It’s always a letdown to buy greens, only to find that they’re slimy and wilted by the time you’re ready to use them.
Use Your SodaStream to Extend the Life of Greens
Even greens packaged with a mixture of gases designed to keep them fresher lose that protection once you open the box or bag to take some out.
A few years back, we came up with an easy method to make sure greens last a whole lot longer: Breathe into the bag. The carbon dioxide in an exhaled breath increases the concentration of the gas in the bag, which slows the respiration process of the greens and in turn slows the process of ripening and wilting.
The obvious problem? Who would want to eat those greens?
We now have a new method that’s totally sanitary, almost as easy, and very effective. All it takes is a soda maker.
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How Your Soda Maker Can Double the Life of Greens
Though soda makers are designed to incorporate carbon dioxide into a bottle of water, we discovered that many, including our winning SodaStream Terra, can also dispense gas into a bag. Would it work just as well to extend greens’ freshness as breathing into a bag?
To find out, we divided lettuces from the same package into two bags. We inflated one with carbon dioxide expelled from a soda machine and left the other as is.
The upshot: The bag of greens with the carbon dioxide from the soda maker lasted almost twice as long (5 days versus 9 days) before showing signs of significant wilting.
METHOD
1. Place greens in large zipper-lock bag. Seal bag, leaving ¼-inch opening on 1 side. Gently press to evacuate as much air as possible without crushing greens.
2. Insert nozzle of soda maker into opening, pinching bag around nozzle to create airtight seal. Dispense gas into bag until lightly inflated. Carefully remove bag and seal completely.
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Start Free TrialAbsolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too. I've done this using a rimmed sheet pan instead of a skillet and put veggies and potatoes around the chicken for a one-pan meal. Broccoli gets nicely browned and yummy!
Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too.
Amazed this recipe works out as well as it does. Would not have thought that the amount of time under the broiler would have produced a very juicy and favorable chicken with a very crispy crust. Used my 12" Lodge Cast Iron skillet (which can withstand 1000 degree temps to respond to those who wondered if it would work) and it turned out great. A "make again" as my family rates things. This is a great recipe, and I will definitely make it again. My butcher gladly butterflied the chicken for me, therefore I found it to be a fast and easy prep. I used my cast iron skillet- marvellous!
John, wasn't it just amazing chicken? So much better than your typical oven baked chicken and on par if not better than gas or even charcoal grilled. It gets that smokey charcoal tasted and overnight koshering definitely helps, something I do when time permits. First-time I've pierced a whole chicken minus the times I make jerk chicken on the grill. Yup, the cast iron was not an issue.