How can I safely eat bagged lettuce?

Question

I don't like wet, wilted lettuce. The salad spinners are cumbersome and don't seem to work well. The entire point of purchasing bagged lettuce for $2-3 higher than a head of lettuce is for convenience. But now that we know of possible bacteria in a product that's supposed to be "ready to eat," what's a vegetarian to do?

I understand that wet lettuce is less important that not getting a terrible infection, but still... does anyone have a good solution?

By the way, I'm looking for serious answers.

vjraw - This is not a complaint about convenience. This is a QUESTION regarding how to safely eat bagged lettuce.

Answer 1

All of the bagged lettuce/salads, et al are pre-washed.
If you still feel the need to wash the lettuce/salad with water, pour X amount into a colander and rinse it like that. Then lightly “sift” the lettuce to shake off the excess water. Then you could take a couple of paper towels to hand toss the salad/lettuce and get off the rest of the water or just let the lettuce/salad sit in the colander until it air dries then refrigerate it again for about a half hour if you want it chilled again.
Then after having done all or any of that or any of the other methods mentioned by others to clean the lettuce/salad et al…
PRAY.
The E-Coli bacteria could STILL BE ALIVE.

Answer 2

making sure you wash the lettuce good should help. you can also but pre made salad.

here is some helpful things I have found that may help you.

From Dateline...
Be careful not to allow either the bag or the salad to come close to raw meat juices (they might contain E.coli or other bad bacteria).
Before you buy, take a look at that sell by date and don't buy the salad if that date has passed.
If the salad stays out too long (gets too warm) at home or starts to look brown or gooey around the edges — don't try to save it, throw it away.
And if you do get sick, think salad! It might be the culprit...and if there is any of the salad left in the bag, don't throw it away. (The salad may need to be tested.)
If you get really sick, sick enough to go to the hospital, let the doctors know you had salad in a bag. And if you find out you are contaminated with E.coli, call your local health department so someone else doesn't get sick.

Salad Safety From food network.com
Although salads are generally very healthy, they do require some special handling to keep them that way.

1. Consider cross-contamination. Keep two different cutting boards in the kitchen to prevent cross-contamination. Designate one for raw meat, poultry and seafood. Use the other board for fruits and vegetables or other ready-to-eat foods.

2. Wash, wash, wash. Wash fruits and vegetables under cold water, even if it's bagged and says "tripled washed," "pre-washed" or "ready-to-eat." Washing removes soil and residue. Scrub firm fruits and vegetables with a clean produce brush. Remove and throw away outer leaves of lettuce. After prepping, put produce in clean containers, not in original bags or containers.

3. Store produce safely. Keep fruits and vegetables away from raw meat, poultry or seafood.

4. Refrigerate. Leave salad in the refrigerator (below 40 degrees Fahrenheit) until the very last moment. The longer it sits out at room temperature, the more time bacteria has to grow. Never leave anything out longer than 2 hours (or 1 hour if the temperature is over 90 degrees Fahrenheit). Homemade mayonnaise-based dressings or salads with proteins will spoil faster. Commercially prepared mayonnaise has preservatives and therefore won't spoil as fast.

Answer 3

I have a salad shooter that works extremely well, just a couple of cranks and your salad lettuce is ready to go. Almost as quick as opening a bag of lettuce and pulling out what U need to tell U the truth. Bagged lettuce is purely convenience, I'm on a tight budget (read that as no job=no income) so these little things add up when U R watching your pennies.

Answer 4

Wet Lettuce

Answer 5

I heard on one of the network (CBS, NBC, or ABC) morning shows that the bacteria in the spinach was from waste runoff from a cow farm (I wouldn't be surprised if it was a factory farm.) My father-in-law heard the same thing on an AM radio overnight show, "Coast to Coast". I guess they did a show on factory farms because my husband was telling me what his dad heard on the show. My husband and his father eat meat and dairy and my husband had already cut back on meat as it was, partially because he realizes it's not overly healthy and because it's easier if we want meals together. I think it helped that I was pregnant at the time, so nurturing our baby was (is, of course, especially since I'm breastfeeding) of the utmost importance. My husband still eats meat in restaurants, though. And buys cheese for home.

We still buy bagged leafy greens, but not often becuase it's expensive and a convience food. Before the baby, though, I did have the time to wash and cut the heads of romain and raw spinach (which tastes way better than the frozen stuff, but I still eat it for the nutritional value) and other fresh veggies. Now, though, our six-week-old daughter demands most of my attention, so I don't have time to do that. (Yesterday was the first day in a couple of months that I was able to cook dinner. Well, when it was close to being finished, our daughter woke up wanting to eat, so my husband finished. Still, it was nice.)

I just take everything with a grain of salt. However, you could always by organic. Theoretically, they're supposed to be better. However, once the produce (organic or conventional) has been picked, it starts to lose nutritents. Also, once it's been through traveling and handled a zillion times, I wonder just how "good" it really is. Therefore, I mostly prefer frozen fruits and veggies for that reason, as it's frozen very closely after picking. (I eat frozen fruit straight from the freezer. It's like sorbet, but with actual chewing.)

Anyway, this is what I do.

Answer 6

One tip would be to not eat if the expiration date has passed. Go by the "Best Used Date". Another would be to not try to save the bagged lettuce if discoloration occurs and is wilty.

Many types of bagged lettuce are pre-washed. The packaging will indicate if they are. Even though the produce has been washed before bagging, you still should wash it again right before you eat it.

Avoid using wooden cutting boards, which can harbor germs more than other kinds. Thoroughly wash any cutting board before use and after.

Answer 7

Eat on day of purchase. Bagged lettuce really doesn't last any longer than that. Check within sell by date too. Personally I buy the little gem lettuces; they last much longer and are delicious. They aren't bagged either which means less packaging and better for the environment.

Answer 8

Kee,
I would not eat anything that I could not wash. Try getting something to,"sling", the lettuce dry in, after you wash it.
(Maybe a small wire mesh basket made of stainless steel)?
I just saw a picture of a bag of salad that had a frog in the bag. He was alive and well, but in the bag, he definitely was!
Wet lettuce is better than that!

Answer 9

Take the lettuce out of the bag, and make sure there is no brown or wilted lettuce, and then rinse the lettuce well before eating it.

Answer 10

I have a salad spinner which works incredibly well if you do not over fill it.
I like "iceberg lettuce" and just remove the number of leaves I need.
Rinse spin tear

Do not cut as that destroy cells and hastens the browning of the lettuce.

Keep the rest wrapped in a plastic bag in the vege crisper in fridge, and it will last a couple of weeks.