Salad: do you wash pre-washed greens?

[JPie]

My husband and I like to buy salad mix at the farmers market. It’s advertised as triple-washed, and my husband uses it as is. I always wash it. I consistently rinse out gnats, grit, and even a live spider once.

How about you? Do you trust pre-washed salad greens to be clean, or do you always wash them regardless?

 

[Tekate]

abso! I read we should.

 

[voce]

I trust pre-washed salad greens that come already packaged and sealed, such as those from Costco and Sprouts, but I wouldn't trust it if I bought it at a farmer's market where things aren't packaged. No mishaps ever with 1-lb spring mix from Costco. I mean, it could be true that they pre-washed it, but unless it's packaged and sealed it could always get dirty again, and a live spider could easily crawl into the container.

 

[Slickk]

I wash! I just feel better knowing I gave it a good cleaning. Love my salads.

 

[nala]

I like to rinse them in water and stick them in the fridge so that the lettuce tastes crispy otherwise salad mix tastes limp.

 

[Begonia]

Wash them three times. Don't trust what a pkg says.

 

[JPie]

For those in the wash camp, have you found any protein surprises?

 

[missy]

Yeah I actually don’t wash pre washed salad. I get it from Costco or Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s and so far so good. And if I ever came across a bug I’d be eh ok. I mean I’ve lived through worse and probably will go through worse. Just putting it in perspective.

I love my big salads and enjoy them daily.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Yes wash. Yes to unwanted surprises as well!

cheers--Sharon

 

[jaysonsmom]

I don't wash pre-packaged salad mixes. If sold loose from a farmers market, I probably would.

Funny thing is that I DO wash prepackaged ready to steam green beans, sugar snap peas, etc because sometimes they have stems and leaves still left on them.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Nope! Too lazy and a peck of dirt has served me fine all these years.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I'm a dirty girl, I eat it right out the bag without washing.

 

[kenny]

For those in the wash camp, have you found any protein surprises?

You don't remember this excitement, or this was before you joined PS.
Be sure to click through the thread to see pics of them hatched in post #51.

So I'm minding my own business ...

chopping my parsley tonight ... and what do I see? Several tiny white dots. Anyone know what kind of eggs they are?

www.pricescope.com

 

[cmd2014]

I don't wash commercially prepared pre-washed salads. I figure they are usually doused in bleach. I do carefully wash anything from the farmer's market, as I have found all sorts of critters and grit in there, no matter what has been advertised in terms of washing. I am not prepared for the extra protein and fibre thanks!

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Oooh can I crash the thread and ask if you wash raspberries and blackberries? I don't because they are too delicate! They die after washing so we just eat them from the pack.

 

[stracci2000]

I wash real lettuce, but not the kind in the plastic box.
DH likes the spring mix lettuce in the box, so I buy that for his lunches.
I successfully weaned him off of lunch meat sandwiches and on to salad. Yay!

@kenny, the stink bug thread was fun! Too bad the babies didn't make it............

 

[missy]

Oooh can I crash the thread and ask if you wash raspberries and blackberries? I don't because they are too delicate! They die after washing so we just eat them from the pack.

I do. I wash them in a colander. They hold up fine.

 

[JPie]

@kenny that thread reminds me of the time when I bought mint and found eggs all over the leaves. I didn’t let them stick around to hatch though!

@mellowyellowgirl how about washing them immediately before eating?

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@mellowyellowgirl, I wash my berries in a colander under cold water right before I eat them, no problems.

The key is to just wash the ones you are eating and out the rest back in the package in the fridge.

 

[finerthings]

Nope, if they are pre-washed "triple washed", I am good to go.

 

[Calliecake]

I wash all fruits and vegetables. Now that there is Covid I wash everything twice. Crazy...yes but it’s a very simple quick precaution that gives me peace of mind.

 

[Garnetgirl]

I absolutely HATE washing lettuce! Maybe because that was my job at home when I was a kid - I guess because my mother hated washing lettuce. So I think it’s genetic.

When I read that one should wash the washed lettuce, I just stopped buying it and stopped eating salads. Now I mostly eat cooked vegetables.

 

[JPie]

I’m surprised by the folks who trust the pre-washed stuff in packages! I’ve found protein surprises in those too, though admittedly not as much as the farmers market stuff.

I guess I make an exception for restaurant greens. I don’t think many restaurants actually wash their produce.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I just figure I've made it this far not washing so if "death by lettuce" gets me then it better be noted in my obituary:

"Yada Yada died unexpectedly August 28th 2098 by poisioning from salad, had she kept eating cake she would still be with us today...."

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

I would definitely wash it. Lettuce- especially if it is harvested in the morning when tiny slugs are still out may need to be washed more than three times.

 

[JPie]

I just figure I've made it this far not washing so if "death by lettuce" gets me then it better be noted in my obituary:

"Yada Yada died unexpectedly August 28th 2098 by poisioning from salad, had she kept eating cake she would still be with us today...."

It’s not that I fear death by salad. I just really prefer not to eat more spiders than I already do in my sleep.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@JPie, I know, I'm just teasing. I get it though that there could be some creepy crawlies in there to think about.

Well if that turns out to be my obituary I'll be 119 so I doubt the salad would the cause anyways

 

[SandyinAnaheim]

...I guess I make an exception for restaurant greens. I don’t think many restaurants actually wash their produce.

When I worked in restaurants as a youngster, one of the pre-shift side jobs was washing the romaine. We would cut the heads in thirds down their length, still attached at the base, and dunk them face down into 5 gl buckets filled with ice water and swish them around for a while, through three separate buckets. You would NOT believe what came out of those things....everything from chunks of sod to worms, snails, flies, gnats and larvae of all kinds. But it WAS clean by the time we were done with the process.

For those of you who freak out over greens, you might not want to take a look at the "Detect List" by the USDA, which determines how much rodent poop and insect parts your foods and spices are allowed to contain. You can't see them, but you've been eating them your whole life.... Salad greens are the least of your worries folks.

 

[JPie]

@JPie, I know, I'm just teasing. I get it though that there could be some creepy crawlies in there to think about.

Well if that turns out to be my obituary I'll be 119 so I doubt the salad would the cause anyways

Or maybe all the extra protein is exactly why you’ll be 119!

 

[JPie]

When I worked in restaurants as a youngster, one of the pre-shift side jobs was washing the romaine. We would cut the heads in thirds down their length, still attached at the base, and dunk them face down into 5 gl buckets filled with ice water and swish them around for a while, through three separate buckets. You would NOT believe what came out of those things....everything from chunks of sod to worms, snails, flies, gnats and larvae of all kinds. But it WAS clean by the time we were done with the process.

For those of you who freak out over greens, you might not want to take a look at the "Detect List" by the USDA, which determines how much rodent poop and insect parts your foods and spices are allowed to contain. You can't see them, but you've been eating them your whole life.... Salad greens are the least of your worries folks.

Ignorance is bliss!