How To Make Green Veggies Last In The Fridge

Two years ago, I used to get into these brief periods of enthusiasm regarding adding more greens to my and my family’s diet.I would find myself feeling really good about loading up the good old trolley at Coles / Woolies with celery, silverbeet, spinach, salad greens, leeks, bok choy. I would then shove the poor dears into the vegetable compartment or in between the bottles of juice and multitude of containers in the fridge. Usually the enthusiasm about greens waned when it came to actually USING them (cleaning, slicing, etc)… and the poor veggies wilted in the 3-5 days that I had been procrastinating or “putting off” their use.

Sounds familiar?

My family’s diet has changed significantly since two years ago, and greens are most definitely the star and centre of most meals nowadays, especially since my partner and I have gone smoothie-mad! Nowadays I receive a box-full of greens and other veggies form an organic home delivery service (like Homefresh Organics) and I supplement in between deliveries by going to farmer’s markets.

Here are my tricks to keeping the veggies fresh in the fridge much longer – – AND even better, to motivate you to use the veggies daily for all sorts of dishes so that they don’t have to stay too long in the fridge in the first place. My weekly veggie prep doesn’t take me more than half an hour. Ready?

1. Wash the veggies well in water to remove any dirt and chemical residues. Some people like to fill a big basin with water and add apple cider vinegar to improve the cleaning, but I just use water most days.
2. Grab a large container or plastic grocery bag and line the bottom / sides with a tea towel or paper towels.
3. Slice the veggies into bite size pieces that you would use for cooking or smoothies.
4. Dry the veggies in a salad spinner or if not, dab them with paper towels / tea towel. You don’t have to stress too much about drying the leaves and stems perfectly as a little bit of dampness keeps them fresh.
5. Pile the sliced veggies into the container you prepared in Step 2. If needed, you can place another paper towel or tea towel on top.
6. Cover the container or bunch up the plastic bag and you’re done!

I usually have anywhere between 4-5 parcels or containers of greens in my fridge and it makes making smoothies or using veggies for cooking SO convenient! The nutrition benefits of green veggies to you and your family are priceless so try these tips today!

 

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