Mesclun FAIL

[Robin Garr]

Bleah! Icky, slimy, unwashed mesclun, some rotted leaves, some wilted leaves, some dirty leaves with nuggets of black dirt hiding in the stems.

Come ON, folks. Just because the box says it's "washed," PLEASE have a little respect for quality - and for your customers - and re-rinse the stuff and pick over it before you slap it on a plate.

Too many otherwise fine eateries make this same mistake, to the extent that it's a rare treat - and a sign of particular attention to quality - when I find a place that does a good job with mesclun/field lettuces.

It doesn't really matter where this happened. I'm ranting about a general practice more than a single instance. (But yes, this will knock down my review rating a point or three.)

[Jenise]

Boy am I with you there, Robin; that's atrocious. And when judging restaurants, it's not just one unsuccesssful dish. It's a lack of attention to detail, hygiene and a willingness to cut corners that puts the whole kitchen under suspicion, isn't it?

A pet peeve of mine for a long time now. I don't care if it says triple washed, all the more reason to wash again. I have never had a bagged lettuce that I did not put into a bowl of water only to find rotten material stuck to the under side of another leaf. There is always some sort of residue, brown edges or bug eaten leaf in there. My concern is what do you do when you go to the home of a very good friend, and they pull that bag out of the refer and proceed to make a salad? I always do my lettuces in the morning, spin dry and put them into a fresh zip lock bag and back into the refer. If I have guests in the kitchen, at least they see that the lettuce has probably been washed prior. Of course, it has crisped up and looks great and I can guarantee it has none of the above hanging around....I go through each leaf.
By the way, any kitchen prep person who does not notice what was served to you, needs to be out of the kitchen. I'd never go back.

[Robin Garr]

Boy am I with you there, Robin; that's atrocious. And when judging restaurants, it's not just one unsuccesssful dish. It's a lack of attention to detail, hygiene and a willingness to cut corners that puts the whole kitchen under suspicion, isn't it?

Exactly! And the sad thing is, it's very common. Salad is typically a junior person on the line, eager to keep things moving, and hey, the bag says "washed."

[Robin Garr]

A pet peeve of mine for a long time now. I don't care if it says triple washed, all the more reason to wash again. I have never had a bagged lettuce that I did not put into a bowl of water only to find rotten material stuck to the under side of another leaf. There is always some sort of residue, brown edges or bug eaten leaf in there. My concern is what do you do when you go to the home of a very good friend, and they pull that bag out of the refer and proceed to make a salad? I always do my lettuces in the morning, spin dry and put them into a fresh zip lock bag and back into the refer. If I have guests in the kitchen, at least they see that the lettuce has probably been washed prior. Of course, it has crisped up and looks great and I can guarantee it has none of the above hanging around....I go through each leaf.
By the way, any kitchen prep person who does not notice what was served to you, needs to be out of the kitchen. I'd never go back.

Karen, what you do is what Mary (and I) do, but more realistically, we just do t get lettuce mix.

I don't just blame the prep guy, by the way. The executive chef has to be tolerating corner cutting for the sake of speed, and Things Happen.

Karen, what you do is what Mary (and I) do, but more realistically, we just do t get lettuce mix.

Robin, this is with any lettuce you get from the Farmer's Market or the store. When I get it home, I clean, spin and bag. Even my own garden lettuce. The Farmer's Market lettuce ( as well as mine) will have a worm, or lady bug or something that comes as a bonus. Found a praying mantis once and took it to my garden. In the dead of winter, when we can't get fresh garden lettuce of any kind, the store is our only source. If I plant in late February, I might get lucky to have lettuce by April. One time, I used row covers and had it all winter. I was lucky, it was a mild winter. By April, the Farmer's Markets are full of it. As with fresh berries, you have to consider where the hands of the person picking have been!

[Robin Garr]

Karen, what you do is what Mary (and I) do, but more realistically, we just do t get lettuce mix.

Robin, this is with any lettuce you get from the Farmer's Market or the store. When I get it home, I clean, spin and bag. Even my own garden lettuce. The Farmer's Market lettuce ( as well as mine) will have a worm, or lady bug or something that comes as a bonus.

Oh, yeah! I wasn't clear. We do wash and pick over all lettuces. But it seems to me that the bagged mesclun is unusually prone to rotting and slimy bits, and the claim that it is "pre-washed" strikes me as a bit of an exaggeration.

I've seen it and then walked out. Couldn't bring myself to not think about how the same lack of attention would appear in other dishes. The other walk out button is sad flowers in a vase of dirty water...yuck....

A further thought that the whole idea of these lettuces in a plastic box at the grocery is FAIL. I have picked them up on occasion in the dead of winter when I am desperate for fresh greens and have ALWAYS been horribly disappointed. They may look fresh but the taste is invariably like, well, copy paper. In the winter I now skip it for my home sprouted greens - radish, broccoli, fenugreek, kale. So easy, so much more interesting and tasty

[Jenise]

But it seems to me that the bagged mesclun is unusually prone to rotting and slimy bits, and the claim that it is "pre-washed" strikes me as a bit of an exaggeration.

You've named the very reason I don't buy the bagged mesclun anymore. Something in there is rotten, or seems to rot within hours of my opening the bag. Really offputting, so Arugula's the only bagged item I'll buy.