Salad Help

tammycolbert

Is there any possible way for me to make a salad on a Monday and have it last more then I day without wilting and getting nasty? Also is there a way for me to do a fruit salad and not have it go bad within days? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

kvwalton30

For the salad, I think its best to avoid putting any dressing on until you want to eat it (I keep my dressing in a separate pot or just use a bottle of balsamic vinegar). Also, maybe keeping any veggies separate from the lettuce may help too and use a crunchy more robust lettuce. No idea with fruit salad except for lots of lemon juice, but personally I wouldn't expect that to last more than 1 day.

vikinglander

Hi! Use a mason jar.

http://www.organizeyourselfskinny.com/2014/03/17/the-ultimate-mason-jar-salad-tutorial-and-recipe-round-up/

letslassothemoon.com/2014/12/20/mason-jar-recipes/

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-pack-the-perfect-salad-in-a-jar-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-192174

Hope this helps...

Charis50

For salads with greens & proteins, Google "jar salads." It's a method of layering ingredients in a mason jar to keep wet/heavy foods on the bottom and lighter stuff on the top. The key is that your salad dressing/salsa/sauce is in the bottom, so it stays separate until you dump the jar upside down on a plate or into a bowl.

I make up 4-5 at a time on Sunday night, and eat one a day at work. I really like spinach or kale, which easily stay fresh for the whole week--but I've had mesclun and other more delicate greens hold up for 3-4 days, if the lid is on tight.

These are a godsend for me. I can just grab one and go in the morning, and the jar takes up almost no room in our crowded work fridge.

Charis50

Oops! I didn't see vikinglander's post.

olymp1a

I agree with the mason jar, it's a great way to prepare for the week

Dayle1984

Definitely!
For me, I find the main thing is buying an actual head of lettuce and washing/drying (spinning) it really well. Bagged lettuce goes brown/bad within a couple days I find!

I do this with the lettuce, put it in 5 containers, and I chop carrots, cucumber, red pepper, green onion, and celery. I just put the veg on top of the lettuce. I add the dressing and a protein (eggs, chicken, and/or nuts) right before eating it, and the salad itself stays fresh from Sunday night until Friday lunch.