Tips to avoid ruining your salad

One of the things I love about salads is that they are so easy to make.

When you compare the effort it takes to make your favourite salad to the enjoyment you get when you eat it, you cannot deny it represents an excellent return on your investment of time and effort. But, at the same time if we are not careful we can ruin even the most delicious salad.

The key to any great salad is the freshness and crunchiness of the greens we use as ingredients. We must ensure our greens remain totally crisp until the time of consumption.

To do this, of course we need to always select greens that are still fresh when they reach our kitchen. Do not purchase vegetables that are dehydrated and dark green hoping they will get better after you take them home. And don’t leave your fresh ingredients unprotected for hours in the car. That’s a recipe for disaster.

Place greens in the refrigerator as soon as you get home to keep them cool. If they are not already prepacked with some type of plastic film, place them in a container with a lid, or seal the container with plastic wrap.

If you feel you need to reinvigorate the leaves before preparing your salad, you can place them in cold water for a few minutes. Don’t use ice directly on the leaves because that could damage the leaves. If you use ice to cool the water, allow it to melt before you add your greens. You need to keep the vegetable hydrated for as long as possible.

That means you should assemble your salad at the very last minute. And contrary to what some people may think, the dressing does not help in keeping the salad hydrated and crunchy. On the contrary, the dressing will cause the leaves to become soft and dehydrated very rapidly.

So, the secret is temperature and timing. Keep your greens cool, and assemble your salad at the very last minute and you will continue to enjoy the great salads you love.