PSA: This Is the Reason Spring Mix Goes Bad So Quickly

If there’s one hard rule for grocery shopping that I believe in with all my heart and uphold without exception, it is this: NEVER buy “spring mix” salad greens. I don’t care what grocery store I’m at or how much it costs, experience has taught me that spring mix is an outstandingly poor investment. Whether you buy the bag or the plastic clamshell, it’s not uncommon for a portion of the container’s contents to already be wilted—or worse, slimy—upon opening the package. And even if your greens are in decent shape, how long do they realistically retain quality? Maybe 48 hours?

My household goes through a significant amount of salad greens each week—in part, because we are big on salads, but we also like to have greens on hand to toss into pasta dishes or grain bowls, to top sandwiches, etc. So if I open a container of greens, a mere day after purchase, to find a load of slimy leaves oozing that smelly salad sludge all over the leaves that are still clinging to life, it’s a real bummer.

Granted, no variety of salad green is entirely immune from this fate. Occasionally buying a “bad bag” of greens happens, regardless of what variety you opt for. But with spring mix, a frustratingly short lifespan feels like a near guarantee. Do I have data to support my [arguably harsh] assertion that spring mix is the worst? No, I do not. Anecdotal experience is the only justification I have to offer.

If you love spring mix, I say—more power to you. Keep buying it. However, for those who can relate to my utter disdain for this ubiquitous blend of fragile lettuces, I hope this article can provide you with both validation and some useful information.

What Is Spring Mix? 

There are no official parameters defining what’s supposed to be included in a spring mix salad blend. However, it’s typically made up of baby spinach combined with various other “tender baby lettuces,” like oak and red leaf lettuce. As you’ve likely noticed, spring mix is available throughout the seasons, not just during spring; one can assume that the name stems from the fact that the blend consists primarily of “baby” lettuces and greens that might typically be plucked during spring if they were grown in your own home garden. Of course, the greens found in the produce section of your supermarket are typically grown year-round in greenhouses or locations with consistently warmer climates.

Baby lettuces/greens are simply lettuces and greens that have not yet matured. They’re harvested at an early stage of growth so that the leaves are soft and delicate, rather than crispy. The specific baby leaf varieties in a given package of spring mix will generally vary by producer, but everything included in a blend should be listed somewhere on the packaging. For example, Fresh Express brand lists the following as components of their spring mix blend (along with the caveat that “ingredients may vary”):