Easy Trick to Make Your Greens Last Longer
Blanch those greens! And then they’ll be ready for quick-and-easy side dishes and main courses.
When you blanch and store those gorgeous bunches of rich, healthy greens that called to you at the market, they will be at the ready for all kinds of main courses and side dishes. You’ll also have lots more room in the refrigerator (cooked greens take up a fraction of the space of fresh), and you can say goodbye to tossing away good produce gone bad.
Get the Blanched Greens Recipe
1 bunch greens
Remove leaves from stems. (Swiss chard stems are edible, so save and cook them) Blanch greens in a large pot of boiling salted water, 15 seconds (spinach and chard) to 2 minutes (kale and collards); drain. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out excess liquid; let cool completely in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Greens can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 4 days.
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COOKED GREENS YIELDS
That bunch of fresh greens may look enormous — until it cooks down. If you need a particular amount, weigh it in the store, or play it safe and buy two bunches.
1LB. COLLARDS = 2 CUPS COOKED
1LB. KALE = 2 CUPS COOKED
11/2 LB. SPINACH = 2 CUPS COOKED
1LB. SWISS CHARD = 2 CUPS COOKED
Use your Blanched Greens in these recipes (and others):
Kale-Sesame Salad
Curly or Tuscan, hearty kale is a nutritional powerhouse, high in fiber, calcium, and antioxidants.
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Coarse salt
2 cups chopped Blanched Greens (kale or collards)
Sesame seeds
Whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, and sesame oil. Season with salt. Toss with kale; sprinkle with sesame seeds.
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Fried Rice with Collards
Meaty-tasting, collards are loaded with vitamins A and C and potassium.
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Chard has phytonutrients galore. Its betacarotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin help maintain eye health.
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Mostly Greens Frittata
Vitamins C and A are just two reasons to say yes to robust curly or flat-leaf spinach.
More from Martha Stewart:
20 Classic Comfort Food Recipes from Martha Stewart
36 Dinners You Can Make in Just 15 Minutes!
