advertisement

Layered salads in jars are pretty and practical

I blame Pinterest for this one.

By "this one" I mean the craze of packing salads into jars, usually the Mason or Ball jars people use for canning tomato sauce and jams.

I've yet to witness anyone actually pull one of these magazine-ready layered salads from a lunch bag to dine at the office or on a blanket at the park, but it's not for lack of recipes. The online photo and idea sharing site boasts hundreds and hundreds of "pins" (that's what they call each image) depicting different layering techniques and myriad combinations.

"A salad in a jar is a visual work of art that also needs to taste good when shaken out of the jar into a bowl," says cookbook author Dana Jacobi, columnist for the American Institute of Cancer Research. To eat a salad in a jar, she explains. "you don't cram a fork down through its multiple layers. Rather, you upend the jar over a bowl, then toss and eat its contents like the usual salad."

It appears this salad in a jar trend is just another tendril in the whole canning jar craze.

"Ball canning jars are more popular than ever with people finding a variety of creative uses for the iconic jar," says Janine Moore, brand manager for Jarden Home Brands, maker of the jars.

"In fact, 30 percent of the record-setting number of jars sold last year were used for non-canning projects like crafting, home décor and even beverages," she said. That means that 70 percent of the jars are still used for home canning. "People love that the jars are durable and versatile, making them the perfect vessel for a variety of DIY projects from homemade jams and jellies to crafts to cocktails."

So how do you make a salad in a jar? It's not rocket science. Yet, there are some best practices.

"Start salad construction by combining the dressing ingredients the night before to allow all the flavors to marinate and meld together," says Luke Saunders, founder of Farmer's Fridge, a Chicago-based healthy vending kiosk concept. Jarred salads are available in Farmer's Fridge kiosks throughout Chicago.

Many recipes call for adding the dressing (store-bought acceptable) to the jar first. Doing so keeps the other ingredients from getting mushy. The exception to this rule is a mayo-based dressing, like you would use for a Seven Layer Salad, that won't drip down through the other layers.

After the dressing add hearty veggies that can sit in the dressing without compromising texture and perhaps even get a flavor boost - ingredients like carrots, beans, artichoke hearts, olives, cooked beets, edamame, corn and onions. Greens go in last.

"By reverse layering salad ingredients within the jars, the salad will be right side up and ready to eat when the jar is flipped," Saunders says. "Instead of the standard romaine or iceberg lettuce, swap out the greens with something new. Experiment with varieties like arugula, kale and spinach."

And really pack ingredients tightly into the jar.

"To prevent the salad from getting soggy, pack everything into the jar as tightly as possible to keep ingredients from moving around," he says.

"Get creative and have fun with it," says Jarden's Moore. Take your favorite formula for taco salad, Asian chicken salad, Caesar salad, antipasto platter or spinach, cranberry and walnut and layer the ingredients in a jar.

"Try a variety of jar sizes to see which one best suits your needs," Moore said. "We find folks love our pint and a half jar for salads as it's tall and holds a variety of ingredients. The classic Ball quart jar is also a fan favorite."

"What makes this idea more than a gimmick is the staying power of salads packed into a jar," Jacobi says. Make multiple salads in one day and stock them in the fridge for later in the week; the greens create a moisture barrier allowing the salad to remain fresh for several days. If your salad contains seafood or meat, eat it more quickly.

"This lets you open the fridge and grab a great, fresh, abundantly veggie meal to go, and to do it several days in a row," she says.

Mediterranean Salad

Salad in a Jar with Lentils and Feta Cheese

Grilled Chicken Salad in Jar

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.