When I saw this idea on Pinterest, I knew I had to give it a try. I love a good salad for lunch, but usually don’t have time to put a good one together every day. I’ve tried making them ahead, but I hate to have veggies that are even a little wilted or soggy.
I was skeptical about this one. But I had my fingers crossed.
I decided to test them out for 7 whole days before sharing this with you. And I’m thrilled to say that even on day 7 the salad was as good as the day it was made. In a word, Perfection.
The secret is in the layering.
You want to have the dressing at the bottom.
Cover it with some crunchy vegetables like shredded carrots or celery.
Then goes the cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, etc.
With a top layer of lettuce.
Just be sure to keep the softer veggies away from the salad dressing, and the lettuce at the very top. I used Wide Mouth Quart Jars, which can be found in many stores for around $10-$12 per dozen.
I also cooked some bacon and boiled some eggs so they were ready to go in the refrigerator. You can find dozens of salad ideas by searching through the Pinterest pins.
Treat yourself to some homemade ranch dressing while you’re at it! It will change your life 
Posted in: Meal Planning,recipes
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
This is awesome. Thank you for testing it for us. I will do this for sure!
Why mason jars? Can any other container work? You have the ranch dressing in a round ziplock container. Will that work?
Thank you,
judy
Hi Judy – My 7 day experiment was all about testing the “Salad in a Jar” idea. I did not test it against other storage methods, but I have tried making salad ahead and storing in rubbermaid containers or ziploc bags with dismal results. Not sure why. Glass is not porous, so when you wash it, there is less chance for residual bacteria to remain as it would with plastic. Bacteria is what causes the breakdown (rotting) of the veggies. Perhaps that has something to do with it’s success in this experiment? Just a guess…
But in any event, the jars worked so well that I don’t intend to try storing my salad any other way ever. If you try plastic I’d sure love to hear about the results
I thought about your question a little more and I’m thinking it also helps that these are sealed in individual serving sizes so the container is not continually reopened, exposing the veggies to the air. Since bacteria is everywhere (even in the air and on clean hands) I think this entire method (using glass, not reopening, having a good seal) gives you minimal exposure to microbes that will break down your vegetables. So anyhoo, I hope that helped. Other containers might work too but this one worked better than anything I’ve ever tried.