How We Keep Greens Fresh

A lot of you ask us how we keep our greens fresh once we get them home so I thought I'd make a little pictorial of our super easy method!

This method really works well for leafy greens like chard (look how huge that one chard leaf is above!), kale, lettuce, collards, etc.. It also works great for leafier herbs like parsley, cilantro, tarragon.

Let's go! First you lay out your leaves on a cutting board as above - don't wash them yet, we'll get to that. 

Chop the leaves into manageable pieces. In the case of chard and other greens with a rib, slice the leaves along the ribs and then chop them. Cut the ribs into the size you like.  These guys will go into green drinks (makes a pretty pink color!), salads, stir-frys and if I have enough of them I might even pickle them!  Next, get a dish towel (we like cotton) get it soaking wet with cold water then ring it out so that it's moist but not soggy.  Now wash your greens and dry them. Lay your clean greens on the damp towel.

Working your towel like a jelly roll, roll up the greens from the short end so they're packed in there nice and tight. Yep...there's my crooked middle finger inherited from my Great-Grandmother. Lily's is even more crooked then mine, much to her 12-year old sensibilities' dismay. I tell her that hands tell a story and she should be proud of them, but she's not buying that yet.

Here's a picture I took this past Christmas Eve of my hand, my Mom's hand, Lily's hand and Zeke's Mom's hands. Roped with veins, spotted with sunshine, or tender with youth..these hands are some of my favorite hands to hold.

So, now your greens are snug in their damp towel nest until you are ready to use them! From here you can put your towel in a plastic bag, but I find that I don't need to do that if I'm using them in a few days. I just put the whole thing in the crisper drawer of the fridge.  If I'm not going to get to them in a few days, I moisten the towel again and re-roll them. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how long your greens will last if you prepare them this way when your box arrives!