If you thought salad is boring, then you probably have not tried it well. It is, in fact, one of the best and easiest ways to sneak some greens into your diet and you would find various tricks on the internet to make it scrumptious. The only downside to the goodness of salad is that it might get soggy quickly and let's agree, the sight of a batch of wilted lettuce can be quite disappointing! What do you do then? Do you discard the whole batch and prepare it again? Or do you eat the not-so-crunchy salad half-heartedly? We say you don't need to do any as we found some smart tricks to keep salad fresh and crunchy for a long time. Sounds great? So, without further ado, let's take you through the pointers.
Also Read: Healthy Eating Made Easy: 5 Easy Salads That Will Stay Fresh For Days
Photo Credit: iStock
Why Does A Salad Turn Soggy Quickly?
To know how to prevent the salad from turning soggy, you need to understand the reason behind it. Fruits, vegetables and greens used in the dish are high on water, meaning, they have prone to turn soggy. Now, when you add a dressing or salt or any hot ingredient to it, the added moisture works negatively and breaks down some compounds in your greens, making it all mushy and watery.
Is It Okay To Eat Mushy Salad?
We understand, the sight of a watery salad is not so pleasant and it doesn't taste good as well. But if you think from a health point of view, you can easily consume a soggy salad until any of the ingredients turn smelly or contaminated. To avoid the risk, it is always suggested to prepare salad fresh while you consume it. And if you want to get it ready beforehand, make sure you store it well.
Also Read: Kosambari - This Delicious Salad From Karnataka Makes For A Quick And Nutritious Meal
Photo Credit: iStock
How Do You Keep Your Salad From Getting Soggy:
1. Remove spoilt greens:
It is important to pick the right kind of ingredients while making a salad. Using a fruit, vegetable or green that has already begun rotting, may accelerate the process of contamination, making your salad watery and mushy.
2. Store in airtight containers:
The primary idea is to prevent your vegetables from absorbing excess moisture. Hence, it is suggested to store the salad in airtight containers to keep it fresh for long. The best practice is to keep the salad container in the refrigerator to avoid any possibility of turning moist.
3. Add salt and dressing later:
Salt and dressing may lead the vegetables to release excess water. Hence, when you pack a bowl of salad, put the dressing separately and add it just before consumption.
4. Spread some citrus juice on your greens:
The acidic compound in citrus juice is known to prolong the shelf life of your greens. Hence, when you pack lettuce, spread some lemon juice or vinegar on the top to keep it fresh for a long time.
5. Let the hot ingredients cool down properly:
We love having some boiled chicken or roasted paneer in a salad. But did you know adding these ingredients when hot may instantly make your greens leave water? So, always remember to cool these added ingredients before mixing them into your salad.
How Do You Pack/Store Leftover Salad?
The best practice is to dress as much salad as you want. So, when you have excess greens and dressing, pack them separately in air-tight containers and store them in the refrigerator. This way, you can not only prepare excess salad in advance and enjoy it in your next meal, without getting it soggy.
Now that you have these effective tips handy, prepare your salad worry-free and indulge whenever you want.
About Somdatta SahaExplorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call herself. Be it in terms of food, people or places, all she craves for is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio pasta or daal-chawal and a good movie can make her day.