Pre-Washed Salad Greens
Have you ever bought one of those premade, ready-to-eat salads? Things marked with “pre-made” are my most fave! Ha! The ones that are marked ‘triple-washed’ or ‘ready-to-eat,’ perhaps? I buy them all the time and whenever my mother-in-law sees me not washing them, she almost has a heart-attack! Here’s a little hack: you don’t need to rinse them again. Indeed, re-washing may actually transfer more bacteria from the sink or the counter onto them. You can cook them straight out of the packet — no need to wash or disinfect, as the leaves have been washed and sanitized multiple times before they’re bagged and shipped. This is one less step, and your greens will remain fresh and uncontaminated.
Fish
Don’t wash fish; you’ll only be spraying bacteria around your kitchen. But there’s another reason not to rinse: fish is fragile, and water can cause it to become soft and mushy. If the fish tastes a bit off, it’s likely because it was rinsed prior to cooking. Instead of rinsing, let the fish sit at room temperature and then dry it with a paper towel. This not only prevents the bacteria from spreading, but it makes sure the fish doesn’t stick to the pan and you don’t end up with a big mess.
