washing salad greens

[henri cat]

Having just read the posts about washing tomatoes, I wonder if folks wash salad ingredients such as Belgian endive and cabbage. I always discard the outside leaves, but these vegs seem so clean that I am tempted not to wash them if they are organic.

[Caralien]

Most of my regular and organic produce seems to have dirt on it, particularly greens, so we finally purchased a salad spinner. A touch of dirt during a seemingly perfect meal isn't worth that CRUNCH and grimace.

[kchurchill5]

Leeks tend to be dirty. Usually discard outer leaves ... some I clean ... some I don't. Cabbage is usually good. Endive is ok too. Usually a good market and good produce is fine. Those at the farmers market I usually always clean because they are picked and taken right to the market. I just fill the sink a bit and soak a few minutes and drain. I usually have no problems.

[janetms383]

Cabbage is tightly packed and unless you buy a cut half, I agree that you can throw out the outer layers and only need to wash off obvious dirt.

[todao]

Organic foods are grown organically, which determines what they contain systemically, but they are still processed for shipping by humans and contamination in processing is always a possibility. E coli, for example, can be transmitted from any surface. Anywhere water can penetrate is open to bacterial intrusion. Those packets of "prepared" salad ingredients are particularly threatening.
I wash 'em all - and I use a salad spinner to rid them ot the excess moisture after washing.

[HaagenDazs]

Thank you todao. Well informed post. "Organic" has nothing to do with the way a product is handled post-harvest.

[kchurchill5]

Very interesting

[jen kalb]

I do the same as you - discard the outer leaves, otherwise wash only if there is soil or other obvious problem. Others will likely disagree but its worked fine for us and my kids survived to healthy adulthood.