Stop wasting money on lettuce and produce that wilts and spoils after just a few days. This super simple tip will help preserve your produce for weeks. Best of all, it’s free and only takes about 10 seconds to implement!
There are lots of fancy kitchen gadgets and expensive storage containers that promise to keep produce fresh for weeks. But one of the best tricks I’ve found costs almost nothing and uses something you probably already have in your kitchen.
If your lettuce, salad greens, or chopped veggies seem to go slimy before you can use them up, the culprit is usually excess moisture.
The simple solution is to absorb that moisture…
How to keep produce fresh for weeks:
After washing and drying your salad greens and other produce, store it in a container or bag with a couple of paper towels or a clean flour sack towel.
The towels absorb extra moisture that would otherwise collect and cause spoilage. Every few days, swap the damp towel for a dry one.
That’s it!
No special gadgets. No expensive produce savers. Just a simple habit that will keep your produce fresh much longer!
Helpful Tools
Floursack Towels — a more eco-friendly alternative to paper towels
If you already use flour sack towels in your kitchen, dedicate one or two just for your produce drawer. They’re reusable, washable, and work beautifully for absorbing moisture. That said, if paper towels are more convenient for your current season of life, that works well too.
Salad Spinner — this is a great way to get extra moisture off your produce (not just salad greens).
The Benefits of Longer-Lasting Produce
MONEY — For anyone trying to stretch their grocery budget, little tricks like this can make a surprisingly big difference. Produce isn’t cheap, and throwing away a container of wilted lettuce or a pile of cucumbers every week adds up quickly.
TIME — Fresher produce means fewer last-minute trips to the store, saving you valuable time and energy.
HEALTH — This tip makes healthy eating just a little bit easier. When the produce is washed and fresh, it’s much more likely that we’ll actually eat it!
I love when a simple solution has a big impact!
A towel in your produce container might not seem revolutionary, but saving money, saving food, saving time, and making healthy living a little easier are all wins in my book.
I’ve used this tip for nearly 2 decades (way back to my college days), and I have no intention of stopping any time soon.
Bonus tips to keep salad greens fresh longer:
1. Don’t pack lettuce leaves into the container or bag too tightly.
You want the produce to have room to “breathe”. Feel free to separate the lettuce into multiple smaller containers with various sheets of paper towels.
2. Eat greens in order of “hardiness”.
We eat the more delicate greens first, then heartier Romaine lettuce, and we save Kale for the end as it is much more hardy and seems to hold up longer.
Also, if I see any sign of the spinach starting to wilt, I immediately throw it in the freezer to use in casseroles, smoothies, quiche, and soups. We never waste spinach!
3. Use leftover store-bought lettuce containers to store your greens.
I often save the plastic containers from store-bought lettuce and reuse them. They stack really nicely in the fridge, they are light-weight, and easy to open and close.
This works especially well for our garden-fresh lettuce, but also to divide up the overcrowded store-bought containers (see bonus tip #1 above).
RELATED READING: Browes all my favorite salad recipes here.
How Long Will the Produce Last?
I don’t have a definitive answer on this, because it partially depends on how often the towels are changed, what temperature the produce is stored at, how well it’s washed, how often it’s taken in and out of the fridge, and how “old” it was when you purchased it from the store.
That said, the lettuce and salad in these pictures is all at least 2 weeks old.
The veggies are much fresher because we eat them so quickly, but some of the veggies could be close to a week old and still super fresh.
How to Keep Lettuce And Produce Fresh For Weeks
This simple tip will help you keep lettuce and other produce fresh for weeks -- saving you money on wasted produce and time going back to the store!
Instructions
- Wash and produce.
- Chop and divide into various bags or storage containers.
- Layer with sheets of paper towel or floursack towels.
- Change out paper towels every few days, or whenever they become saturated.
- Refrigerate, eat, and enjoy!
Notes
You may dry damp paper towels and reuse them again.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
That’s it.
Told you it was simple!
What are your best tips to keep produce fresh longer?
Monica T Good says
I’m a big fan of using mason jars for grapes, berries and cherries. Washed, dried on a dish towel for a while. I also place a folded paper towel at the bottom of the jar and inside the lid. Fruit, as well as carrots, bell peppers, etc stay fresh for a longer time. I like your idea with that container. Dollar Tree has a similar box “snackle” box which would work great!
