Salad Stuffs for two people

@suspenseful (40193)
Canada
August 5, 2007 9:34am CST
There are two of us now, and we shop once a week. I usually buy a head of Romaine and some spinach, and the other salad greens, but sometimes they are not gone by the time shopping roles around. I would like to know how I can make the lettuces, spinach, and arigula, plus the green onions, etc. last longer because really I do not like throwing anything away. The tomatoes and peppers are okay, but it is the lettuce stuff that concerns me.
5 people like this
6 responses
@marciascott (25529)
• United States
5 Aug 07
I am having that samwe problem, I have a lot of lettuce that my boss gave me, I want to give some away and keep some, I notice a friend of mind, put all her lettuce in a plastic container and It is keeping very well, you should try that I am going to try it.
3 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
5 Aug 07
There was a lettuce sale last week at Safeway, two for the price of one. I also got some spinach the week before, and some arigula this week. The latter is expensive because it is not available here, except when it is in season. I have to get some larger plastic containers, they might work better than the Ziploc vegetable bags I have, I find them hard to keep sealed.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
6 Aug 07
I use a salad-spinner to wash and dry my lettuce. Then I keep it in a container with paper towels between each layer of lettuce (one lettuce deep, but my container and the towels are wide, so sometimes 2 or 3 side-by side). So it goes, container, paper towel, one large lettuce leaf or a couple side by side, then repeat. I've kept fresh lettuce and other greens for over a week. The problem may be how old your lettuce is to begin with. In the summer, my wild greens come from around my house and are 5 minutes to 1/2 hour old when they go in the frig. The tame ones that I get from the Farmer's market are same day picked unless I get half priced ones. Those are 2 days old. So freshest you can get, salad spinner, and paper towels are my suggestion. Let me know if you try any of these ideas and how they work for you. There is so much humidity where I live, there's even some in the fridge!
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
14 Aug 07
We don't have a farmer's market that close. We have to get our salad stuff from either Safeways, Superstore, Sobeys, or Economart and if we get them in the package, once you open the package, they soon go limp. We can sometimes get fresh ones, we had spinach that lasted two weeks, but that is rare. The paper towel seems a good idea. We did get Romaine we put in one of those glad vegetable bags, but it was mostly outside leaves.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
14 Aug 07
2 weeks on green,leafy vegetable. That was very fresh. We're very lucky here. Even the people who are far from Farmer's Markets, each down has at least one farmer with a roadside stand. Yes, when I have to, I buy those package things, too. About 1 or 2 days are all they are good for. We have a Chef's salad then. I take 1/2 the package, my husband takes the other 1/2. We put a little meat and a little salad dressing on. He adds cuts of a small tomato and I do the same with an onion. Then the salad becomes a meal and we are less likely to waste it.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
14 Aug 07
The others are saying wet paper towels, my fridge is humid (all the air here is), so dry papertowels work better for me. If wet work for you, great, but it they don't try dry. This is a very good topic. It took me a long time when I was single, working and going to college, to find a way to keep lettuce and other greens from spoiling.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18164)
• Orangeville, Ontario
7 Aug 07
I wash my lettuce and then wrap it in a damp paper towel. I find it lasts longer that way. It is the same with other veggies. Actually, it is amazing how I can buy a small plastic container of already chopped veggies (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, celery) and I can buy a head of cauliflower or stem of lettuce and those pre-chopped in the plastic container will last weeks longer than those still on the stem. I think it must have something to do with the plastic container.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
14 Aug 07
That does seem like a good idea. I sometimes put left over salad in containers and forget I have some, then make some fresh. I find that they are still fresh when I open them, more so when I keep them in ziplock bags.
@LittleMel (8742)
• Canada
6 Aug 07
one time we got some lettuce and we wash it then slice it and keep them in a plastic bag. they stay fresh for weeks, since we don't eat a lot of them but keeping them in the fridge all the time.
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
14 Aug 07
That sounds like a good idea. So if you prepare them as for salads, and keep them in plastic bags, all I need to do is to take up enough.
@Grandmaof2 (7579)
• Canada
6 Aug 07
This I do and it works like you'd never believe. I have two tupperware lettuce bowls, I'm lucky I have the older ones with the green lids. It's the best thing I've ever owned for lettuce. I place a piece of paper towel in the bottom as it seems to suck out the extra moisture you don't need then put the lettuce on top and seal the lid. I have kept lettuce for two weeks that way. I use the other bowl for brown sugar and it never goes hard and it's there for months and months.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
14 Aug 07
I still got my old tupperware lettuce bowl, I'll try that. Thanks.
@RAPAZ68 (185)
5 Aug 07
Yes lettuce can be funny some time. I would stick to the tomatoes! :-)
2 people like this
@marciascott (25529)
• United States
5 Aug 07
Try putting it in a plastic container, it will keeep better.
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
5 Aug 07
Much as though I love tomatoes, we do need some green leafy vegetables.
1 person likes this