Any tips on how to preserve vegetable salad for about a week

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bussyfeso
bussyfeso Posts: 77 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Any tip will be appreciated. By the time I mix all the ingredients, its usually too much for to finish in two days.
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  • prima_donut
    prima_donut Posts: 11 Member
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    Don't add dressing, nuts, meats, or salts to it and it should last. add those things before each use. make sure it's in a sealed container too :-)
  • Afw94
    Afw94 Posts: 11 Member
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    As long as you don't put dressing or meat in it then it should last about a week, stick it in a tupperware or cover it with cling film, mine lasts about 5 days like that in the fridge.
  • C_Stretton
    C_Stretton Posts: 201 Member
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    Place a paper towel in the container with your salad to absorb some of the moisture. That'll help the salad keep a bit longer. I also tend not to add tomatoes because of the seeds; I keep those in a separate container or use cherry or grape tomatoes.
  • KittyHeaven74
    KittyHeaven74 Posts: 68 Member
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    I also recommend avoiding adding more watery veggies, like tomatoes, until you're ready to eat it. That will also help to avoid the lettuce getting mushy. Or as the previous poster said, using cherry or grape tomotoes because the skins keep them intact.
  • rainwater467
    rainwater467 Posts: 12 Member
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    Keep as dry as possible. Salad spinner and paper towel. I also keep tomatoes separate.
  • bussyfeso
    bussyfeso Posts: 77 Member
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    Thanks guys
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
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    Is it just greens and vegetables? (No tomato or avocado- add those later) At the restaurant I worked at, we would soak greens in salt-water for an hour and then rinse the salt out and spin-dry them, stored in a sealed container, and they would keep green and crisp for a week. At home, I do pretty much the same thing, and I make 'veggie mixes' that I just store in ziplock bags that I can throw in along the way.
  • jennifermuntz
    jennifermuntz Posts: 1 Member
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    Cucumber will get mushy if the salad is damp.
  • Triplestep
    Triplestep Posts: 239 Member
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    Keep everything separate in covered plastic containers (like the ziploc or glad ones) and mix when it's time to eat.

    I bring salad for lunch several days a week; I mix the wet ingredients the night before, then dump them on top of the lettuce as I'm about to eat it.
  • bussyfeso
    bussyfeso Posts: 77 Member
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    ElizabethOakes2 wrote: »
    Is it just greens and vegetables? (No tomato or avocado- add those later) At the restaurant I worked at, we would soak greens in salt-water for an hour and then rinse the salt out and spin-dry them, stored in a sealed container, and they would keep green and crisp for a week. At home, I do pretty much the same thing, and I make 'veggie mixes' that I just store in ziplock bags that I can throw in along the way.

    No tomato and avocado.
    The basic stuffs I use are; cabbage, carrot, cucumber, sweet corn, grean beans, baked beans, corn beef, onions and eggs.

  • latineyes2
    latineyes2 Posts: 31 Member
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    ElizabethOakes2 wrote: »
    Is it just greens and vegetables? (No tomato or avocado- add those later) At the restaurant I worked at, we would soak greens in salt-water for an hour and then rinse the salt out and spin-dry them, stored in a sealed container, and they would keep green and crisp for a week. At home, I do pretty much the same thing, and I make 'veggie mixes' that I just store in ziplock bags that I can throw in along the way.

    Great suggestion on soaking. I never knew about that and will try it myself!
  • tracefan
    tracefan Posts: 382 Member
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    mason jar
  • KathyApplebaum
    KathyApplebaum Posts: 188 Member
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    Add a dry paper towel to the container with the salad (I use a zipper close bag, but rigid containers work too.) The paper towel will absorb moisture in the beginning, keeping the salad from rotting, and release it as the salad dries a bit, keeping it crisper.

    Just remember to take out the paper towel before serving. Er, not that my husband absent mindedly tried to eat it once or anything. :#
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,203 Member
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    Another option would be to go to different types of salad, things that go in a vinegar-based marinade: I'm thinking things like cucumber, briefly-steamed broccoli or cauliflower, shredded cabbage or carrot.
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
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    Switching out lettuce for cabbage.
  • namelesshere
    namelesshere Posts: 334 Member
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    Mix less. Instead of a full cucumber, try a third, etc. I finally had to face up to the fact my salads were too large so have cut them back. That way I make it fresh each day. I put a salad bowl on the scale and start adding my ingredients until I get to between 1/2 or 1 pound. I tare it to add the dressing to make sure I don't go over. The salad takes on a different composition depending on what I have. LOL!
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    An ice bath soak with a little salt or lemon juice does help to keep lettuce crisp and green for longer. This is standard practice in most restaurants. (I used to hand chop 4-6 cases a day) You should be able to get a week out of it by doing that. You may want to soak it again mid week. Lettuce is a plant so it needs water to stay alive. It also prefers to be cold so make sure it is not sitting at room temp for very long.
  • KeliDungan
    KeliDungan Posts: 1 Member
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    I make mine in mason jars and they last for 5 - 7 days. Here's a nice tutorial http://www.organizeyourselfskinny.com/2014/03/17/the-ultimate-mason-jar-salad-tutorial-and-recipe-round-up/
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
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    Google mason jar salads. Works great'
  • numbnumbnumb
    numbnumbnumb Posts: 237 Member
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    KathyApplebaum wrote: »
    Add a dry paper towel to the container with the salad (I use a zipper close bag, but rigid containers work too.) The paper towel will absorb moisture in the beginning, keeping the salad from rotting, and release it as the salad dries a bit, keeping it crisper :#

    Paper towel is the most amazing thing ever.

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