This is something you don't see every day--jars filled with lettuce--but it is the smartest thing I've heard of in quite some time. I saw this idea on Pinterest a while back and wanted to try it, but I had to wait until the jar attachment came for my vacuum seal machine. I've been enjoying ready-to-eat salads for about two weeks now. Basically, once your lettuce is sealed in the jar, it should stay fresh for 5 to 10 days depending, of course, on how fresh the lettuce is when you process it. And the process is soooooooo easy!
1. Wash lettuce.
2. Cut lettuce to the size that you prefer for salads.
3. Place lettuce in a salad spinner to dry it.
4. Fill canning jars with lettuce.
5. Place lid (but not the ring) on the jar, and put the jar attachment (regular or wide-mouth, whichever fits your jar) over it. The jar attachment should have a hose that connects to a vacuum seal machine that has an accessory port.
6. Use the vacuum seal machine to remove the air from the jar and seal it. Put the ring on, and store the jar in the refrigerator.
You'll notice from the photo that the lettuce looks fresh and crisp. The iceberg lettuce (right front) was placed in the jar just before the photo was taken, but the romaine lettuce (left front) was processed two days prior. If you'd like to try a delicious salad dressing--one that tastes very similar to Carrabba's house dressing (my absolute favorite-could-eat-every-single-day), mix the following and refrigerate:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I use fresh cheese and grate it myself)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced parsley--fresh, of course
1/2 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 comments:
are those the regular canning lids that come with the jars you use or do you need a special lid to work with the vacuum machine? i make my own sauce every august and i'm wondering if i could use it on that too. interesting idea about the salad - i would never have thought of it myself.
Jeannine, I used regular canning jars and the lid and ring that came with them. To seal the jars, you put the lid on the jar, and the sealing attachment fits over it. After sealing, you put the ring on the jar. I don't know anything about the normal canning process, but I do know that the jar attachment for the vacuum seal machines will remove air/oxygen from the jar and seal it.
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