How do you store your spinach leaves?

[das_peikko]

Those giant bags of spinach that come from Costso. They will start to develop a green slime on the leaves if left in the bag in the fridge after a few days. Do you guys take the leaves out of the bag and store it somehow? I'm thinking that the bag is retaining too much moisture. I'm thinking maybe the leaves need to be kept dryer somehow.

 

[dishdude]

I'd try rinsing, wrapping in paper towels and storing in a resealable container. I avoid buying fresh stuff like this at Costco because we can't finish it before it goes bad. Just bounce over to Trader Joe's every few days. Not the most convenient, but if you're going to eat healthy and fresh food it takes some effort.

 

[SZR48207]

I eat ASAP or toss out once they get slimy. I know exactly what you speak of, and as a result I only keep bagged lettuce for more than a few days before eating.

No more spring mix or baby spinach.


If you were so inclined to make it last, though, you probably want to let it breathe at the risk of the leaves drying out.

 

[Silk]

Pick it out of my garden and eat.

 

[CharBaby]

I usually eat the fresh leaves in a salad and if the bag starts that cooked look, I put the remainder of the bag in the freezer and use is for cooking later, e.g., with pasta for dinner or eggs for breakfast.

 

[Donald]

I would have to east wife or daughter. When its my day to cook we do Chinese take-out or pizza.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Solution is to buy smaller bags. Spinach just doesn't last as long as say broccoli.

 

[JHZR2]

Think how long it lived in a refrigerated something before it got to you, without developing slime. My first check would be if your humidity settings in your refrigerator are set correct for leafy vegetables.

 

[CharBaby]

I buy an 8-9oz bag per week(.79-.89 cents) and use it no problem. However if I buy(B1G1) and have excess on hand, the 2nd bag may start to get wet-ish and then is when I use it for cooking.

 

[StevieC]

I buy them in the plastic container and I keep flipping the container over every other day so that the moisture in there doesn't have a chance to all condense in one place.

My mom takes hers out and puts it in a Zip Lock freezer bag with some paper towel and leaves the sealing end open a crack.

Both methods seem to work.

 

[Hall]

Stop buying "giant bags" of it. What's the point of "fresh" goods if you can't use them before they go bad (??). If you throw them out, the savings probably isn't there...

 

[Dave9]

I grow spinach in-season and buy big bags off-season. It is important to try to pick the newest/freshest bag at the store, examining the back and bottom for longest shelf life.

Any not used in the first few days (# days depends on how old it is) should be taken out of the bag to dry out some. The texture will be worse but it beats slime (fungus and bacteria). Depending on how many other moisture-losing items you have in your fridge, and how often you open the door (varying the humidity), you could leave it to air-out in the fridge, leave the bag outside the fridge to dry out the inside, then put it back in the bag.

It will need examined daily once it gets closer to a week old (varying conditions as above). When you first start to see dark green edges on leaves, you can either eat the rest, freeze it (good for about 6 mos.), blanch it then freeze it (good for about 18 mos.) or dehydrate it in either a dehydrator or your oven's lowest setting. Don't eat even the slightest darkened wet looking areas without cooking it first, or drenching in vinegar and letting sit for a few minutes. Vinegar kills bacteria and fungus... up to a point, it doesn't remove the bacterial byproducts which can be toxic in large doses.

If you have the spinach stalk, not just the leaves, cut the base end at an angle to expose more, moist tissue. stick it in a tall narrow glass of water enough to cover the cut end and store in the fridge without a bag, like it is a bouquet of flowers in a vase. This is the best way to get longer fridge life for spinach, and most other things but it does take up more valuable fridge shelf space.