When to shop/prep veggies for R"H?

Rutabaga

Thu, Sep 06 2018, 11:15 am

We're going to parents for R"H and we're contributing baked goods and salads. Baking ahead is easy, but I'm not sure what to do about the salads with the way yom tov falls out this year. I normally shop on Thursdays, but that seems too early to buy salad fixings for next week. I could make an extra stop tomorrow, but will that really make a difference in freshness? I can't leave the shopping/prepping for Sunday because I need to get everyone bathed and packed up and out of the house in a timely manner.

What salads are you making for R"H and when are you prepping them? I don't have to worry about vinegar because that's not our minhag, if that makes a difference.

MiracleMama

Thu, Sep 06 2018, 11:28 am

If you can't do the shopping on Sunday, probably best to come up with salads that do well sitting/ marinating for a few days.... cucumber salad, broccoli salad, beet salad, that sort of stuff rather than anything lettuce based. It's just very risky that the lettuce will be kind of wilted and sad looking IMO.

SuperWify

Thu, Sep 06 2018, 11:32 am

I would shop Friday and prep them. Wash, peel and cut each vegetables accordingly.

Dry them very well.

Store in separate bags with a paper towel underneath.

Prepare dressings and store on a container.

Put the salads together by your mom before the meal.

ra_mom

Thu, Sep 06 2018, 12:16 pm

Rutabaga wrote:

I used to wait until erev YT to buy the lettuce and Kirbies (the most easily perishable items) but realized that the same items I saw at the supermarket on Thursday were still there on Sunday. So now I just buy and try to keep them properly.
Keep bagged lettuce unopened and sealed.
Keep kirbies wrapped in generous amount of paper towels in the veggie drawer.
I make dressings ahead of time and refrigerate in containers. Same for toasted items. And cut and assemble fresh.

When I want salads to be prepared ahead of time that last a few days in the fridge I make things like cole slaw, cucumber salad, marinated salad. Things like corn salad or carrot salad can last too but maybe for a day.