Nobody wants to waste food, but leafy greens often spoil so quickly it feels uncontrollable. The internet offers numerous tips and products promising to extend freshness, but which actually work? To find out, I tested three products and three online tips on baby spinach, checking every few days for two weeks.
The first method, from a Reddit thread, involved washing spinach, wrapping it in a kitchen towel, and placing it in a plastic bag. However, washing introduced moisture, and the spinach became soft and smelly by day four. The Debbie Meyer GreenBags, reusable bags meant to absorb ethylene gas, also failed: condensation formed quickly, and the spinach was slimy by day four, though wiping condensation might help but requires more effort.
The OXO GoodGrips GreenSaver Produce Keeper, a container with a carbon filter and adjustable vent, performed better. After drying the spinach and setting the vent to closed, the spinach stayed edible until day nine, with final elimination on day 12. However, it costs $26 for the container and $13 for replacement filters.
A TikTok method involved storing spinach in a mason jar with paper towels above and below, sealed upside down. This kept spinach fresh until day 13, but it emitted a foul smell by day 14. Beeswax wraps, a reusable alternative to cling film, were also tested but results were not detailed in the source. Overall, the OXO container and mason jar method extended freshness longest, though each has drawbacks in cost or odour.
