Salad Spinner Question

[Jemima]

I recently bought a collapsible salad spinner thinking that it would be helpful in drying loose leaf lettuce, which has a tendency to get droplets of water "stuck" here, there, and everywhere. Now that I've tried this gizmo once, I'm not very impressed. Just how much spinning does one have to do to get dry salad greens? Any tips or tricks?

TIA.

[CathyA]

My spinner is pretty big and substantial. I'm not acquainted with the collapsible ones. I usually cut up my lettuce and spin it about 20 pushes on the spinner. Then I empty the water. Then I rearrange the lettuce and spin it another 20 times. its pretty dry after that.

[Yossarian]

Finally, a new topic!

[Alan]

I've followed the various salad spinner topics on these forums with some interest over the years, but never posted on the subject since I didn't really have an opinion on them. But, we've recently acquired one and I love it. Granted, I could always clean and dry my lettuce without buying a special appliance to do it for me, thereby keeping me safe from the purists among us, but it's too late for that now.

I have a salad spinner, I like the way it works and I'll continue using it.

Oh, and I don't try to get my lettuce completely dry, just spinning off the bulk of the water works for me.

[CathyA]

Oh Alan...........if Leona Helmsley heard that, she'd slap you in the face with that wet lettuce!

[Kestrel]

I've had an OXO spinner for quite a few years that I used irregularly, but now use often. I also have a small one, just like the big one, for herbs I guess.

[Blackdog Lin]

My salad spinner, and I really enjoy using it:

step 1: wash lettuce.
step 2: place lettuce in clean cotton/floursack/whatever-those-thin-towels-we-use are.
step 3: pick up towel by 4 corners.
step 4: walk out to patio.
step 5: SWING AWAY. Left arm, full rolling swings. Then right arm, full rolling rotations. Admire and enjoy water patterns on the cement. Do left arm swings again. Add in a toe-touch since am exercising anyway. Arm starts getting tired and sore, look at cement again and hope for decreasing water droplets. Decide lettuce is dry enough.
step 6: store lettuce still wrapped in (damp) tea towel in veggie crisper of fridge. It keeps pretty well that way.

I'm not saying it's a great salad spinner, but with it doubling as a workout routine.....it works for me.

[Tiam]

Here's what I like about my salad spinner. Besides getting the lettuce very dry, it is by far the best lettuce keeper I've ever had. Lettuce stays very fresh and dry inside of it, which is good, because sometimes I don't eat it all and it prevents waste. I've tried other methods of keeping lettuce and nothing is as good. I usually grow my lettuce so that's a plus. The downsize? Storing it and the amount of space it takes in the fridge. If it wasn't for the fact that it stores the washed lettuce than anything else I've ever used, I could live without it.

[Valley]

Here's what I like about my salad spinner. Besides getting the lettuce very dry, it is by far the best lettuce keeper I've ever had. Lettuce stays very fresh and dry inside of it, which is good, because sometimes I don't eat it all and it prevents waste. I've tried other methods of keeping lettuce and nothing is as good. I usually grow my lettuce so that's a plus. The downsize? Storing it and the amount of space it takes in the fridge. If it wasn't for the fact that it stores the washed lettuce than anything else I've ever used, I could live without it.

Tiam, what brand of salad spinner do you have?

[bunnys]

Here's what I like about my salad spinner. Besides getting the lettuce very dry, it is by far the best lettuce keeper I've ever had. Lettuce stays very fresh and dry inside of it, which is good, because sometimes I don't eat it all and it prevents waste. I've tried other methods of keeping lettuce and nothing is as good. \

I agree totally with you. I don't store my lettuce in my salad spinner. I put it in a ziplock bag with a paper towel in it and it stays nicely for days-- provided I got it very dry when I spun it originally.