Since I posted my jar salad a couple weeks ago, I have gotten tons of questions about them! Do they stay fresh, and for how long? What are some of my favorite recipes? What types of jars should you use when making them? What order do you put the ingredients into the jars in? I thought, why not make a blog that answers all these questions at once? So here it is folks!
1. How long do they stay fresh for?
In the last few weeks since I have been making them, my salads have stayed fresh for a full 5-7 days. I have not opened one single jar and had soggy lettuce. With that said, if you are adding meat to your jars, I recommend using them within 5 days maximum and maybe even 3 OR waiting to add the meat layer and up until closer to the day that you want to eat them and prepping just the bottom half in advance. Personally, I have been fine making my salads (with chicken) and keeping them in the fridge until Friday.
2. What types of jars are best to use?
You really can use any size glass jar to make these, but I like the wide mouthed quart size jars. The wide mouth makes it easier to get in there with a fork and get to the bottom! Plus, you want to have enough space to add a good amount of greens to the top of your jar and still have enough space to shake everything together before you eat it.
3. What order should you put the ingredients into the jar in?
A. Always add the dressing to the bottom of the jar first. Since I am a 21 Day Fixer, I make my own dressings and measure an orange container to add. You can use any dressing you like, but I will share some of my favorite recipes at the end of this post.
B. Hard Veggies - Choose the heartiest veggies that you'll be using in your salad to put in first. These include things like bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, or others vegetables that won't get soggy in the dressing. It is not recommended, but I put tomatoes in here too because I like the way they pickle in the dressing. If you don't like your tomatoes to pickle, add them to the layer with soft vegetables.
C. Beans, Pastas, and Thicker Grains- On top of your hard veggies, if you would like, add a layer of black beans, pasta spirals (I like whole wheat), or rice. You can also add grains here such as barley.
D. Protein- This is the layer where you add your precooked chicken, hard boiled eggs, feta or blue cheese crumbles, bacon (I use nitrate free turkey bacon), or ground meat (if you're going for a taco salad). Again, use your own discretion with how many days in advance you will be wanting to eat pre cooked meat. I do it 5 days ahead of time with no problems, but I know some people are very particular about their meat. I also love my salads without meat!
E. Soft Veggies, Fruits, and lighter grains - Here You can add soft veggies like tomatoes and berries or other fruit. This is also a good layer to add softer grains like quinoa to because it's super absorbent. I like my quinoa to soak up the dressing, so I put it in layer C on top of the hard veggies, but most people do not like to have their dressing soaked up, so you'll have to use your discretion here.
F. GREENS! On the top and final layer, you can add your greens. Go ahead and stuff them in! Use any greens you prefer - from kale to arugula to mixed spring greens :) Go ahead and pack them in, but keep in mind that you want your jar to be loose enough that you can shake it and mix the ingredients together when you're ready to eat!
4. What are my favorite jar salad recipes?
This is a tough one because I kind of make them up as I go with whatever I have in the fridge, but here is my favorite so far!
The Fit Mama Cobb with Maple Mustard Balsamic
Dressing:
2 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard
4 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon EVOO
2 teaspoons Pure Maple Syrup
Mix ingredients together.
Ingredients:
1 Red bell pepper
1 2/3 cups Red Quinoa (cooked)
5 Hard Boiled Egg
5 slices Nitrate Free Organic Turkey Bacon (cooked)
5 Tablespoons Feta Cheese
25 Grape Tomatoes
1 Avocado
Arugula
Salad:
Put a couple Tablespoons of dressing in the bottom of each jar.
Chop the bell pepper and divide between the 5 jars followed by about 1/3 cup of cooked red quinoa. If you do not want the quinoa to soak up the dressing wait to add it until right before the greens. Next chop up each boiled egg and add to every jar. Crumble each slice of turkey bacon into each jar. Next, add about a Tablespoon of feta cheese, a handful of grape tomatoes (halved), and about 1/8-1/4 of chopped avocado. Finally, fill the jars to the top with arugula and put the lid on tightly! Store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. When ready to eat, shake the jar up to mix all the ingredients and enjoy! :)