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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: Sept 14 2012 at 7:12pm | IP Logged
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My lettuce keeps going bad, faster than normal. Any ideas on how to make it last longer? I buy bagged when it's on sale and I buy organic romaine hearts otherwise. I dig through the stuff at the store to get the freshest stuff. I usually try to get it home quick or put it in a cooler. I keep it sealed up tight in the original container or a ziploc bag and store it in my vegetable bin in the frig. I bought two bags of salad on Tuesday and I had to throw them away today.  I'm tired of wasting money or eating half rotten lettuce!
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
Tending the Pumpkin Patch
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stellamaris
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| Posted: Sept 14 2012 at 8:41pm | IP Logged
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Lettuce has to be very dry to keep. Usually in the store they spray it with water, so when you get home, you need to do a bit of prep work to get it to keep longer. A salad spinner is your best bet. Failing that, rinse and spread it on some thick paper (or regular) towels to air dry. Then, when it is dry, lay the individual lettuce leaves on double thick paper towels and roll the towels up with the leaves inside. Put the whole roll (or rolls) into a Ziploc or plastic bag, but leave a little opening or poke a few holes in the bag. Should keep for a week or so. If your lettuce has reddish blotches on it when you go to use it, that is called "rust" and is because it was not thoroughly dry when put in the refrigerator. It's OK to eat--not any kind of rot, just a kind of oxidation, like the browning of apples when exposed to air.
If you can't bring yourself to do all of this prep, at least don't "seal it up tight"...I think that is your problem. Lettuce has to have a bit of air. Leave it in the plastic bag, but poke a few holes with a fork.
Another thought is to make sure it's not getting frozen while near the ice in the cooler.
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In Christ,
Caroline
Wife to  dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
Flowing Streams
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organiclilac
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| Posted: Sept 14 2012 at 9:54pm | IP Logged
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Ditto the salad spinner. I couldn't believe how much longer my lettuce kept when I started using one!
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Tracy, wife to Shawn, mama to Samuel (4/01) and Joseph (11/11), and Thomas (2/15)
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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: Sept 14 2012 at 9:58pm | IP Logged
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Any recommendations on a salad spinner? I've always wanted the one from Pampered Chef, but not at $60! I bought a very cheap one at Target a few years ago and threw it away because it was useless. I've been afraid to buy another.
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
Tending the Pumpkin Patch
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stellamaris
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| Posted: Sept 15 2012 at 6:27am | IP Logged
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Mine is this one by OXO and it seems to work just fine for about $30.
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In Christ,
Caroline
Wife to dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
Flowing Streams
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ctrivette
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| Posted: Sept 15 2012 at 10:41am | IP Logged
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I've had good luck vacuum sealing my salads in the food saver canisters. I just rinse, pat it a little dry, and vacuum it. I have always wanted a salad slumber; when I was little we didn't have one but my friends mom did and I thought it was the coolest thing;).
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Keeping lettuce fresh??
