Paper Towels Keep Your Greens Better for Longer

We've all been there: you buy a clamshell of mixed greens hoping to make the best of it. Maybe you tuck into it once or twice, but sooner rather than later, your lush plants are looking soggy, darkened, or worse. Thankfully all you need is a few paper towels, and you'll never have this problem again!

While I'm no botanist, nor do I have any relevant degrees, I've noticed that moisture is a big problem for the humble spring mix. If some of the greens get too wet, they're apt to slump over and waste away. Said plants turn slimy and even more wet, infecting their neighbors in turn until you're left with a middle school science experiment rather than a nutritious filling for wraps.

In terms of solutions, any basic paper towel will do. They're great for sucking up moisture, and tend to dry out quickly so you're not left with sopping wet paper in a plastic tub. You'll first want to remove the greens from the clamshell, then dry it thoroughly; I've never met a greens tub without at least a bit of water in the bottom. You could also dry the greens, but I've never bothered.

Once it's dry, you'll line the bottom and sides with paper towels. You don't need much, but you want at least a single layer over the perimeter. Once you've done that, you'll add the greens back in and add a few more paper towels on top. Reseal the container, and your greens should last much longer than usual!

That's the idea, anyway. You'll want to check the paper towels at least every few days, ensuring they're not too wet. If they're damp but the greens look good, you can redo the procedure to prolong them even more. If you like the idea but want to use fewer paper towels, you can get by just adding paper towels to the top. Once you've done that, seal the clamshell and store it upside down so the greens aren't touching the bottom/sides and stewing in their own moisture.

If you follow these simple steps, you'll be surprised how long mixed greens can last. Heck, you can probably even neglect them a bit, or save some money on the big tub next grocery trip!