How to keep your greens fresher

Our mothers were right: Wrapping greens in newspaper before storing them in the fridge do make them last longer.

You see, the newspaper absorbs excess moisture in the leaves and so prevents spoilage for longer. Excess moisture causes the leaves to rot.

But do keep the wrapped leaves in a plastic bag, with as much air squeezed out as possible and without crushing the leaves, to obtain the correct level of humidity.

Generally, greens should be eaten within one to 11/2 days of purchase for maximum nutrition.

And if you want to double their antioxidant power: Tear the leaves before storing them. That is because plants respond to threats by producing bitter phytonutrients (plant nutrients) to fend off predators such as insects and animals.

And when we eat the torn greens, we benefit from the added antioxidant protection.

But eat them soon, because the tearing will hasten their decay.

After doing all this, where do you store your greens?

The refrigerator's crisper drawer provides the ideal level of humidity for longer storage.

If, after taking all these measures, you open the bag and the leaves look a bit wilted, well, do not throw them away. Just dunk them for a few minutes in a bowl of iced water and they will crisp up nicely.

This article was first published on Dec 4, 2014.
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