are bagged salads LESS convenient?

wearystar
wearystar Posts: 72 Member
edited September 30 in Food and Nutrition
i love those bagged salad mixes from the grocery store, for the convenience and the variety of lettuces within the mix. however, i find that they only last 3-4 days after being bought UNopened, and only a day or two (if i'm lucky) after being opened.
i feel like in order to eat them before they turn i have to eat a whole bag the day i get home from the store... which is not what i really want.
does anyone else have this problem? or a way to fix it?

Replies

  • rachrach66
    rachrach66 Posts: 271 Member
    I have had this problem with the Fresh Express bags salads too. It's very annoying. I like to add a salad to my lunch. I will by the bag Sunday and by Wednesday its turning colors. It really sucks!! I can only think to buy small fresh made salads daily which isnt too convenient or cheap.
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
    I like the Spring mix that comes in a plastic box, forget the brand. It had a great blend of greens and is super yummy. I swear I would rather eat liver than iceberg lettuce...
  • skinnylove00
    skinnylove00 Posts: 662 Member
    just put it in a ziploc baggie when youre done with it!!
  • SimplyDeLish
    SimplyDeLish Posts: 539
    after opening the salad put it in an airtight (like tupperware type) container. Put a paper towel on the bottom and another paper towel on the top. The towels will help absurb some of the moisture and you can get an extra 2 or 3 days out of your bag.
  • FungusTrooper
    FungusTrooper Posts: 227 Member
    I like the Spring mix that comes in a plastic box, forget the brand. It had a great blend of greens and is super yummy. I swear I would rather eat liver than iceberg lettuce...
    This is what we do, and it tends to keep for longer than the bagged stuff. Our fridge is super cold though, so that probably helps.

    The tip about the paper towel is so true though, it helps so much. I do that with chopped cucumber and bananas, too!
  • nananie2
    nananie2 Posts: 272 Member
    Same here. I found that the fresh bags are really efficient to keep the lettuce crispy and fresh longer.

    (like these : http://www.evertfresh.com/?q=node/7)
  • lulu1962
    lulu1962 Posts: 210
    I love the bagged salad mixes! I can usually eat an entire bag in 1 day, so it works for me! You are right, though...they get "nasty" after a few days...try putting the whole bag in a tupperware bowl...seems to last a little longer.:happy:
  • jagh09
    jagh09 Posts: 555 Member
    after opening the salad put it in an airtight (like tupperware type) container. Put a paper towel on the bottom and another paper towel on the top. The towels will help absurb some of the moisture and you can get an extra 2 or 3 days out of your bag.

    Thanks for this idea! I'm going to try that out this week. I get SO irritated when my salad goes brown a day after opening.
  • OneBryteSmile
    OneBryteSmile Posts: 808 Member
    after opening the salad put it in an airtight (like tupperware type) container. Put a paper towel on the bottom and another paper towel on the top. The towels will help absurb some of the moisture and you can get an extra 2 or 3 days out of your bag.

    Wow I will definitely have to try this. I've been having the same problem the poster has so hopefully this tip works. I'm so tired of having to throw stuff out and wasting money.
  • devilwhiterose
    devilwhiterose Posts: 1,157 Member
    I like the Spring mix that comes in a plastic box, forget the brand. It had a great blend of greens and is super yummy. I swear I would rather eat liver than iceberg lettuce...

    Marketside! I love those. They last FOREVER. I had salad that lasted well over a week before it started to turn. I quit buying bagged because of the same reason.
  • 2tired2think
    2tired2think Posts: 36 Member
    I like the salad in the plastic box too -- I think the brand is "Organic Girl". You can get spring mix, baby spinach, etc.
  • missy_1975
    missy_1975 Posts: 244 Member
    I eat entire bags in one meal! So lunch can be at least 100 g of mixed leaves with other stuff added. Today I had 190 g of bagged salad leaves and beetroot (along with some prawns and humous -yum!) and could barely finish it. This is the stuff you can eat tonnes of as it is what our bodies crave, just remember to be careful with dressings is you use them. Unless your bags are much, much bigger where you're from, get used to filling up with veggies :wink:
  • healthygirltx
    healthygirltx Posts: 37 Member
    The ones that come in the plastic tubs last longer.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    after opening the salad put it in an airtight (like tupperware type) container. Put a paper towel on the bottom and another paper towel on the top. The towels will help absurb some of the moisture and you can get an extra 2 or 3 days out of your bag.

