And why does there always seem to be at least one slimy piece per container?
I eat salad almost every day.
The only thing that’s worse than seeing slimy greens when I fire up the container?
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Eating a forkful of them.
I confess I usually do the latter and venture to salvage as many greens as I can.
But is this safe, or am I asking for trouble?
In other words, he knows his stuff when it comes to food safety.
Why Do Salad Greens Get Slimy?
According to Rogers, there are two reasons greens get slimy.
“It’s ageeventually all plants break down,” he says.
Is It Safe to Eat Salad Greens After You’ve Picked Out the Slimy Pieces?
Rogers says he hasn’t seen any studies showing an association between eating slimy greens and illness.
(A spokesperson from the Food and Drug Administration confirmed this.)
And those bacteria can include types that can cause serious foodborne illnesses, includingSalmonella,Listeriaand pathogenic strains ofE.
In fact, leafy greens have toppedConsumer Reports’list of foods linked to recalls and outbreaksfrom 2017 to 2022.
And in more unfortunate news, washing greens doesn’t help much when it comes to removing bacteria.
What Should You Do if you hit Slimy Salad Greens?
Rogers advises that if half or more of the greens are slimy, toss them all.
“The bacteria are there, so they’re going to spread through the batch eventually.”
For some markets, that could be once a week, while for others it could be daily.
you’re able to also ask when the greens that are currently for sale came into the store.
Buy local:Are salad greens in season where you live?
When you get home, bring up the container and pick out any wilted pieces.
Then transfer the greens to an airtight container lined with paper towels, and stash them in the crisper.
Then store the greens properly and consume them quickly to avoid the dreaded slime.
