Dangerous Salads?

[Colin Miles]

Well, what are we to make of this?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/9948987/Salad-is-more-dangerous-than-beefburgers-leading-food-expert-warns.html

[Tony Hague]

A prompt to sow some cut and come again salads, of course ! At this time of year I always have a large heated propagator on for tomatoes and peppers, and it is an easy thing to put some spinach, lettuce, beetroot, peas etc in there to make the most of the space.

[PLUMPUDDING]

I'd never thought of beefburgers as being dangerous, just never fancied bought ones.

Same with bags of salad - On the rare occasions I've bought one I've always given it a good wash because if there were any germs on it when it went into the bag it would be a perfect breeding ground for them and there would be a lot more when you opened it. Do they still treat the stuff with bleach before they pack it?

Like Tony says - grow your own if possible they will have more vitamins etc. in them too if they are picked fresh.

I've a few lettuce plants that are nearly ready in the greenhouse border that I planted in November and I've a row of mizuna growing nicely there too that I started off last month. It is nice for cut and come again and when it gets a bit larger. It is also quite hardy and grows fast.

[Westi]

Don't touch them so no risk here! Although successfully grown the best salad leaves over winter - intended for the budgie!! Just a pot on the window sill, simple but never thought it would work with the low light & cold glass so not bothered before! Sorry 'Sunny' - was craving some freshness..saved you a couple of leaves though! Best egg & lettuce sarnie for ages.

Westi

[Ricard with an H]

This thread is a good place to put a recent concern of mine, I have some winter spinach which I watered recently with last year nettle brew, I also watered the leaves. Even though it's last years it still stinks and if it dries on your hands it also stinks.

Will washing the spinach be enough, even if it gets rid of the stink you have to assume that anything that smells that bad is going to bad for you even though it's good for plants.

My favourite cheese stinks but I eat that, what do you think ?

[Primrose]

I'd soak the spinach in cold water for a few hours just to be on the safe side. I do this with my Swiss Chard which i'm still picking which has had bits of manure thrown all around it. Have never been poisoned in the past by doing this though.

But interestingly I notice that all bags of bean sprouts sold in supermarkets now contain a notice on the pack to "Cook before eating". I gather this is as a result of a bad case of food poisoning occurring some time ago when they were included in a salad at a wedding reception or similar function. It's a blow to me as in the past I've regularly eaten them raw in salads such as coleslaw .

[Ricard with an H]

It's a blow to me as in the past I've regularly eaten them raw in salads such as coleslaw .

Same here and I have to admit to not being very careful about washing stuff in the past, i'll pull a carrot and eat it after knocking the loose soil off. We have a local source of organic salad-bags that are put together with a few flowers and herbs. I eat them right out of the bag even though the bag asks the user to wash the contents.

Not very clever particularly in my autumn-years.

What I don't understand about this claim is that some salad washing is done in water treated with the same stuff I carry in my motorhome when i'm wild and can't rely on the water supply. The claim about washing in spring water doesn't mean a lot either with the amount of chemical draining into the water-courses in some places. Underground water-sources are filled from top-water, mostly.

Right now there are three dead sheep laying in a field, this field is part of what is called, "The collects". The water fills a pond then drains into underground waterways that rise as springs if the water table is high. As well as the dead sheep the adjacent fields are always treated with glyphosate weeks before the plow arrives and the previous farmer always used chemicals for everything. All that drains into this water course and finds it's way around the valley before draining into the sea.

[Westi]

Personally I think forum members of a 'certain age' have been exposed to so much dirt & muck we are immune. I don't buy salad mix but do read the packages to see what goes in them for ideas - 'washed in spring water' maybe correct but how many times is it recycled complete with the dirt that comes off the previous leaves that could be contaminated! Means nothing does it?

Westi

[Ricard with an H]

Personally I think forum members of a 'certain age' have been exposed to so much dirt & muck we are immune.

That made me smile Westi, the beginning of a very-personally challenging day started with a smile.

[Westi]

How many of our friends had allergies or such - none of mine wheezed? You can't build immunity until you are exposed - kids today are just treated a wee bit too precious & it may turn around & bite a generation in the bum!

Glad it made you start your day on a happy note - hope you got rid of the dead sheep - it will warm up at some time & I don't think I saw fly screens on your cottage in the pics you posted.

Westi

[Ricard with an H]

- hope you got rid of the dead sheep - it will warm up at some time & I don't think I saw fly screens on your cottage in the pics you posted.

Westi

Hopefully the fox will clear them before that happens and whilst I think it's very poor practice for the farmer to leave the dead sheep laying in the field if the local fox population tuck-in at least they're leaving his lambs alone.

I can't remember who i'm quoting, someone back in my youth once said, "You'll eat a ton of shxxxxxxt before you die". And then came the philosophical quote, "If it doesn't kill you it'll make you strong".

Yes ?

I creak like an old farm gate from years of hard work and taking knocks but i'm rarely ill and when I am it's over in 2/3 days. I only remember being bed-ridden poorly three times in 20 years and I never get a cold or flue.

Not yet.

[Primrose]

Westi - your comment about allergies was interesting. We often run a fund-raising cake sale for a local good cause and it's interesting that a number of people are now asking if any of the home-made cakes are gluten free. I never recall this being an issue in the past. so how are all these allergies starting to crop up, I wonder?

[Westi]

Primrose - I work in a hospital & worked for a while with a consultant who did allergy testing - very few are allergic! Might have a bit of intolerance - long way from a true allergy! A true allergy will kill you (or make you pretty poorly) an intolerance might make you feel a bit off colour but you will go back for more if it is something you actually like. Gluten free - eat real food not processed stuff especially bread when young & they might be able to cope with a bit of roughage!

Oops yep - most just don't understand how the bowel works! Bad topic but we all eat our veg - & know the side effects & benefits!

Westi