    Wow I will definitely have to try this. I've been having the same problem the poster has so hopefully this tip works. I'm so tired of having to throw stuff out and wasting money.

    This works! I do this with my regular heads of lettuce as well!
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    I buy the different greens separately and cut them for use. Seems to last longer that way.
  • cartern1
    cartern1 Posts: 270 Member
    Before they seal the bag they actually fill it with some kind of chemical to keep it fresh, as soon as contact with air is made it goes down hill really quickly.

    http://www.modifiedatmospherepackaging.com/Applications/Modified-atmosphere-packaging-fruit-vegetables.aspx

    My local supermarket sell leaves that are still 'alive' in soil (sounds odd but it works) you just put it in the fridge and pick the leaves as required. Its stays fresh for ages!
  • zornig
    zornig Posts: 336 Member
    I like the Spring mix that comes in a plastic box, forget the brand. It had a great blend of greens and is super yummy. I swear I would rather eat liver than iceberg lettuce...

    In my area that's Earthbound Organic.

    I no longer buy bagged lettuces, for the same reason (plus buying heads of lettuce is cheaper). What I do is store them in these containers: http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-International-LKS-06-Lettuce-Keeper/dp/B000OUY2QO . These things will seriously keep your lettuce crisp and tasty for 2 weeks! I own three of these and store all of my veg in them--it even keeps avocados from turning brown and cut tomatoes from getting mushy.
  • lovetowrite73
    lovetowrite73 Posts: 1,244 Member
    If you don't already own one, I would highly recommend a salad spinner. It will spin a lot of the moisture out of the leaves and they keep longer.
  • Thriceshy
    Thriceshy Posts: 708 Member
    I like the Spring mix that comes in a plastic box, forget the brand. It had a great blend of greens and is super yummy. I swear I would rather eat liver than iceberg lettuce...

    Same here, and we add fresh romaine to it to mitigate the price and make it last longer. Sometimes we get the spring mix half and half, which is half spring mix and half spinach.

    We used to do the bagged salads--not worth it, price-wise. Too costly, AND they go bad in a matter of days.

    Kris
  • wearystar
    wearystar Posts: 72 Member
    good ideas, thanks!
    i would buy more than one type of lettuce/full heads and make my own, but i'm the only one who eats salads at all in my house, so i usually never finish those before they turn either lol. i've tried whole heads of romaine, but i just don't go through it...
  • luvgreen25
    luvgreen25 Posts: 202
    Before they seal the bag they actually fill it with some kind of chemical to keep it fresh, as soon as contact with air is made it goes down hill really quickly.

    http://www.modifiedatmospherepackaging.com/Applications/Modified-atmosphere-packaging-fruit-vegetables.aspx

    My local supermarket sell leaves that are still 'alive' in soil (sounds odd but it works) you just put it in the fridge and pick the leaves as required. Its stays fresh for ages!

    That sounds interesting - I'm going to have to check my supermarket for this! Right now, it's not an issue because I grow my own lettuce, but in the fall/winter, I'll have to consider this option.

    Thanks!
  • cydonian
    cydonian Posts: 361 Member
    I buy fresh spinach in bags and usually take it out of the bag and put it into a sealed container, like someone else suggested. My husband and I go through it like water though so it usually can't go bad before we eat it! I would double check the date on the bag -- the closer expiration dates are usually at the front of the shelf, so you gotta dig back a little ways to find fresher ones. I can get to the expiration date and a few days beyond, generally (and I tend to buy it 7-10 days before expiration)

    Also, check to see what the humidity setting in your fridge is like. I have a crisper I keep mine in and I think low humidity is for veggies and high is for fruit (could be the other way around), but look into that as well.
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