Keeping salad and herbs fresh in the fridge.

I don't buy the bagged salads; they don't last long once opened.

However, decanting them into a reusable plastic box may help keep them fresh for longer.

I take them out the plastic but they still seem to wilt very quickly even when I make sure the use by date is in advance

I open the bags and put a sheet of kitchen paper inside with the leaves. It absorbs the water and keeps them fresh longer. Hope it works.

I was given one of these fridge 'keep fresh' mats from Lakeland once. It worked well for years and is washable.

www.lakeland.co.uk/73207/lakeland-fruit-and-vegetable-cushion

I left it behind when we moved, and now you've prompted me to get one for the fridge here, thanks.

P1234

I open the bags and put a sheet of kitchen paper inside with the leaves. It absorbs the water and keeps them fresh longer. Hope it works.

I read this hint a while ago and it does lengthen the life of leaves. I slice enough runner beans for a few days and enclose a damp sheet of kitchen paper in a plastic container. Wrapping celery in foil was also suggested which helps it last for weeks.

Maybe loosely wrapped in a clean dish towel ?

I put it is Tupperware with a sheet of kitchen roll.

I got some bags from QVC that keep all fruits and vegetables fresher for longer in the fridge. They work really well and similar ones are available in Lakeland.

Lots of the pre-bagged leaves, etc. are also pre-washed and these do wilt more quickly. I always try to buy Fresh & Naked bags if I’m buying a bag, and find they last several days without wilting, Tesco stock these. There’s probably other unwashed brands on the market.

I’ve got an OXO salad container which has a carbon filter in it, it keeps bagged salad and herbs fresh for much longer, I recommend it. Will see if I can find a link.

Here it is
www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiJpvzIvrD5AhV1gFAGHdYSDbMYABAOGgJkZw&ae=2&sig=AOD64_39YQYGeAICx6YUac2jEc0-GVoLWg&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjszfTIvrD5AhU-QUEAHSn2BCAQwg8oAHoECAMQHg&adurl=

I use what I need from the herbs pack, then chop up the rest to freeze for using in soups and stews. I try to buy individual salad ingredients as they keep much longer than the bags of leaves.

Casdon Can you mix different veg/fruit in these? E.g. leaves and berries together?

I keep refrigerated salad leaves in a glass bowl covered in tight fitting cling film

grannydarkhair

Casdon Can you mix different veg/fruit in these? E.g. leaves and berries together?

There isn’t a separator in the box, it has an inner plastic basket for you to put your items in, with no divider. The filter is in the lid, so I guess you could create your own divider within the basket and it would work, although I haven’t tried that.

Thanks Casdon

My mother used to wrap veg she wanted to keep in a damp tea towel in the bottom of the fridge - the drawers if she had space - cauliflower, cabbage carrots etc all got the treatment and remained fresh for a remarkable length of time. Herbs and such like she put in a glass of water in her larder - great place for keeping things fresh.

I use green bags (from Amazon) especially for carrots otherwise they seem to go brown.

A quick rinse and spin in the salad spinner and most lettuce etc will stay fresh in the fridge for a few days. I must admit I like to have herbs in pots on the kitchen window sill where possible but if not, I just don’t buy them too far in advance.
You can always freeze thyme or rosemary and then “slide” the leaves (?) off the stalks into a casserole or a roast.

Thank you all for your tips and advice.

I use a lot of coriander. The growing herbs are not enough but the big bunches of cut coriander they sell in the Indian grocers used to go quickly yellow. Discussing this with a fellow customer she advised me to wrap the herbs in damp kitchen paper and keep in a Tupperware container in the fridge. It worked a treat for that and other leaves.

When I buy fresh herbs I.e. coriander, parsley, basil etc I buy the potted version and replant it outside. I can then continue to use the leaves for much longer and the plant continues to grow

MrB bought some Romane lettuce yesterday. It'll take me days and days to eat the two heads. One I've put in the fridge loosely wrapped in the bag (cut open at both ends) that it came in. The other is on the kitchen counter in some water in an old mug.

I keep fresh celery in a bit of water in a mug too.