If Your Greens Keep Wilting, It Might Be Your Fridge's Fault

What if it's not actually your fault that your greens wilt before you get around to eating them? Your fridge's temperature could be to blame. Pay attention to the signs that your fridge is way too cold, like excessive condensation and loud buzzing, as the temperature could be wreaking havoc on your produce. In this case, colder just isn't better.

An overly cold fridge is just one potential reason for salad greens browning quickly, but preventing this problem is easy and straightforward. Simply set your fridge's thermostat between 35 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit, as this range keeps produce out of the danger zone in which bacteria can grow. If you sense your refrigerator's temperature isn't staying in this range, purchase an external fridge thermometer to double-check. Keeping an eye on the temperature and adjusting as needed will help protect not only your greens but your other foods as well.

Refrigerator crisper drawers work by preserving humidity, which makes them a great place for greens — especially collard greens, lettuce, and spinach. If you're storing your greens elsewhere in your fridge — even at the proper temperature — they may wilt and brown faster than you can eat them. Crisper drawers keep your produce, well, crisp.

If your fridge doesn't have a crisper drawer, though, consider storing your greens in perforated plastic containers and placing closer to the door and near the top, as refrigerators are coldest at the bottom and back due to cold air sinking and warm air entering from the front when you open the door. Some experts also recommend lining produce containers with paper towels to prevent too much moisture from accumulating, as that can also wilt your leafy greens too quickly.