How To Revive Wilted Lettuce & Leafy Greens

No matter how you’re growing, wilting lettuce or leafy greens will inevitably happen from time to time. But rather than throwing out perfectly good produce, just because it’s looking slightly sad, there are some simple ways to salvage your Lettuce, Kale, Silverbeet, Rocket and other leafy favourites.

Step 1: Materials

Gather the following materials:

• Your wilted greens in need of saving
• Salad spinner
• Sharp knife
• Lemon or apple cider vinegar *optional
• Ice *optional

Step 2: Remove the ends 

Cutting off the dead ends of your leafy greens will reopen the capillaries of the plant and allow it to take up more water.

Step 3: Water

Fill your bowl with cold water, with optional ice added. This will reduce the temperature of your water and help your greens become more crisp and rigid. Add optional lemon or vinegar for extra crispness.

Step 4: Submerge

Cover and let your leaves sit in their icy bath for up to an hour or until they have crisped nicely. The more wilted your greens are, the longer they will need to soak.

Lettuce and leafy greens are composed primarily of water. Wilting is a sign of dehydration, so submerging in water allows the dehydrated cells to absorb much needed moisture. As the cells take on more water, they will become more turgid and rigid, giving the lettuce its original study and crisp shape.

Step 5: Drain and Dry

Remove any lemon slices, rinse and drain your leafy greens and spin them in your salad spinner until dry (if you don’t have a salad spinner you can dry your leafy greens with a dish towel). If you added lemon or vinegar, give your leafy greens an extra rinse to get rid of the acid taste.

Step 6: Enjoy!

Your leafy greens should now be crisp and full of water as though you had just picked them from the garden.