Prepping Greens & Herbs
From SALAD LOVE—The Simple Art of Making a Great Salad
Salad greens need to be well washed and dried completely for a successful salad. Not only is this necessary for keeping your salad safe from bacteria, it is also important for keeping your greens crisp. There is nothing worse than taking a bite of a salad with dirt or grit on it or one with wet, soggy leaves. Key tools: salad spinner and clean cotton dish towels.
1 TRIMMING LETTUCE
When using a whole head of lettuce, such as romaine or iceberg, trim and remove any damaged outer leaves, cut off the “core” or stem and separate the leaves.
2 WASHING LETTUCE
Wash the larger leaves in the sink under running water, using your hands to wipe away all the debris, and then put the leaves into the interior colander of a salad spinner, shaking out the excess water. Insert the colander into the spinner and spin the leaves dry, emptying the water from the spinner a few times. You might need to do this step in batches depending on the amount of lettuce you are washing. When washing smaller leaves, such as arugula or spinach, place in the colander to rinse, then spin to dry.
3 DRYING LETTUCE
Lay the leaves out in a single layer on a clean dish towel or paper towels, then roll the towel up to remove any excess moisture. Store the towel-wrapped lettuces or greens in a clean plastic bag and chill. Lettuce stored this way will keep several days longer than uncleaned or un-rolled greens.
