# keeping greens fresh



## Sticky (Nov 12, 2012)

How can I keep the greens I buy at the store fresh longer than 2-3 days? I make a little salad for my bearded dragon. He is small so I need the plants for a long time. Plus my car died so shopping is tough to do. Most greens are half an hour plus away from where I live.

The kale I last bought turned yellow within 3 days! My little guy cant eat that.

Thanks for any advise.


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## sueb4653 (Nov 12, 2012)

I put all mine in zip lock bags


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## aNisip (Nov 12, 2012)

Put it in a ziploc bag and try and remove as much air as possible...then seal it up and keep in fridge...  

All the best,

Andrew


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## giesle (Nov 12, 2012)

freezer


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## Ranitomeya (Nov 12, 2012)

I agree that freezing is probably your best option for any storage. I've always been under the assumption that unless you freeze leaf-type vegetables, the living cells in them will begin to use up the nutrients for cell maintenance and because they're being stored without light to photosynthesize and without the ability to absorb nutrients through their roots, they cannot regenerate what they use up. They end up turning brown and mushy when they use up all the necessary nutrients and are no longer capable of doing cell maintenance and succumb to cell damage.

If you're able to grow your own vegetables, I would suggest doing so. The best type of storage for any type of vegetable is where they're still able to grow. This way you can be absolutely sure that they're fresh and haven't been transported refrigerated or frozen in a truck for days after having sat frozen in storage for who knows how long. Not to mention, you can be sure that your vegetables have never come into contact with pesticides and other unhealthy chemical additives if you grow them yourself.

With regards to vitamin content in vegetables, it's usually the case that even if you freeze them, they tend to degrade over time. This is usually why most people supplement the diets of herbivorous organisms with either foods with high vitamin content like certain fruits or with vitamin powders.


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## Sticky (Nov 13, 2012)

If I freeze them will they be mushy when thawed? Will my dragon eat them mushy? Next year I definitely grow my own greens! This is a pain having to rely on a store. I hope to have a vehicle this week so I wont have to beg a ride to Blue Hill. All my store has is kale.


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## Ranitomeya (Nov 13, 2012)

When thawing, do not simply set them out to warm up. They will turn mushy. What you want to do is thaw them in icy water to prevent them from thawing too quickly. When plant cells are frozen and thaw quickly, they become damaged because the cell walls are destroyed when only bits of the cell walls thaw quickly and the rest does not.


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## Rick (Nov 13, 2012)

You can't freeze this stuff and expect it to come out in the same condition. Freezing bursts the cell walls as the water inside the cells expands and ice crystals break the cells. For greens I remove from the original packaging and lightly blot all the leaves with paper towels to remove as much external moisture as possible. Next, I wrap the leaves in dry paper towels and place inside those 'green bags' made to keep greens fresh longer. Remove any damaged or bad looking leaves. Place in the crisper drawer of your fridge. You will be surprised how long they last.


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## petoly (Nov 13, 2012)

Freezing beardie specific greens (or greens in general) will kill vitamin B1 or Thiamine. this is a very important vitamin for your Beardie. Without it, it will eventually develope Hypothiaminosis (your beardie's extremities will twitch and tremble). This can be misdiagnosed as MBD very easily and treatment for it is not the same. If you chose to freeze them, I recommend mixing some powdered B1 vitamin to the thawed greens. Or just don't freeze at all.


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## Sticky (Nov 15, 2012)

Thanks everybody. I am grateful the fast and great answers!


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