Nobody wants to waste food, but sometimes leafy greens spoil so quickly, it feels like it’s out of your control. One day you’re bringing a batch home from the grocery store, the next you’re staring at a wilted mess that’s bound for the bin.
The internet is full of both tips and products that promise to solve this situation, but which of them actually work? To find out, I tested three products and three online tips intended to keep baby spinach fresher longer.
After dividing a batch of baby spinach into the different storage solutions and loading it into my fridge, I checked back on them every few days for two weeks to see what was working: were the leaves still crisp? Was condensation forming? Slimy green leaves? All the spinach was unwashed, except for one method that requested it. I considered a method eliminated when the spinach got too gross to consider eating (which is admittedly a subjective standard for this already non-scientific test).
Here’s how they did, from worst to best.
Eliminated: kitchen towel method
How long did the spinach last? About four days.
Following the advice of this Reddit thread, I washed half a container of spinach and wrapped it in a kitchen towel, then placed it into a plastic grocery bag. I left it in the fridge until day six, when most of the leaves were soft, and smelled. I’m calling it eliminated on day four.
Washing the spinach likely sped the decay by introducing more moisture, but I wanted to follow the procedure as written.
Eliminated: Debbie Meyer GreenBags
How long did the spinach last? About four days
Debbie Meyer GreenBags are reusable produce storage bags meant to extend the life of the produce. Online discussion suggests they’re intended to absorb ethylene gas, which released by produce and accelerates ripening. But the coy marketing refers only to “a unique, proprietary combination of natural ingredients”. They’re also supposed to prevent moisture development and are expected to be reusable eight to 10 times.
I loaded half a container of spinach in a large-size GreenBag, then I folded the top of the bag over to close it as instructed. Despite patting the unwashed spinach dry to minimize starting moisture, the bags bloomed with condensation, and even during the days the spinach would’ve been edible, it was wet. While the spinach was still fine on day three, by day six, I noticed a slight musty smell and multiple slimy, dark leaves, so I’m calling it eliminated on day four.
Later, I discovered that GreenBags instructions do ask you to wipe condensation out of the bag with a paper towel when it appears. While this may have increased the shelf life of the spinach, it’s also much more upkeep than any of the other solutions on this list, so the results as-tested reflect an apples-to-apples level of effort.
Eliminated: the OXO GoodGrips GreenSaver Produce Keeper
How long did the spinach last? About 10 days.
The OXO GoodGrips GreenSaver Produce Keeper is a produce storage container with three distinct features. A removable basket is intended to encourage airflow and stop the build up of moisture. A carbon filter, which must be replaced about every 90 days or so, is supposed to absorb ethylene gas. And an adjustable vent can be left open or closed to customize “humidity levels”.
If all of this sounds expensive, that’s because it is: the five-quart version goes for $26, and a four-pack of filters is $13.
I set the vent lid in the “closed” position, which OXO suggests for leafy greens, and also dried the spinach for this batch a bit with paper towels, since it seemed wetter than usual.
The spinach inside was still edible on day nine, but I had to eliminate it on day 12, because the leaves were much softer, emitting a bit of an unpleasant smell, and exhibited more bruising and slimy leaves. I’m calling day 10 the final day.
Eliminated: the mason jar method
How long did the spinach last? About 13 days.
This method I found in a TikTok video involves storing spinach in a mason jar along with two layers of paper towels: one below the spinach and one above, then sealing it and storing it upside down.
While the mason jar method made it past the day 12 checkpoint, it was the stinkiest of any contenders that made it to day 14. In fact, it emitted a foul, sour smell I’d never encountered before. I think it’s safe to say they stayed relatively fresh for aboutr 13 days.
Runner-up: Bee’s Wrap beeswax wraps
How long did the spinach last? About 13 days.
Beeswax wraps are a reusable alternative to plastic cling wrap, made from beeswax-coated cloth. While they cost more than their plastic cousins, they can be washed and reused, and they’re supposed to last up to a year.
The $13 Bee’s Wrap brand I purchased included one large and one medium sheet. For this test, I folded and sealed the large wrap into a pouch, stuffed the spinach inside, folded it closed, and sealed it with the pressure and warmth of my hands.
Though Bee’s Wrap made it to the day 14 check-in, I’m declaring the spinach’s time of death as day 13, the day after I last observed it having a fresh and clean smell. By day 14, the spinach had very soft leaves, very little crispness left, and a slight musty smell that couldn’t be ignored.
On the plus side, the storage pouch created from the Bee’s Wrap wrap sheet held its shape for the full 14 days and the seams stayed sealed pretty well the whole time, without being difficult to open up when needed. I could see them being useful for cheese, sandwiches, and leftovers.
The best method for extending spinach shelf life: paper towel trick
How long did the spinach last? The full 14 days.
It’s a simple concept: place a paper towel on top of your spinach and inside the clamshell container it comes in, close it, then flip it upside down. I followed this YouTube video from Jerry James Stone, but the same tip popped up in plenty of other places.
The outcome was surprising. Although the container often had condensation inside and some wet spinach leaves, for the most part, most of the spinach remained fresh the whole time. Even after 14 days, it had little to no smell and retained at least some of its crispness. Like all of the other methods tested, some slimy and decaying leaves did appear, but this method produced the least amount of decay. For a method that requires both the least work and the least investment, it’s hard to ask for a better outcome.
