Greens - How do you wash em?

[Tenbear2808]

A friend of mine brought two huge plastic bags (grocery size) of greens yesterday. I cooked them today and will my hubby said they had a good flavor they were gritty.

My friend agreed and wasnt really upset because they had a bunch of this stuff - he said you have to clean them really good but didnt have any ideas how (his mom does all this)

I cooked them with smoked ham hocks and fresh onions etc (I cant eat that much fiber) so the taste came thru but what about the grit?

Do I soak em? put em thru the dishwasher?

Thanks I am so lost on this as I have never fixed them before in my life!!

[TomSki]

Soak them in a sink of cold water, dirt falls to the bottom of the sink, the greens float.

[Lynn]

Yes! and you will be surprised just how much dirt there is on them.
If your sink isn't sparkling clean, you can soak them in smaller batches in a large bowl, stock pot, etc. As you probably already know, dark greens are extremely high in nutrients.

[icebear]

yep, do what they said, fill the sink with cold water and let them float


i spread them on a towel and fluff/shake them a bit but you could use a salad spinner to dry them if you have one

[Biblecat2]

I use a pasta strainer (colander) and run water over them.

[lookingup]

yep, do what they said, fill the sink with cold water and let them float


i spread them on a towel and fluff/shake them a bit but you could use a salad spinner to dry them if you have one

That has always worked the best for me! You will be amazed by all the sand and dirt that falls to the bottom (not to mention the little bugs too)

[Rebekah]

I put them in a wire colander, take the water sprayer and blast them! Quick, easy, and efficient.

[icebear]

oh, yes ... vinegar helps if they are buggy



we always soak broccoli in salt/vinegar water... i think it might wilt delicate greens like lettuce and mesclun... but collard and beet greens that might not be an issue....

[FunMudder]

If he really has a huge mess of greens, he can do the cold water soak in a sparkling clean bathtub, and rinse them in the shower.

I'm a huge fan of the cold water/vinegar rinse for the greens and veg

[HSmomto4]

I soak mine for at least 15 minutes before I cook them. I also take each leaf and run it under water before cutting them. I hate dirt in my food so I really make sure I get 99% of it off of them before I cook them.

[Tenbear2808]

Thank you everyone for your great tips! I will definately wash them as ya'll have suggested!! Yuck bugs! Or hmmm maybe extra protein?

[Vickimac]

yep, do what they said, fill the sink with cold water and let them float


i spread them on a towel and fluff/shake them a bit but you could use a salad spinner to dry them if you have one

I love salad spinners! I have an electric one. I fill the bowl with ice cold water over my torn lettuce, swish it around with my hands and drain & spin. Then I spread it out on a clean towel to air dry for 10 minutes. It keeps in a tupperware bowl in the fridge for several days, nice & crispy.

[Onsolidrock]

Dandelions make good greens in the spring.

[FaithContender]

oh, yes ... vinegar helps if they are buggy

But then you might miss out on a cicada!

[icebear]

But then you might miss out on a cicada!

i wonder how many times i have missed my chance?

dratted cleanliness impulse

[twelvesmaster]

Multiple washings are the key. At least two or three times -- fill the sink with water, and yes, add a little vinegar or salt during the first rinse.

[Justdust]

Multiple washings are the key. At least two or three times -- fill the sink with water, and yes, add a little vinegar or salt during the first rinse.

Absolutely!



A little grit will mess up a whole pot of greens.

[MsSophie]

Rinse thourougly in a colander and, then, as someone else suggested wash and inspect each leaf..........

[sukie72962]

Put a little salt in the water and let them soak for about 10 minutes, dirt will sink to the bottom. Rinse several times.

Believe it or not my grandmother would run them through the washing machine on the gentle cycle with cold water only. She ran the empty machine thru a cycle in order to be sure it was good and clean. Her greens never had any grit. Hers were the best. I tried that once but it tore my greens up more than I liked so I just soak and then rinse, rinse, rinse.

[TomSki]

Believe it or not my grandmother would run them through the washing machine on the gentle cycle with cold water only.

I can make a grilled cheese sandwich with an iron and boil a pot of water for pasta on my kerosene heater. This green/washing machine thing really appeals to my way of life. If this keeps up, I'm going to use my oven as storage space.