🌿 How to Revive Wilted Greens Like Spinach, Kale, Lettuce, and More

Sad leafy greens just home from the farmers market or grocery store can feel like such a waste—especially when you're excited to cook. But don’t throw them out! Whether it’s wilted spinach, kale, lettuce, chard, or collards, there’s a simple way to bring them back to life.

We talk a lot about vegetable storage at SpaZa, and this timeless method comes from someone who knows her greens.

🧑🍳 A Tip from NYT Food Columnist Martha Rose Shulman

Martha Rose Shulman—an acclaimed cookbook author, cooking teacher, and long-time food columnist for The New York Times—shares this brilliant tip in her book The Simple Art of Vegetarian Cooking:

“I refresh wilted greens with cold water, drain, and squeeze out the excess water, then store them in a covered bowl in the refrigerator (they keep better in a covered bowl than they do in a plastic bag) for about 3 days.”

🌱 We love this advice—and just want to add that a breathable SpaZa Dish Cover is perfect for this purpose. 

🌿 Why a Fabric Cover Works Better Than Plastic

Our reusable fabric covers are ideal for reviving leafy greens:

• Breathable- evaporation aids in cooling.
• No sweating or trapped condensation
• No plastic waste

This method combines moisture, cool environment, and evaporation to revive your greens in just a few hours—without the sogginess that plastic bags or plastic wrap can cause.

🍃 Best Greens to Revive with This Method

This technique is perfect for:

• Kale
• Spinach
• Chard
• Collards
• Lettuce
• Beet greens
• Turnip tops
• Radish tops

We find it especially useful for reviving the nutritious tops of beets, radishes, and turnips—the parts that are often discarded. A quick plunge in cold water, a gentle squeeze, and a breathable dish cover are all it takes to keep them crisp for salads, sides and sandwiches.

🎥 Watch the video: How to Revive Wilted Greens

🥗 Recipes to Try with Revived Beet, Radish, and Turnip Greens

Not sure what to cook once your greens are crisp again? These recipes make the most of those often-overlooked tops:

🥬 Beet Green Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette and Feta
A light, zesty salad from Healthy Seasonal Recipes that puts those beautiful beet greens front and centre.
👉 Get the recipe

🥗 Farro Salad with Beets, Greens, and Feta
From New York Times Cooking, this hearty salad layers flavour and texture with a smart use of greens.
👉 Get the recipe

🌿 Radish Greens Recipes
Love & Lemons shares a guide to using radish tops—plus multiple recipes like radish green pesto and sautés.
👉 Explore the recipes

❓ FAQ: Reviving and Storing Leafy Greens

Q: Can you revive wilted spinach, kale, and lettuce?
A: Yes! Plunge them in cold water, squeeze gently, and rest in a covered bowl in the fridge. They will come back to life in 6-18 hours and stay crisp of a day or so. 

Q: What’s the best way to store greens without plastic?
A: It is best to store greens without plastic. Use a breathable, reusable dish cover—like SpaZa Store —over a bowl. This avoids condensation and keeps greens crisp.

Q: How do you use a breathable fabric dish cover?                                                  A:Breathable fabric dish covers—like the reusable ones made by Spaza Store—are perfect for covering salads and prepared meals when dining outdoors, transporting a dish to a gathering, or storing food short-term in the refrigerator. They’re also ideal for covering dough during short proofing periods when a recipe calls for “cover with a tea towel.”  Reusable covers are a practical, stylish, and eco-friendly alternative to plastic wrap—and they’re machine washable too.