At its heart lies Arugula: an elegant peppery green that adds zesty spice to salads, sandwiches and other dishes with its distinctive flavor profile. Unfortunately its shelf life is often short-lived; often wilting or spoiling before you can fully appreciate its culinary potential. But no need to fear: through trial-and-error experiments with science I have successfully discovered and refined methods for storing Arugula so it remains fresh and vibrant as soon as you bring it home from the market – no generic “store your greens in the fridge” advice here – we go deeper into both art and science of keeping Arugula at peak freshness for as long as humanly possible.
Before we get too specific about storing arugula, remember that like any leafy green, arugula is alive and breathing even after being plucked from its source. While its respiration allows arugula to “stay alive”, its respiration also quickens its decomposition by eating away at its stored sugars and losing moisture quickly – thus shortening its lifespan over time. In order to prolong its shelf life, try slowing these processes without stopping them entirely through temperature, humidity and airflow control measures.
How to Store Arugula in the Fridge
Storing arugula in the refrigerator may be your go-to method of choice, but there’s an optimal way of doing it. Your crisper drawer provides the optimal environment; simply tossing bags of arugula into it is likely going to leave you disappointed!
Here’s my tried-and-true method for keeping arugula fresh: First, wash and thoroughly dry it – moisture is the enemy of freshness, encouraging mold growth and spoilage bacteria to flourish. Next, lay down some paper towels at the bottom of a storage container to absorb any remaining moisture before spreading the arugula on top and covering with another paper towel before sealing up the container – this setup maintains humidity while attenuating excess moisture, lengthening its lifespan dramatically.
Freezing Arugula
While freezing may seem counterintuitive, as it involves freezing leafy greens such as arugula instead of fruit or meat products like strawberries and steak, when done properly freezing can preserve its taste while keeping its texture undamaged for use in cooked dishes where its taste matters more than texture.
Blanching should be your first step when preservating arugula. Briefly submerging it in boiling water before immediately cooling it in ice water is enough to stop enzyme activity that would otherwise cause flavor, color and texture changes in its frozen state. Once blanched, lay it flat on a baking sheet until frozen individually before placing it into an airtight zip-top bag or container for later use in soups stews and sauces.
Not everyone likes using plastic for food storage purposes, even when freshness is paramount. Luckily, you can store arugula in the fridge without resorting to zip-top bags or plastic containers by creating the ideal environment–an amazingly easy task using glass containers!
Use a glass container with an airtight lid, layer the bottom with paper towels, add your washed and fully dried arugula, top it off with another paper towel before sealing for maximum humidity control. Glass won’t absorb odors or flavors that might ruin its fresh flavor – keeping your arugula tasting crisp and peppery!
How to Store Arugula in the Freezer Without a Bag
Those committed to cutting back their plastic use may find that freezing arugula without bags is entirely possible and effective. The process mimics that of traditional freezing but with an eco-friendly twist.
After blanching and drying your arugula, spread it out on a parchment-paper-lined tray without touching leaves before freezing it solid. Once frozen solid, transfer your frozen arugula to an airtight glass or stainless steel container to reduce plastic waste while making its bold flavor readily accessible all year-long! This approach not only reduces plastic waste but also keeps arugula readily accessible for cooking use year round!