Spinach is the perfect green vegetable to pair with any meal thanks to its superfood status, but it’s notoriously hard to keep fresh.
If the leaves don’t turn soggy, they will quickly fade to yellow or brown with each day that passes.
Even when stored in the fridge, the leaves struggle to keep for more than a few days, but on savvy Reddit user has a solution.
Sharing their tip on the popular online subreddit known as “Frugal”, the forum member revealed: “Finally figured out how to extend the life of my fresh spinach to avoid waste and enjoy it longer!”
They explained that the leaves should be removed from their original packaging straight away to prolong their shelf life.
They said: “Transferring to a zip lock bag after purchase and inserting a folded paper towel reduces the moisture that collects in the original bag. Still fresh weeks later instead of spoiling within a week!”
For an extra boost of freshness, the spinach can be washed before being transferred to the ziplock bag, but it must be dried thoroughly.
This can be done by draining the leaves in a sieve or colander before patting them down with a clean tea towel or kitchen roll.
After this, fold the paper towel into the ziplock bag then fill it with the clean, dry spinach.
Many people replied to the Reddit thread to share their storage hacks, with many agreeing that separating the spinach into smaller portions helps.
One person replied: “I bought a huge huge tub of fresh spinach from Costco and divided them into several smaller bags. I put a few dated bags in the fridge and it’s just like I bought it yesterday.
“I also put a couple of bags in the freezer without paper towels to use in soups and pasta dishes. Really stretched the value of this purchase and reduced my usual waste so I’m pretty happy.”
Another praised the useful tip, claiming: “I was getting really frustrated throwing it out every week but my daughter loves it for her salads. So glad this works!”
According to a food storage expert at Masterclass, the paper towel is the most crucial element of this method to extend the shelf life of spinach.
They explained that too much moisture is the primary factor that makes spinach spoil in the fridge, but with the paper, it absorbs the excess to keep the leaves fresh and crisp.
