off the leaves. Make sure they are not washed and are totally dry and close the jar tightly. Your leaves should last a week or longer.
