How to store lettuce (and other veggies)

The best way to store lettuce is to chop and wash it and keep it in the salad spinner. But sometimes the salad spinner is dirty, or already full. And I’ve learned the hard way that if I keep it in the plastic bag I brought it home in, it’ll get forgotten until it turns into something that is no longer lettuce.

All wrapped up, and slightly damp.

So, for those times that I can’t get it cleaned and into the spinner, I tie it up in a slightly damp cloth napkin and it keeps just fine for several days. I bought a couple dozen of these napkins years ago for my first Thanksgiving dinner for Eric’s family and our friends. They’re all stained and not that pretty anymore, but are still quite sturdy. We use them when we go camping, I take them with me in bag lunches, and they’re great for covering dishes to take to pot-lucks. And, as you can tell, they’re perfect for keeping veggies fresh in the fridge. Right now, I’ve got some green bean and some beet greens staying fresh in their own napkins in the fridge.

Still fresh, three days later.

What’s your tip for keeping veggies fresh?