A Smarter, Better, Faster Way to Wash Kale (and Other Leafy Greens)

Leafy greens like kale, swiss chard, collards, and beet tops pack both a nutritional and flavor punch, but they can be a bit of a pain to prep. If you typically pick up a bag of baby kale or other bagged, prerinsed greens to avoid the extra steps, listen up.

Instead of rinsing the greens before removing their tough fibrous stems and cutting them into bite-size pieces, flip that process on its head. Remove the stems and cut them down to size (be it bite-size pieces or ribbons), and then and only then, clean them up. The most efficient way to do this is in a salad spinner. Not only is it easier to wash small pieces in a bowl of water, but it also conserves water compared to rinsing the leaves under running water. The process is simple: add the pieces to the salad spinner, fill it up with water, swish the greens back and forth, let the dirt sink to the bottom (wait a minute or two), lift the greens-filled basket out, and drain off the dirty water. To dry the leaves before cooking or tossing in a salad, return the basket to the salad spinner and use it as you would typically.