Lettuce preparation


 
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Rita Y

TVWBB Emerald Member
Although we like both, we usually prefer romaine to delicate field mix for everyday salads; maybe it’s the crunch. I’ve been tearing 3 heads of romaine and a small head of radicchio into an ice water bath and letting them stand for a few minutes to rehydrate, crisp, and then rinse. Then I use my salad spinner to remove excess water and layer the greens with a few dry paper towels in a FoodSaver canister, vacuum, and refrigerate. They keep well for several days without browning and it’s handy for a quick salad. I’ve tried the already-cut romaine and other salad mixes in the bags, but they have a strange, gassy/chemical flavor to me, even after washing them.

1) Is the plastic knife thing an old wives’ tale or is there some truth to it?

2) Is there a better way to make up a salad mix ahead of time for several family meals?

Rita
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Rita Y:
1) Is the plastic knife thing an old wives’ tale or is there some truth to it? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
The idea is that if you cut salad greens with a sharp knife, you are cutting open individual cells. Those cells die, oxidize, and turn brown. If you tear, you are separating cells from one another, but not necessarily breaking individual cells. The thinking behind a (dull) plastic knife is that you are tearing cells apart from one another without cutting open individual cells. Wives' tale? Truth? Some of each?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">2) Is there a better way to make up a salad mix ahead of time for several family meals? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Not that I can think of other than a salad clipping bed located conveniently just outside the kitchen door. Can't get any fresher.
 
Have you heard the issues surrounding prewashed lettuce etc. ? They appearantly are responsible for making a few people sick...some fatalities. I did not really think much about it until my father-n-law, who is immunodepressed, was advised he cannot eat any fresh vegetables with out cooking. Prewashed lettuce and vegies are prewashed but not bug free. For most of us most of the time they do not cause a problem. What about the other times and other folks?
 
Steve, correct. The issue was with E. coli O157:H7-contaminated bagged prewashed lettuce purchased and consumed in Minnesota last year. 250,000 bags were recalled. according to the FDA this has happened 19 times and a total of 425 people have become seriously ill, two have died.

Obviously, millions eat prewashed lettuce products and have not had a problem but it is quite true that immune-compromised individuals (either due to chronic illness or disease or people recovering from illnesses or surgeries and on anti-biotics) and pregnant women should not eat uncooked produce. Though washing of unwashed produce is strongly recommended there is evidence to suggest that that might not do it--that there is or might be enough pathogenic bacteria either present residually or within the produce (because of the water used to irrigate) to cause serious problems for some individuals even after thorough washing. I know microbiologists who counsel washing prewashed produce and many who say don't bother--if the packer didn't get it clean with their much better equipment there's no way a consumer with a kitchen faucet is going to do better.

A critical issue with food items that aren't going to be cooked is preventing cross contamination. This has been a huge deal commercially because numerous cases of illness (E coli, Listeria, Norwalk virus, Hepatitus A et al.) have been traced to cross contamination. It's vital that washed produce and other ready-to-eat food not come in contact with pathogenic bacteria or viruses. Not placing these items on or in things that have not been properly washed is important as well as using only clean utensils and hands. In many places workers handling RTE food must wear gloves (but that guarantees nothing if the gloves have not been donned at the right time or properly changed).

Changes in agriculture, production, processing, shipping, and in bacteria and virus over the past many years is most likely why we have seen a gross increase in food borne illness over the time when most of us here were kids. We all remember a time when a rare burger was common in any restaurant. Due to the changes in animal processing there developed a problem with E. coli O157:H7; due to issues with run-off and irrigation this bacteria has become prevalent in soils where most of our food is grown. Due to run-off from there it has become a problem elsewhere--all this in the past 30 years--and that's talking about just one type of bacteria.

Anyway--Rita, I can't think of any other way that's better to prep salad ingredients ahead of time but a word of caution: I don't recommend doing too much too soon (spoilage issues) and it is important that the salad ingredients remain cold, especially because you'll be vacuuming. Wash in flowing water first, then chill in ice water, then spin and pack.
 
Many thanks, Doug, Steve, and Kevin. That's exactly the information I was looking for. I'm glad I'm doing it right. Sometimes I think that just putting the washed/chilled lettuce, wrapped in a slightly damp towel in a breatheable plastic bag, keeps the romaine just about as well as the FoodSaver does. We have a green salad with just about every meal and it sure does help to have the washing and chilling steps already done for family meals when time is an issue. Never for company!

For variety, I always keep handy some olives to slice, capers, roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini, feta, gorgonzola or blue cheese, and lots of other small things to add at the last minute. No more than 3 at a time, though.
 
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