Here's How To Prevent Serving Wilted Greens

Those who have opened up a large container of greens or perhaps different kinds of lettuces only to find that they're no longer at their peak know the frustration that can bring. While lettuce and greens can stay good for longer if stored with a paper towel to help wick away some of the moisture inside of the container or package, it isn't uncommon for them to start wilting after just a few days in the refrigerator. But if you know how to revive wilting greens from that state, you never have to worry about serving wilted greens again.

According to Eating Well, the first thing you should do is remove any part of the greens you don't plan on using or eating. That could be the stems or even whole leaves if some of the greens have turned more quickly than the others. But once you have removed the parts that can't or shouldn't be used, bringing the greens back to life is very easy and simple.

Once the wilted greens have been prepped, you can submerge them in a bowl of ice water. Eating Well suggests leaving the greens in the cold water for between 15 and 30 minutes, but BuzzFeed explains that you can let them soak for up to an hour. The Los Angeles Times, meanwhile, says that shocking the greens in ice for a minute or two should be long enough. No matter how long you need to soak your greens, though, you should look for them to appear sturdier and somewhat crisper.

As MSU Extension notes, the crisper drawer in your refrigerator provides higher humidity than the rest of the fridge environment, but even this may not be enough after a period of time. Leafy greens especially, like lettuce and spinach, need high levels of humidity and moisture, which is one reason why they're constantly misted at the grocery store — to look fresher (though some produce don't require this). Per Eating Well, when vegetable cells are deprived of water, they begin to break down.

After the greens have been soaked, they will need to be dried thoroughly. You can do this by using paper towels or a kitchen towel to dry them off or simply using a salad spinner. With that, you should be able to use the greens for whatever you'd like without having to worry about them looking or tasting wilted. From salads to sandwiches, the greens will be as good as new. Just try to remember to store them properly next time so you can avoid having to perk the leaves back up.