Sep 13, 2016

Preserving Fresh Lettuce - Salad from a jar




I'm a salad-lover!
I could eat a salad every day,
and I usually do.

Yet I'm always throwing away
lettuce that has turned brown or wilted.

note: I don't actually throw it in
the trash bin, it goes to the chickens/compost.

Well, no more!!
(cue dramatic "ta-da"music here)

Food saver, vacuuming sealing lettuce

I now preserve my lettuce in canning jars
with my handy dandy FoodSaver vacuum sealer.

We purchased jar sealers for both regular
and wide-mouth. These use the accessory 
hose that comes with most FoodSaver models.



Here's how we do it!

We use a mix of lettuce, whatever
we're growing along with store-
bought.

1. Chop it into bite-size pieces.

2. Wash and DRY it really well
     in your salad spinner or with
     paper towels.

3. Pack your mix of lettuce into 
    mason jars. Push in as much
    as you can!

4. Place a lid* on the jar.

5. Place the jar sealer over the lid.

6. Attach the hose to both the jar
    sealer and your machine, hit
    the vacuum button.

7. When it is finished, DETACH 
    the HOSE from the jar sealer 
    first. You should hear a ping.

8. Then remove the jar sealer from
    your mason jar. Test the lid to make
    sure its sealed!

9. Keep your jars in the refrigerator
    for up to seven days. 

That's it.


mason jars of salad, kitchen time savers, food saver, lettuce lasts longer



* you can use new lids (and still use them for canning later) or
you can reuse old lids as long as they aren't too banged up.

Also, this works for quart or pint jars. 
I use a pint because that is a perfect serving size for me.

We have been doing this for well over a year now. 
You can experiment with different lettuce. More delicate leaves/spinach, I know just starts to turn by the seventh day. However, more sturdy leaves such as romaine will last longer.


eat a salad, quick tips to eating healthy, canning lettuce

This is a huge time saver during the week. For lunch, I simply 
grab a jar, empty it onto my plate throw on a few toppings and 
I'm good to go!


I have a friend that takes a jar with her to work each day, she puts
her toppings in another container; grabs both on her way out the 
door. 



I'm all about prepping for one day,
so I can eat for a week.

Do you have any prepping shortcuts
to share??







scroll down to see where I'll be sharing today's post.

Sep 5, 2016

Happy Labor Day 2016



Happy Monday!
and 
Happy Labor Day 
to those celebrating today!

If you have the day off,
I hope you're enjoying it.



September is going to be a busy month,
I'm hoping to stay on top of things and 
take pictures to share here on the blog.

Have a blessed day!
(: