If you prep salad ingredients in advance ?

[Um_2_4]

Which hold up well and which should be prepped just before serving?

 

I want to prep on Sat or Sun veges for quick salads. I do not want to pre-make salads in jars or anything. Just want the ___ chopped and ready to toss on depending on what each kid wants etc.

So any tips? How do you keep some veges from drying out, like cucumbers for example? Baggie with damp paper towel??

How many days does it typically last for you?

 

Here's what I usually use (not all in the same salad LOL):

Romaine lettuce

cabbage

spinach

arugula

carrots (this is easy, I buy the bag of shredded carrots)

cucumbers

bell peppers

red onions

green onions

tomato (I know this is usually need to be added last. Would it keep in baggies? I usually get Roma, if that matters)

radishes

celery (I read you can wrap in foil to keep crunchy and moist??)

 

 

[Debbi in Texas]

I think the cut vegetables will last at least a week. I would use plastic bowls, but that is my preference over baggies. I use a lot of the plastic bowls that lunch meat is sold in. When I make up salad ingredients, I mix all the toppings together, so I don't have trouble with anything drying out. You could just try them individually and see what ends up needing some moisture.

 

Good luck. I love having salad ingredients prepared ahead of time. Try adding nuts, fruits, olives, cheese, or eggs for even more variety and nutrition.

[jjeepa]

I always store cut carrots and celery in ziploc bags with a little bit of water.  This has always kept them fresh and crispy.  

 

I wonder if the same would work for cucumbers.  In my experience, they only stay crisp for a few days after being cut.  That might be because I cut the skin off too.  Not a cucumber skin lover.

 

I store cut bell peppers in ziploc bags too with no issues.  

 

I wouldn't pre-cut tomatoes at all.  Tomatoes in fridge = death of tomato.  

 

All of the lettuce would work in large zip lock bags with a damp paper towel.

 

I'm hungry now for a big salad  :001_smile:

 

 

[MEmama]

Any of those should keep fine in the fridge for several days. I store my veggies in glass, even small tomatoes in the fridge. I don't add water or anything, though I do put a dry paper towel over lettuce which seems to help it stay happy longer.

 

I definitely eat more salads when at least most of it is prepped.

[SamanthaCarter]

I store my lettuce in the salad spinner if I have room in the fridge for it. It keeps lettuce the best in my experience. 

 

I want to do more of this (for salads and other preparations). I can be very lazy when it comes time to fix dinner and would really rather throw a bag of frozen veggies on the stove than wash, peel, prep veggies. If they are already chopped and bagged, I feel so put together!

[whitestavern]

The only ones I wouldn't prep ahead would be maybe cucumbers and tomatoes.

[Arcadia]

For cucumbers, I slice them and put them in a container with shredded carrots and drip some vinaigrette over them.  Last for days. My kids prefer zucchini though.

[Annie G]

I prep in advance but tomatoes are my trouble spot. During this time of year when I can get homegrown tomatoes, I'm willing to slice them as needed. But for most of the year I just use grape tomatoes and they stay on the counter.  So no cutting...just rinse them and toss them in. 

 

I do enjoy a slightly pickled cucumber so cutting a couple of days in advance works if I toss them in a bit of vinegar. They aren't super crispy but I'm ok with that.