I know that when I’m watching chefs on TV prepare food without washing things, I cringe. Like plucking herbs off a plant and putting them right into a salad, dirt ‘n all. I know it’s because they’re on camera and they are in a make believe world where everything is perfect and clean.
And I’m worried my salad at the restaurant isn’t being washed either. On top of many other things I worry about at restaurants. It doesn’t matter if the bag of salad you purchased says triple washed, you should still wash it, because even a little particle of bacteria can multiply exponentially in that bag. Especially in raw foods nowadays.
Paranoid yet? You will be, just as I am.
So I washed a colander of salad under the faucet. This is enough washing for most of us. Then I decided to see how much dirt still remained on the leaves.
I soaked the leaves in a big bowl of water for a few minutes, swishing it around.
Then I put the leaves back in the colander, and this was what was left over.
I mean, it’s really not that big of a deal. I’m still alive. My husband is still alive. I never got sick eating my own salads I made at home. But I don’t know many people who wash fruit before consuming it. So I wonder who even washes their salad at all.
Posted by nora@ffr on May 25, 2009 at 6:15 am
very true dumpling.. i agree with you. you will never know ven a bacteria gets in to your body. thanx for the tip.. this is very effective.. keep it up!! i like your blog very much,specially the stunning photography! :)
cheers!!
Posted by imadumpling on May 25, 2009 at 10:01 am
Thank you so much! I appreciate the great comments, it is the biggest reason I keep writing and photographing.
Posted by nora@ffr on May 26, 2009 at 5:34 am
your most welcome :) m definetly gonna check your blog every day :)
cheers!!
Posted by Gai Lan with Garlic and Oyster Sauce « Soup Belly on May 26, 2009 at 6:12 pm
[...] Soak the gai lan in a big tub of water for a few minutes. Trust me, if you saw my post on salad earlier, the state of gai lan is worse, given that you don’t purchase it pre-packaged in a [...]
Posted by Jen on May 26, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Sometimes the extra step is a hassle but I would rather see the dirt and bugs in the sink than on my dinner plate. And who’s to say that the person who harvested or packaged the food washed their hands after the last trip to the bathroom? Ew, just wash it already. Thanks for the post, we should never skip this step.