Salad - fresh/branded/own label?

[Foodie86]

Hi there,

As it's getting a bit warmer I want to start taking salad into work for lunch.

There is so much choice in the salad aisle and I wanted to know if it's better to just buy lettuces and chop myself or are bagged ones any good? If so should I go for the supermarket's own ones or the branded ones?
Also how long would salad last in the fridge? I don't want to buy too much and it go to waste.

Bagged salads din't keep very long so I would go for lettuces etc evey time. How long they keep will depend on what sort you get - I usually get little gems, cos or romaine which are better keepers.. Don't chop it all, just pull off the leaves you want every day, and tear rather than chop.

Thanks starfishmummy

I would've thought bagged salads would've kept longer... oh well
Good tip on the not chopping!

Once the bagged ones are open they go off really quickly.

You could always grow little pots of "cut and come again" salad on your windowsill too.

agree with buying a whole little gem or romaine - they keep crisp longer and travel well if you're taking them to work. And bagged salads are washed in all sorts of horrible things!

I've seen a few that say prewashed - I just thought they were washed in water!

in the spring / summer we grow our own.. only need a little patch of mud, we use an old cracked sink as well.... sow some 'mixed salad leaves' and in a few weeks you can pick fresh every day.
sow seeds every 4 - 6 weeks so they dont get too tough stalky bits etc.

we sowed our 1st batch at the weeknd and they are growing already.... not big enough to eat yet of course, but in about 3 - 4 weeks ish we will have fresh salad when ever we want it until September ish time. Its SOOOOO much cheaper too

Bagged salads are usually washed with chlorine in the water. Some more up market bagged salads aren't - usually say "washed in spring water" or similar. The bagged stuff lasts 2-3 days then starts to smell. I also buy Romaine (aka Cos) and Little Gem which last at least 2 weeks. You can also get "living salad" selections which are sold in plant pots - they were on offer at £1 in Waitrose last week. These will keep for a few days outside the fridge if you give them some water.

tesco have some unwashed bags in at the min with rocket, lambs lettuce or mixed leaves, they are 90p BOGOF, they arent huge bags and tend to have good dates, 1 bag would do two days i reckon.