Believe It Or Not, Hot Water Will Rescue Your Wilted Lettuce
It's lunchtime, and you're headed to the kitchen to whip up a satisfying salad recipe. But when you reach the fridge, you discover that your recently purchased lettuce is wilted. It's happened to the best of us — but don't toss that lettuce just yet.
Whether it's romaine, iceberg, spinach, or kale, your lettuce is bound to go bad eventually. Thankfully, there are some tips and tricks to keep your greens fresher for longer — and to revive them if they're looking a bit soggy.
Insider explains that washing your greens is important. But drying them is equally as crucial because bacteria and other contaminants thrive in damp environments. The dampness will not only make your lettuce wilt, but it will spoil faster, too. Once your greens are properly washed and dried, it's important that they're wrapped and stored in a damp paper towel. This will help the leaves stay fresh and crisp without being over-saturated, which will cause them to become soggy.
The trick for rescuing wilted salad
You may have heard that the savior to wilted leafy greens is to soak them in ice-cold water. And while this may help plump your greens a bit, another hack will get the job done even better. In fact, according to Bon Appétit, you're going to want to soak them in very hot water.
To do this, start by filling a large bowl with hot tap water (around 120 F). Then, drop your droopy greens in and let them soak for 10-30 minutes. Once this is done, drain them, wrap them in a damp paper towel, and place them in the fridge to chill. Once they've cooled, your greens will perk up and be ready to be loaded up with all of your favorite salad toppings.
If you're looking to use your salad right away and don't have time to let it sit in the fridge, you can cool your greens by placing them in an ice water bath after soaking them in hot water. Once they've crisped up, you can dry them or spin them in a salad spinner to use immediately.
More tips for keeping your lettuce fresh
Per Food Network, storing your lettuce can look different depending on whether you're storing a head of lettuce or loose-leaf lettuce in a bag or container.
If you're storing a head of lettuce, you'll want to not wash the head before placing it in the fridge and only wash what you're going to use right beforehand. Your best bet is to remove any damaged or wilted leaves from the head, wrap them in a damp paper towel, and place them in the crisper drawer in your fridge. However, if you're storing loose-leaf lettuce, you'll want to start by washing your lettuce thoroughly and removing any damaged leaves. Once they're dried, it's important that your lettuce has access to moisture with a damp paper towel. You'll also want to ensure the lettuce is properly ventilated and not placed in an airtight container where condensation happens. This can be in a plastic freezer bag, as long as it's not sealed all the way closed.
If stored properly, your lettuce should stay fresh for about 7-10 days, which means you can use your greens for longer and include them in your favorite recipes for kale chips, BLTs, or strawberry spinach salad.