A 'Why Didn’t I Think of That?' Hack for Longer-Lasting Lettuce

It’s a big week in salad news. Yesterday, author and TV producer Elan Gale exploded Twitter with his nine-part series on how to optimize salads in 2020.

Salads are, according to Gale, ready for an upgrade, as he advises his followers to mix lettuces, opt for punchy cheeses like feta, and embrace spicy and ferocious flavors like radish, jalapeño, and horseradish.

While some experienced salad eaters might find Gale’s message, delivered in an overwhelming amount of capital letters, redundant, it seemed to strike a nerve with some of the food Twitterati: Chrissy Teigen, Padma Lakshmi, Jamie Oliver, and even Whole Foods’ all retweeted his advice.

Check out the full thread here.

Gale’s Tip #2 ("You’re using BORING lettuces. MIX IT THE F— UP. Use some arugula, use field greens, use romaine hearts, use frisée. Mix all your greens together!"), in particular, struck a chord with me. I love to throw a bunch of greens in a bowl and let them do their thing. Arugula? All right! Romaine? I’m game! Radicchio? Righteous! Watercress? Uhh, yes!

I’ll be the first to admit that I'm a sucker for the convenience of bagged lettuce, and have found that the wackier I go, the better the bag. There is, however, the rub: A few days after opening a bag of lettuce, I’m left with a brown, mushy surprise at the bottom.

I know y'all know what I’m talking about.

Apparently, there’s something you can do to avoid this smushy situation! According to the internet, a little "lettuce fluffing" will make that batch last a lot longer. Here’s reddit user will-you- with the hot take:

Whenever purchasing pre-washed lettuce or greens in plastic clam-shell containers or tubs, (spring mix, spinach, baby lettuces, etc) open the package as soon as you get home and fluff up/mix the salad around. This releases any build up of ethylene gas (which is what makes food ripen and eventually rot when in excess), and allows you to pick out any bits hidden in the middle that might be starting to go bad. Many plastic bags are perforated to allow the gas exchange, but it’s still a good idea to make sure there are no hidden wet clumps or bad pieces in the middle of the bag. I do this with all factory-sealed bagged vegetables, as one bad apple really does spoil the bunch!

So there you have it. The one-step trick that’ll have you gorging on greens just a little bit longer. All the better to enjoy Gale’s advice with.

Do you do this with your bagged greens? Let us know in the comments below.