Do you re-wash bagged salad and veggies?

[Govtgirl]

I've been buying more and more of pre-washed veggies, like those little baby carrots, broccoli slaw (yum!) in addition to good ol' salad. I used to re-wash them, because I read that even though they're washed, there can still be cooties or salmonella or whatever scare-of-the-week it is on it.

Obviously that takes away the convenience of it all, and I wonder how much cleaner I'm getting it with water and white vinegar. I've been eating it right out of the bag, and figuring it's ok, I haven't dropped dead yet, so I was just wondering if you thinks there's a need to re-wash that stuff...I mean, what's the threat in realisitic terms of getting some dread disease??

 

[bceogirl]

I don't rewash it !

However a few weeks ago on the TV show The Doctors they were talking about it , and they recommended that you DO. One of the doctors said no way was he going to.......the whole reason he buys the bags like that is convenience (me too)so he was going to take his chances.

Don't think that helps much, just thought I'd share what they said on the show.....

Becky

 

[lcobb2]

I'm terrible in that I don't, but I know I should. I'm just so lazy. With a full-, and part-time job, I would rather take the risk with pre-bagged veggies. Either that or I buy frozen.

 

[fit44]

I don't...I'm bad

 

[spyrosmom]

I don't and I haven't died yet! I did find a still-alive bee in one once. I guess that means it's fresh?? I called the 800# on the bag, but it was a Sat and they were closed. It said to leave a msg, and I did, but I never heard back.

Nan

 

[netsnotes16]

Most of the time I'll re-wash in my salad spinner, especially when I mixing other veggies in my salad.

 

[Carolyn B]

I don't wash it, but I do seem to spend a lot of time going through all of the leaves to pick out the bad ones - and with spinach I always break off the stems.

Wish they would do that in restaurants! I had a salad in an expensive restaurant the other day, and it was obvious they had just dumped a bag of spinach on the plate. I spent half the meal picking out bad pieces and cutting off the stems!

 

[cakebaker]

Don't wash the bagged stuff

I've been buying more and more of pre-washed veggies, like those little baby carrots, broccoli slaw (yum!) in addition to good ol' salad. I used to re-wash them, because I read that even though they're washed, there can still be cooties or salmonella or whatever scare-of-the-week it is on it.

Obviously that takes away the convenience of it all, and I wonder how much cleaner I'm getting it with water and white vinegar. I've been eating it right out of the bag, and figuring it's ok, I haven't dropped dead yet, so I was just wondering if you thinks there's a need to re-wash that stuff...I mean, what's the threat in realisitic terms of getting some dread disease??

I buy a lot of it and have for years, and so far so good. I find there is less waste with the bagged stuff.

 

[NY25]

I absolutely rinse it in the salad spinner. I don't go crazy with cleaning, but I do give it a good solid rinse. You don't know how clean the factory where it was packaged is. I'd rather be safe than sorry, and honestly, it takes about 60 seconds. I can manage that.
I will admit, however, that on occassion, I have just eaten it straight out of the bag, or if I'm cooking it - like with spinach, I may be a little more inclined to skip the wash because I'm cooking it. But I much prefer to wash it first.

 

[janie1234]

I buy bulk salad from Whole Foods and prep it on the week ends. I put them in the salad spinner bowl with water and let it soak for at least 5 minutes. Then I give it a good spin. Then I put a paper towel in the spinner to soak up more water and I spin it again. After that I add sliced bell peppers, mushrooms, you know whatever I'm in the mood for that week. I dry out the spinner and put a layer of paper towel on the bottom then just put some plastic wrap on top of the spinner and keep the whole thing in the fridge. It lasts for at least 5 days and all I have to do is get as much or as little as I want and add dressing. This way is cheaper and cleaner. I used to buy the pre-washed stuff but noticed that when one little leaf goes bad it sorta takes the rest of it with them. Although it takes more time if I do it on the weekend I'm set for the week. Sometimes I think I over think the whole washing thing. I mean if you buy organic which is pesticide free do you really have go nuts on the washing thing? I noticed a lot of the food net work stars like Emeril, Alton, and Gida re wash their food, . . .and then there is Rachel Ray who doesn't.

 

[NY25]

Rachael does, I'm sure. If you've ever noticed, her stuff is "packaged" in non-store packaging. They buy stuff and then repackage it in generic packaging (nice and wasteful on their part). So when she "opens" something, she's opening it for at least the second time.

 

[SirenSongWoman]

I pay extra for the convenience so no way. Look at it this way: A little bit of bacterial exposure builds up your immunity !

 

[Mos Nef]

I'm pretty inconsistent about it, because I buy the organic stuff, so I figure I may actually be making things worse running it under LA tap water. I don't tend to wash pre-made lettuce-based salads or baby greens blends, but I have been washing spinach greens more often than not, lately. Spinach tends to hold onto dirt more, so I just take the minute or two to rinse and then spin it, nowadays. I'm not too crazed about it though, I figure a little dirt won't kill me. Maybe I'm even getting some minerals in there!

 

[nightowl81]

I didn't even know you were supposed to rewash them! It says already prewashed on the bag. Not something I'd do, I like to think whereever it's bagged they do wash it good enough.

Vegetables and fruits unbagged I do wash good though... I'm always worried/paranoid about if they fell on the supermarket floor where a bunch of dirty shoes have walked...who might have picked it up before me (cold, germs,etc). I've been going to an Aldi and they have the vegetables wrapped already so things like that don't happen (i hope) and I've been buying those, just feels better.

 

[kathryn]

I absolutely rinse it in the salad spinner. I don't go crazy with cleaning, but I do give it a good solid rinse. You don't know how clean the factory where it was packaged is. I'd rather be safe than sorry, and honestly, it takes about 60 seconds. I can manage that.
I will admit, however, that on occassion, I have just eaten it straight out of the bag, or if I'm cooking it - like with spinach, I may be a little more inclined to skip the wash because I'm cooking it. But I much prefer to wash it first.

Pretty much the same for me.

 

[My2girls]

I don't wash and have never even considered it We've never had a problem.

 

[neicebug]

I used to buy the pre-washed stuff but noticed that when one little leaf goes bad it sorta takes the rest of it with them.

I have noticed the same thing...especially with baby greens, once one leave starts to really go yucky it really goes FAST...and don't get me started on the smell, P-U!!

 

[moni_stout]

The only produce that I purchase bagged is watercress, because that is my only option for watercress at my store. I definitely wash it.

 

[diane57]

I don't and we are still alive and well! Sandra Lee of the food network does not and that's good enough for me. Part of the problem is that for me, even with a salad spinner, the leaves are still damp when I eat them, and I like my greens dry and crisp.

I am however a STICKLER for freshness with those bags, so I paw through all the bags to get the one with the longest expiration date - if the bag expires sooner than 3 days from when I'm buying it I will not buy it. And if I find even one rotten leaf in a bag of lettuce I throw away the whole bag, it just grosses me out.

 

[FitnessBunny]

I don't wash mine either. I know that's bad. I figure there are worse things out there that are more harmful to me. If I do have extra time, I may wash them but extra time is hard to come by these days.