Keeping bagged salads fresh

What is the best way to keep bagged lettuce, spinach, coleslaw etc fresh once opened? Ideas please!

We have the clips from supermarkets/ikea but I used to use pegs when I owned some

I made a cotton bag from an old tea towel (just sewed up 2 sides), so I can just dump the packet into that and it stops the leaves getting slimy.

In a salad spinner.

salad spinner too here

Dont let them get frozen. Frozen salad leaves turn to mush, our fridge has a bad habit of freezing salad leaves

And i only buy ones that last, and i find baby spinach leaves, and the coleslaw mix that is just cabbage and carrots (no corn or green leafy stuff) last a long time

Leaving the bag open prevents it going mouldy and wet at the bottom of the bag, but makes them go stale quicker, so i just throw it in the fridge and hope fot the best. I like the cloth bag idea, woolies has ham bags at the moment, might buy one for salad leaves.

Worth noting that a whole or half cabbage lasts ages in the fridge, so do whole carrots. In summer i usually keep both in the fridge for an emergency coleslaw.

I tip it into a Tupperware vent smart container., it keeps them fresh for about a week.

I think Sistema also do a cheaper version of them now too.

It’s rare for a bag of salad leaves to be opened for more than a day here, but if one is, I put a couple of pieces of paper towel in the bag & seal with a bag clip.

It’s rare for a bag of salad leaves to be opened for more than a day here, but if one is, I put a couple of pieces of paper towel in the bag & seal with a bag clip.

That's interesting. What does the paper towel do?

I hadn't come across that before..we've usually just clipped the bag shut, put into the crisper and hoped!

It’s rare for a bag of salad leaves to be opened for more than a day here, but if one is, I put a couple of pieces of paper towel in the bag & seal with a bag clip.

 

That's interesting. What does the paper towel do?

I hadn't come across that before..we've usually just clipped the bag shut, put into the crisper and hoped!

Paper towel seems to absorb the excess moisture.

I've been using paper towel in an airtight plastic container but it doesn't seem to keep the salad very fresh. It still goes slimy. I might try a cloth bag like [mention]Snorkmaiden[/mention] has suggested, though I'll probably buy one rather than sew one.

Best approach is probably just to eat it all at once!

I used to get a fruit and veg box from a lovely local organics farm direct thingy. Their salad leaves lasted weeks! It was amazing. I think because it came so quickly from the farm. I reckon the bagged stuff in supermarkets takes a long time to get to the shelves, kept looking good by whatever gas they put in the bags, and as soon as you open them, they deteriorate quickly.

Anyway, I can no longer afford such luxuries, this isn't a suggestion just a minor rant.

I've been using paper towel in an airtight plastic container but it doesn't seem to keep the salad very fresh. It still goes slimy. I might try a cloth bag like @Snorkmaiden has suggested, though I'll probably buy one rather than sew one.

Best approach is probably just to eat it all at once!

This for me.

We always wash them in the salad spinner (even of they are pre washed) spin and drain well then store in the salad spinner. The basket bit inside lifts the leaves off any moisture and they stay fresh for much longer than if they are left in the bag.

Buy the salad leaves from the farmers market where you know they were picked the previous day... yeah not very helpful but they last forever

Ours are just pegged and into the crisper - they tend to only have a few days in existence here anyway due to consumption - if that is running a bit slow I put the leftovers into whatever dish (if suitable) I am concocting - great in a stir fry

A few years ago, I bought a box of special plastic bags at the supermarket that keep produce fresher for longer. I periodically wash the bag and dry it to reuse to reduce waste. I put the salad leaves in there and they stay fresh quite some time. The brand is called Fresh and Crisp and claims to keep veg fresh for up to three weeks. It's to do with the way the bag breathes in one direction, according to a cherry farmer I once got chatting to (in the days of travel, I used to bring a big box of farm door cherries home with me each summer).

We have the sistema fresh works containers. They do a good job at keeping lettuce and field greens fresher for longer.

These Kmart containers https://www.kmart.com.au/product/4.5-litre-fridge-food-saver/2438803

Tupperware vent smart containers, or in the bag with a piece of paper towel.

We have a plastic lettuce container in the fridge that works pretty well. We also buy heads of lettuce and just peel off leaves as we go, so that might prolong things a little.

Takes us about two dinners for the three of us to use a bag of mixed leaves, so I usually fold over the top of the bag and place in a Sistema container. Keeps really well, if we're not using the salad leaves on consecutive nights.