Salad leaves- yum,yum

[margotay]

Well,for the lst few days we've been tucking in to our salad leaves and spinach . This is my first time veg gardening , so it was wonderful to see i'd actually grown something which both looked and tasted good. I did feel a bit guilty eating them - I mean they've been like babies haven't they and there I was cutting them up and eating them!!! I hope it didn't hurt !

Does anyone know a good way of washing the salad leaves and managing to dry them and keep them crisp ? I 've spent too long eating those awful supermarket ones which are already washed and sealed in plastic bags ,that I've lost the knack !!!

I haven't made many posts on here, but i come on every day and find the advice I need ! I just want to say thankyou to all you people who help newbies like me.

margo

[andy armitage]

we are also new to this and we have been picking and eating rocket and cut and come again leaves they are so crisp isn't it great to eat fresh produce. We just wash them in the sink and dab them dry with a bit of kitchen roll it works for us, we got our very first new potatoes tonight wow they were good

[smallblueplanet]

Dunno how good they are but can you still get salad spinners? They were all the rage in the 70s - there must have been a reason! I've not watered our salad enough and they're bolting, hope some are still gonna head up.

[margotay]

I dried them with the kitchen roll and they weren't too bad. I do remember the salad spinners - will have to keep an eye out for one.
A friend was saying her mum always used to put a piece of coal in the water they were washed in and that kept them crisp !! Another said she puts some sugar in her water. Not tried any of those though !

It all tastes so lovely - I'm just going to try steaming the first lot of spinach for our (late) tea to go with sausages .

[coomber]

I bought a cheap salad spinner from Aldi, it works brilliantly. salad stays lovely and crisp and will keep in the spinner (refridgerated)for a day or two if you pick too much

[pmc]

i use a salad spinner & then I put in bags with a couple of pieces of paper towel to blot up any excess water. Will keep for over a week in the fridge, but normally gets eaten before that. I sow lettuce in september & over- winter with cloches & normally start picking by March the next year & go right through until about Oct/Nov.

[margotay]

I think I'll go on a salad spinner hunt tomorrow.

I planted another row of leaves about 2 weeks ago and they are coming up well. Think I should have done it sooner though. How often do you usually plant yours ?

The steamed spinach was gorgeous. Only just planted another row of those as well and should have done that sooner.

margo

[deezyb]

i started growing veg last year, and adore picking my own salad...still managing to do it this year on a daily basis, and totally agree with everyone, ace to eat really fresh, crunchy veg! Have wondered if a salad spinner works well...seems that you think so , so will give it a try!

I try to sow the salad/spinach every 2-3 weeks, but as a general rule of thumb on the 1st of the month (if I forget the 2-3 week sowing) - this seems to work, there's only 1 adult and 1 teenager in the house...so this keeps me (would love it to be US) eating fresh salad!!!!

[Garden_girlie21]

we have a salad spinner -really excellent, it's amazing how much water you can get off of washed leaves! I think we got ours from Lakeland, and the last time I was there, I even saw a mini one!!

Jennifer

[squashysu]

great news and what a fab feeling it is, i am still in awe of the stuff growing in my garden and greenhouse! i need to get a new salad spinner they are great, the kids used it for painting with last summer!!!! if you need the recipe for spin painting just ask ha ha !

x SS x

[Bren In Pots]

I bought a cheap salad spinner from Aldi, it works brilliantly. salad stays lovely and crisp and will keep in the spinner (refridgerated)for a day or two if you pick too much

Have to agree I love my Aldi salad spinner.

[margotay]

Right - mission tomorrow, Salad spinner hunt ! Thanks for the advice everybody.

margo

[Winged one]

Salad spinner deffo. (I have a more expensive one from OXO as I couldn't find cheap ones when I was looking - but it is good).

Another good trick is to plant your salads in pots and water from below - there is very little dirt on the leaves then. I have been taking my leaves (just pulling a few leaves at a time rather than a whole head of lettuce) from the pots in the garden, and a few little patches in a flower bed where I sowed lots in a module and planted them all together (so they are so tight that dirt isn't getting in there either - not really the best method, but it's working for me) - and I haven't actually needed to wash them most nights (am bringing a big box of lettuce leaves from the garden, with my carrot chunks and some tomatoes and olives for lunch every day). Just eat them as they grow.

[nelliegemini]

I use a salad spinner and when I do get a glut, or overpick, I find leaves last 5/6 days in a 'lock'n'lock' type plastic box in the salad drawer. Not sure of the spelling but Lakeland stock them and they have a silicone ring in the lid which makes them air and watertight.

OH laughs at me as I set off down the garden to forage, only my second spring at this and I too look with scorn at those soft bags in the supermarket (well until I forget successional sowing)

[nilling]

Salad spinner at Aldi on Sunday £3.49

ALDI - Sunday Special Buys 15th June 2008