washing your garden greens

I’m currently harvesting my greens in the garden and storing them in the refrigerator. Common gardening sites recommend shaking them off and put them in dry to avoid rotting. And if you’re someone who has time to wash them when they’re ready for use this is the best way for preservation. Like most people I have to prep, because most of the time I have an incessant list of things to do. This means I like to have them ready to just throw in a container for work to eat as a salad, or toss them on the side or under whatever meal I’m getting ready to eat. Because of this I often wash them before I put them in the fridge.

Doing this I try to make sure I have cleared them of bugs and as much dirt as I can by giving them a thorough shake when I pick them, rinse them and dry them. To avoid wasting an excessive amount of water rinsing in the sink I have a method that has been serving me well.

What I use:

• Tubtrug with colander

• -Ice & water

• Vinegar (optional)

• Salad spinner

• Container (This can be a container with a raised and slotted basket within a salad bin or a plastic salad bin you are re-using from the grocery store)

In the colander, I will give them an additional dry shake. I will then fill it with water just over the amount of vegetables and give it a few dips and get as much off as I can. If I’m feeling at all nervous about cleanliness, I will add 1/10 parts white vinegar to water in this step to add a little disinfection, but this isn’t typical for me. You know your garden and this is based on your comfort level.

Second I will fill a Tupperware I have with some ice and water. In small batches I dunk the vegetables in and give them a little agitation. This is in my opinion, is the most useful rinse as any bugs that may be left over are stunned by the cold and fall off.

Then they go in the salad spinner, give a few spins in one direction, then the other.

Toss in the storage container and you’re ready to go. A word of wisdom is to do this in amounts that you will be able to eat before they spoil, I know that in our house we usually eat a full salad bin in a week. You can also give it a third rinse before you add it to your plate.

Give your greens a quick visual, sometimes you may pluck off a couple bugs or take off any little egg sacks, just to be real with you. Over the years I’ve become way more comfortable with produce I’ve grown organically that may have a few pests to contend with, as opposed to how mass-produced vegetables are treated with pesticides, as well as the growing news reports of e-coli. Aside from this I also know my garden veggies are more flavorful and nutrient dense, as they aren’t grown in monocultures and the great efforts I take to maintain my garden’s soil health. Full disclosure is unless a tomato comes from my garden or a friends garden, I can’t stand their taste! I savor getting to know my garden and how my food is grown, from dirt to dish!