Written by: Allison Wignall for AllRecipes.com
I’ve been a picky eater all my life, and I only recently came around to enjoying salads. Now I love a crisp collection of leafy greens paired with some roast chicken and bell peppers. However, one thing can ruin a salad in an instant, to the point where I can’t eat it: wilted lettuce.
If a piece of lettuce, cabbage, spinach, or kale is soggy or limp, I’m tempted to throw the whole salad out. Since I also hate wasting food (and money), I needed to find a way to prolong the life of my produce. I reached out to a few professional chefs and asked them how they keep lettuce fresh. Their answers were practical, clever, and affordable—one answer was also surprising.
Chef Natalie Marble is a recipe developer and food blogger who focuses on practical tips for flavorful home cooking. She’s no stranger to the challenge of keeping produce fresh and has tried many methods and containers over the years. One brand proved the most effective. “My absolute favorite products for this are OXO’s produce saver bins,” says Chef Marble. “They come in various sizes and offer the perfect combination of size and humidity control, keeping my lettuce and cabbage fresh for weeks, if need be.” Perforations in the basket allow air to circulate and water to drain, keeping the contents crisp.
OXO’s medium-sized produce saver bin can hold lettuce leaves, cabbage halves, or bundles of kale. It comes with a removable divider if you want to store more than one type of green.
As Chef Marble said, OXO’s produce savers come in various sizes and shapes. This oblong bin is narrower, ideal for storing produce like bok choy, celery, green onions, or cucumbers. Like the medium bin, it comes with a handy divider and an interior basket with holes. The clear, hinged lid lifts for easy access to the contents inside.
Do you love topping your meals with fresh cilantro or parsley? OXO also has an herb keeper that stands upright in the fridge. The fill line on the bottom of the container indicates how much water you should add to keep the sprigs nice and fresh. Replace the water every few days for the best results.
Chef Jessica DeLuise is a physician’s assistant, health-focused food blogger, and host of the Emmy-winning show “Eat Your Way to Wellness.” She also has an unexpected answer to getting the most out of your cabbage.
“To offer a unique perspective, a great way to preserve cabbage is to ferment it!” Chef DeLuise put together an Amazon shopping list filled with her favorite fermentation tools. Fermenting food is an ancient technique where benign bacteria convert sugars into acids, carbon dioxide, and alcohols, which preserve food and add flavor. Examples of this would be sauerkraut and kimchi. It’s more of a process than pickling, and requires some extra care.
These special weights allow you to ferment food in mason jars. Each 7-ounce weight is made of non-porous glass and has a raised handle. They’re also resistant to corrosion and durable.
Speaking of mason jars, Chef DeLuise recommends the iconic Ball brand—Amazon’s No. 1 bestseller. This duo of 32-ounce jars has over 24,000 five-star ratings from multiple generations of shoppers. If you love homemade kimchi, pickles, or sauerkraut, these jars are for you.
