Keeping It Fresh: A Guide to Properly Store Leafy Greens and Minimize Food Waste

We’ve gotten many emails and inquiries from people shopping at their local farmer’s markets and wondering how storing spinach, kale or other leafy greens directly into their Swags works. Vendors are still offering plastic bags, so can we be sure our produce will stay fresh without them? I’ve used reusable bags in the past, and they don’t help my spinach and lettuce keep any longer than plastic bags. 

How is The Swag different?

The Swag  - Reusable Produce BagsThese are great questions from people really concerned about food waste! But here’s some good news: The Swag is not like those other organic cotton reusable bags on the market.

Regular, run-of-the-mill reusable bags are NOT going to keep your greens fresh in the fridge. In fact, they might even go bad even faster than if they were stored in plastic.

But the Swag is different. With a unique multi-layer design, The Swag allows your greens to stay fresh and breathe at their own pace. Also, while the outer layers retain moisture, the inner layer gives your greens a protection barrier from too much water than can cause them to spoil quickly.

No other reusable bag on the market mirrors this design – we know because we’ve tried them!

Okay, so you have your Swag and your spinach and lettuce haul. What do you do now?

 

Quick Guide to Storing Spinach, Kale & Other Greens in your Swag

  1. First, rinse your greens thoroughly and place directly into a small, dry Swag.
  2. Second, take your Swag outside or on the back porch. Hold it tight and swing the Swag around (like you would swing in a swing or like the cute little Pug below) to get rid of all the excess water! Make sure you're holding it closed so all of the lettuce doesn't fall out. Then, place the Swag on top of your other Swags so it doesn't get squashed! 
    The Swag - Pug on a Swing
  3. Remember to use the colour coding trims. They will help you know what's in each of your Swags.


That’s it! It’s as simple as that. When you store your freshly bought greens in a Swag (instead of a generic reusable bag) you will get much more life out of your lettuce, spinach or kale and feel better about your body and your contribution to Mother Earth.

Keep on Swagging!