Avoid Slimy Spinach By Storing It A Container You Wouldn't Expect

Spinach has a notorious reputation for spoiling in the blink of an eye. You might have brought home a bag of crisp vibrant-green leaves just yesterday, but they can quickly turn into a slimy brown mess overnight if you aren't careful. However, the truth is that spinach can stay fresh for anywhere between five to seven days in the fridge, possibly even longer if it is stored well. If your spinach starts rotting on you any sooner than that, you likely aren't storing it properly.

One unique way to store spinach for added freshness is to pop it a salad spinner and then place that into the fridge. Leafy greens get slimy because of excess moisture, whether it's from outside water or the liquid that oozes out of the leaves themselves when they are squashed or damaged in any way. This moisture breaks down the delicate leaves and causes them to decompose.

That's where a salad spinner comes in, as it has a tiny gap between the basket where you put the leaves and the large bowl at the bottom. The moisture drips out of the breathable basket and falls into the container below — keeping your spinach crisp, dry, and fresh for about 10 days. You could even line the spinner with paper towels, and place more sheets between each layer of leaves for extra measure. These will further absorb excess water and condensation, keeping your spinach slime-free for days.

A salad spinner can add days to the lifespan of raw spinach, but that's only if the greens are fresh to begin with. Always buy leaves that look crisp and green, and avoid any that look brown, wilted, mushy, or bruised –- these will not last long, no matter how well you store them. If you're buying pre-bagged spinach, follow this bottom-of-the-bag tip to avoid buying slimy greens. Once you buy some, it's also best to sift through the spinach before you store it and toss away any leaves that look past their prime.

Additionally, while you could wash spinach before you store it, it's worth holding off on that step until later. Washing will only expose the greens to extra moisture, which can quickly turn into a food storage mistake. Instead, consider leaving the spinach unwashed, and then rinsing it right before you use it. 

If you do choose to wash the leaves beforehand, make sure to use cool water — heat can cause them to wilt even faster — and dry them really, really well. You could even dry them in the salad spinner that they are going to be stored in, but wipe off all the water from the appliance afterward. It's also a good idea to keep a close eye on the spinach once it's in the refrigerator. If those paper towels look a little damp, replace them with dry ones to keep the greens fresh for longer.