Lettuce….thankfully we have a garden! With the health warnings regarding produce I’m terrified to buy many fresh ingredients. I’m being extremely selective in what I purchase. If I can’t buy it locally right now, I’ll do without.
Frank says
Paper towels and plastic wrap or bags will extend lettuce for about 10 days. But, tightly wrapping in aluminum foil will extend lettuce for up to 30!
For the sceptical, try it both ways with half of your lettuce, in a side by side comparison.
Andrea says
so interesting — I’m definitely going to try this!
Sarah says
I chop a lot of lettuce at once, wash it, dry it, and then store it in glass mason jars with air tight lids. It stays fresh as is for weeks and is always ready to eat!
Chris says
I store fresh strawberries in glass jars. They also last longer.
Andrea says
great tip — I’ve heard glass is best for storing produce… maybe when our kids are little older and less clumsy 🙂
Liane says
This method does indeed work! I buy one of those huge tubs of spinach and mixed salad greens every week plus a couple smaller one of kale and arugula. My only concern is that cheap generic paper towels are made from post recycled material. I tried cooking bacon on some in my microwave and there were microscopic metal particles that caused the microwave oven to arc! So I switched back to the expensive brand with select-a-size. I just wondered if the bargain brands are safe at all for food. So… did a bit of snooping and found this: http://www.helpherself.com/toxic-effects-of-paper-towels-how-paper-towels-are-poisoning-the-environment/
Argh! I’m glad I only use them for gross and yucky messes like with oven cleaner or barbecue grill wiping. I heartily endorse using old flour sacking as produce towels. I’ve even cut some into strips. Yes they get green occasionally but at least they won’t kill me.
Andrea says
good to know — thanks for doing the research Liane!
I have been using the floursack towels more often over the last few years (and saving paper towels for the gross messes like you mentioned!
Lynn says
For wilted lettuce, I soak my lettuce in the spinner with a tablespoon or two of white vinegar and ice water for about 15 minutes then spin. The lettuce firms up nice and crisp. I then layer the leaves in paper towels and use a cloth bag to store it.
Christa Sterken says
I wouldn’t have thought of that, thanks for the tip! I was amazed to recently learn that cutting wimpy forgotten celery and placing in a mason jar of water will crisp it back up too. THings we should all learn as young women 😉 Better late than never
Andrea says
I know — I think high schools should revive traditional Home Ec. classes (for both girls and boys) and teach them the basics again. Everyone is so eager for a “career” these days that they don’t learn how to properly care for their home, yard, food, family, etc. 🙂
Nancy says
I do this for all produce, roll a sheet of paper towel around gr onions or a cut pepper. i grow tons of lettuce in our garden and wash and spin dry, then layer paper towel between the lettuce. You can take the damp paper towels out after a few days and air dry and put them back in the bag between the layers. My lettuce keeps for atleast 2 weeks but it is used up by that time. I never throw out lettuce anymore, I do this for store bought lettuce as well, wrap a sheet or 2 around a head before putting it in a bag for the fridge.
Chris says
Do this on shopping day so you can eliminate leaves that are already slimmy. And, yes, my Costco has excellent produce, but when you think of how far it may have been shipped, you will have a few slimmers. I save a carton from last time and start layering from the new carton, paper towel, lettuce in a 3/4″ layer, then another towel. I, too, let the used towels dry and wipe up messes from where my dogs eat. Reuse, Re-invent, recycle.
Robin P says
Before reading this blog I had just finished washing my store bought Spring Mix by hand, leaf by leaf. I recently had rotator cuff surgery and just had foot surgery. By the time I finished my foot was pulsating. The reason for all the washing was the lettuce was wilting and getting slimy. Way too expensive to waste. I didn’t expect to find an answer to preserving already cut up lettuce. I’ve always squeezed all the air out of the bag thinking it would stay fresher. Thank you so much for your advise. It will save me a lot of aggregation.
Andrea says
Sorry to hear about your foot surgery — but SO glad to (hopefully) help you keep your lettuce fresher longer. You’re right, it’s just too expensive to toss!
Mike says
I got u all beat. I got a tub of kratky hydroponic lettuce growing in each of my house’s window sills. My lettuce stays fresh for MONTHS without wasting money on all those paper towels and refrigerator electricity you guys are using. $5 for a box of vigoro/miracle gro, a few initial starter seeds, and you are set for life!
Erin says
Suggestions for someone who does not use paper towels? Will a regular kitchen towel work?
Andrea says
I would think so — maybe try to find a really thin towel.
