Easy Trick to Keep Vegetables Fresh and Crisp in the Fridge

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Do your leafy green veggies go limp in the fridge before you’ve had a chance to use them? This trick may work to keep them crisp longer. It’s simple and can reduce food waste.

Want to know whether a fresh food should go in the fridge or stay on the counter? This lists popular foods and their best storage spots.

Keeping Veggies Fresh

If you have a problem with leafy greens including lettuces, spinach, endive, Swiss chard, and mezuna going bad in the fridge before you’ve had a chance to use them, this simple trick can keep veggies crisp longer.

I also do this with broccoli, celery, Brussels sprouts, beans, and peas, although I have read mixed reviews from others. Some find it works very well for these foods, others say it does not. If your current method is causing food waste, you may want to try this.

My solution is tea towels. These are the towels used to dry dishes. I use cotton because it’s breathable and absorbent.

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How does it work?

Wash the leafy greens (or other veg) thoroughly, and, while still damp (not dripping wet, not too dry), wrap them in tea towels. Roll them up gently and stash them in the fridge.

Like to Sew?
Plain tea towels work fine but you can also turn them into handy pouches.
Sewing instruction: Fold towel in half, lengthwise, with wrong sides of towel facing out. Sew two sides shut.
Either way, the point is to put the slightly damp leafy greens in the absorbent, breathable tea towel.

Tag It

If you keep a lot of produce (I do), create tags with the names of veggies you frequently consume so you can find what you need at a glance. I made mine with Sharpie markers on black binder clips. You could also use a marker on wooden clothes pegs.

I’ve used this trick for years now, and it has proven to keep the greens fresh longer. The fresher they are when you get them, the longer they will last, of course, but there’s something about the moisture in the breathable towel that keeps things nice longer than they would in plastic or stored unprotected.

Maintenance

Check the bags every day or two. If they are drying out, add a bit of water to make them damp again. Don’t expect unrealistic longevity, but this can buy you extra time.