Ever take a huge bite of a crisp salad only to discover that there is grit in your teeth? Yuck. Salad greens can contain a lot of sand, grit, and other pollutants if they are not well-cleaned before eating. Continue reading to learn the proper way to wash salad greens. (Spoiler alert: Rinsing them under the faucet is incorrect.)
How to wash them?
You can either wash your greens right away once you come home from the store or wait until you're getting ready to eat. Since there is no right or incorrect response, it ultimately comes down to preference. If you enjoy assembling quick salads for lunch, it could be a good idea to wash, shred, and have your lettuce ready in the fridge. To keep them fresh for longer, store them in these lettuce keepers.
Should you wash pre-washed lettuce?
Pre-washed lettuce should probably be washed first. Pre-washed lettuce might not be as clean as you believe, despite what the bag says. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises washing lettuce in a bleach solution to get rid of dangerous microorganisms. The issue is that occasionally, bleach residue is left on the lettuce, and nobody wants their salad to taste like bleach.
Additionally, research has shown that the bleach solution isn't always successful, which means that contaminants can still enter your kitchen even after the bleach treatment. Therefore, it is best to wash your pre-washed lettuce again to ensure that it is free of both chemicals and bacteria.
How to wash lettuce?
1. Pour cold water into your sink (or a sizable, clean dish). If you use your sink, make sure to fully clean it first.
2. Put the greens in cold water after separating them. Stir and stir the water while the greens are in it to ensure that the water reaches every nook and cranny of the leaves.
3. For at least ten minutes, let the greens float in the water. Sand and dirt will drop to the bottom of the bowl or sink as they soak.
4. To get rid of any extra water, lift the greens out and give them a moderate shake. Then, put the greens in a salad spinner and spin them until they are completely dry.
5. Try this workaround if you don't have a salad spinner: Place the damp greens in a plastic grocery bag after wrapping them in a couple of clean kitchen towels. Tie the bag and vigorously spin it in arm circles while holding the handles tightly. Water will slip off the leaves as a result of the motion and soak into the towels. A human salad spinner, that's you!