Karen D says
I TRIED THIS and IT WORKS EXCELLANT– the first time I bought romaine and it lasted the 2 of us 3 weeks, still fresh crisp and then I bought head lettuce and we are now on week 2 1/2 and just as fresh as when we bought it– with head lettuce I have changed paper towels couple more times than the other but hey it works and i shared it I am impressed— THANK YOU for sharing with us
Sylvia says
Would you do anything different for a hydroponic lettuce (store bought) that still has the roots on? Or do you think I could keep it in water?
Kind regards
Sylvia x
Maria says
Wonderful tip! This is going to save me from so much stress! I hope this will work for other green leafy vegetables too such as kale etc. Again, thanks for sharing all your great ideas.
annette says
I have a large bag of lettuce and I have to wash it., after it is washed does it have to be completely dry before I put it into the bag or is it better in containers
Dorothy says
Thanks for your tip on keeping lettuce fresh longer…I’ve played around with different ways but yours is the simplest! Those are the ideas that usually work best.
Janice says
Someone sent me your website a week or so ago and I can’t get enough of it. I immediately subscribed. YOU ARE AMAZING AND SO IS YOUR SITE!!!! The only downside…. I spend more time than I have on your site and don’t get some of the things done that I need to do. I’m not real tech savvy. I posted a comment on your food blog and never received a reply and wonder if it’s because I left the space bar as it was “Don’t subscribe”? For this comment, I selected “Replies to my comments” hoping that will work. Anyways…. I too do this. I am growing a garden this year, but have no lettuce ready for picking yet, but can’t wait to have my own fresh organic veggies again!! When I do buy it, it is the same as what you have pictured. I buy it at Costco and one of the employees there told me of this trick, minus “tucking” them in, as I returned the lettuce as it was not even lasting until the expiration date. I only put the paper toweling on the top and turn the container upside down so that the lettuce “falls” on the top of the container. The difference in it lasting way beyond the expiration date must be due to the fact that you “tuck” them in between, as well, as mine still pretty much only lasts through the expiration date with the toweling and it’s freshness has definitely been compromised. I then take the damp towels, let tem dry and use them for other jobs I have around the house like picking up spills etc., as they were intended to be used :^) I’m going to call Earthbound, or maybe you know, if the plastic container that their Organic salad is packaged in is BPA free? Hope so. It doesn’t make sense to have an organic product that is being packaged in a toxic container. If it isn’t BPA free, I guess I will have to buy even more containers that are and use them for my organic produce I’m growing. Thanks Andrea.
Andrea says
Thanks Janice,
So glad you are enjoying my blog 🙂
And yes, I do believe one of the main reasons my lettuce stays fresh for so long is because I wedge paper towels in between the lettuce as well as on top. I find that if the lettuce is tightly packed together, it won’t stay fresh as long as if it has a little “room to breath”!
Thanks again and good luck with your garden!
Truffles Magazine says
Andrea,
As someone who doesn’t have a backyard for a garden I always purchase my produce at the store, especially lots of spinach. I just tried your tip last week and my spinach is still going strong I see me being able to save a lot of money in the future, normally my spinach lasts 3 days after purchasing before going bad, were on our 9 days!
Thank-you so much!
Andrea says
yay — so glad it’s working for you! We have a tub of lettuce in our fridge from 2 weeks ago… and it’s still fresh!
Bonnie K. says
I have these containers from Tupperware that let you control the humidity level. They make produce, esp lettuce last for SO much longer! And very handy!!
Rivki Locker (Ordinary Blogger) says
I use the same trick with herbs, whether store bought or homegrown.
Megan says
Do you buy lettuce heads or the pre-bagged/boxed lettuce?
Andrea says
I usually buy the pre-washed tubs of lettuce {like the tub of lettuce in my pictures} but this method works either way. If you buy heads of lettuce, just wash it and chop it up, then layer it between paper towels.
Heart and Haven says
Great tip! I’ll have to try this!
We have been growing lettuce & spinach in our home garden too.
Andrea says
I find that homegrown lettuce lasts MUCH longer than store bought — so hopefully yours will last for weeks and weeks!!
Lisa @ I'm an Okie says
Love it! thanks for the tips.
erin says
two weeks old? that’s amazing! we have lettuce go bad after just a few days if we don’t eat it up. thanks so much for sharing!
Monika says
Wow. I hope this will work with the big bags of spinach we buy.