Whether youre blanching green beans or leafy vegetables, this pantry item is the key to keeping them bright.
According to one 2023 study, chlorophyll may boast not only antioxidants but also cancer- and obesity-fighting properties.
One test found that boiled greens hold the least vitamin C, while microwaved greens maintain the most.
Photo:Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco
Whats the Best Way to Keep Green Vegetables Green?
We spoke toSylvia Casares, a food scientist and restaurateur, to find out.
The key to keeping them fresh is proper storage, Casares says.
Wash them, then dry them off.
You dont want to store them when theyre all wet.
Take a paper towel and store them.
At the restaurant, we line them with brown rolls of paper towels.
Another obvious step that Casares recommends: Avoid overcooking your vegetables.
Once youre overcooking them, youre changing everything about them.
However, another baking soda hack may be just the ticket to keeping greens fresh and colorful.
How Does It Work?
But adding baking soda can combat much of that reaction.
It helps to make your food a little more alkaline, she says.
Alkalinity, or absence of acid, will make the chlorophyll more stable.
But theres a downside.
And the method isnt just excellent for green vegetables.
The softening properties can actually be an asset for some ingredients.
It also helps to remove theoligosaccharides that make us gassy.
And potatoes can also be even better after a bath in boiling water and baking soda.
Try our Garlic-Rosemary Roasted Potatoes to taste for yourself.
And thats not just true of their appearance.
After all, Casares points out, baking soda is excellent for practically everything.
Its also fabulous in baking, and brushing my teeth and doing laundry, she jokes.
All the more reason to buy the biggest box of your favorite brand.
2017;27(2):333342. doi: 10.1007/s10068-017-0281-1
Consumer Reports.Should You Wash Produce with Baking Soda?
