It is that time of year when heating up the kitchen ends up heating up the house … at least it does when you live in southern Tennessee! A salad lunch or dinner often times is just right. But on Thursday what does the lettuce or spinach look like that you bought on the weekend? I shared this little-known secret back in 2011 and I beg your forgiveness if this is old news for you.
For my entire adult life I have thrown away yucky lettuce and spinach. I put it in Tupperware – and it turns brown in a couple of days, I put it in plastic bags and it wilts, I buy super-duper green specially made to keep lettuce bags – and it doesn’t last a week! Then, one day I was surfing through some foodie websites and I read this blog post about how storing greens in a mason jar will keep them for a week or two! “Oh ya, I’ll bet” I thought.
Unfortunately, I didn’t save the website name, but I did put some newly purchased spinach and newly purchased green leafy lettuce in jars. I put a plastic screw-top lid on them and set them in the fridge.
One week later I took them out and this is what they looked like —
I immediately made us all a nice salad for dinner (putting the rest of the lettuce and spinach BACK into a jar for another week.) The lettuce tasted fresh, there were NO brown spots and it was crispy. TWO weeks later…
I kid you not, this lettuce and spinach has been in those jars for two weeks and they look almost just like I brought them home from the store. I had one small area of brown in the center of the lettuce and that was it. Now, all of you may have already known this well-kept secret, but I DID NOT! I assure you, I will never, ever, have to throw away yucky lettuce or spinach again. The quart jars fit perfect in my veggie drawer of the refrigerator. I am so thrilled I just had to share!
The Kitchn recently shared Your Summer Guide To Salad Greens and Lettuces. There are a few recipes I am going to try out. I’ll keep you posted!
Some of my favorites from the past:
Chicken and Spinach Penne Salad
Kale Garden Salad
And one of my very favorite summer salads —
Spinach and Chicken Asian Salad
Keep Cool,
~Catherine
does the jar have to have a plastic lid or can i use a regular canning jar with the lid and screw band? thank you.
Hi Judy, a regular canning jar lid and screw band works fine. I just happen to have plastic lids that fit mine but I have also used the flats and screw lids.
Awesome tip! I just bought 2lbs of Spinach from Costco in a big plastic box, and I always wonder how much of it I can eat before it goes bad! Maybe this is the fix I needed! Thanks for sharing your “old” news. It’s New to me! 🙂
Heather, thanks for your comment. I also like to buy BIG from Costco and so this has really helped me. I hope it works well for you too! Blessings!
I am going to try greens in jars. Never heard of it. I waste so much spinach. Thanks
Linda, I think you will really like it. It sure has worked for me!
Good to know! Have plenty of jars to try it, thanks.
Hi Terri, Let me know how this works for you!