I would think so. But once a woman told me her husband had tapeworm or some awful worm from lettuce SHE did not wash. She felt so guilty for his ordeal. So I started with the thorough-washing thing, and that was long ago. So I rinse the leaves individually quickly before I cut them, then cut and they sit soaking in water (I use the basket that fits in the bowl of my spinner); I pick up the basket and dump and refill with new water for a 2nd sit, then dump the water and spin it. Clean lettuce. :shock: That probably seems a lot, but I just do it and accept that's what I go through for lettuce. :indifferent2: And don't forget cleaning up all the bits of lettuce mess and water mess over a large swath of counter, too. And also I clean the salad spinner right afterward:rolleyes: ... but the reward is clean, fresh-tasting lettuce, and its "dry", to hold the dressing... :yup:
I do this because with the triple-washed bagged greens I can always taste the potato-white extender they wash them in to keep them from wilting. When I get a bag of those, I go to the trouble to soak and rinse and soak and rinse and dry them, to get that taste out. So generally it makes more sense to buy heads of romaine and/or fill a bag with loose baby greens which haven't been processed like that.
Now I am getting curious as I write this, because I don't hear anyone else complain about this. When I worked in a restaurant long ago we soaked the lettuce in a sink full of water with "potato white" (what they called it) and that kept cut lettuce looking fresh-cut all day (and the next and next?) instead of the edges turning brown. So I know that taste, and I taste it in the bagged lettuce; that's why I call it the "potato white taste".
I'm looking for an article but didn't find anything informative except for some of the comments here:
http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions...agged-lettuces
I sure miss Trader Joe's here. We had one close back in NYS, and I shopped there regularly, but now its a whole 45 min. away ... which is too decadent of gas and time to drive for groceries... so, I think twice annually is okay, so that's what I do. I am actually due for a trip but I can't drive with my ankle, and anyway we are trimming the budget to save money. But last time I went I bought Quince Paste which we liked - a nice addition to our wine and cheese sit-downs, and at that time I also discovered their uncured bacon packaged in a lump of "ends and pieces" so it was a GREAT price for uncured bacon - the healthy way to eat bacon - so I will stock up on that next time. And the cheeses, what a great, interesting selection at great prices. I like these little tiny soy rice crackers I get there too. I like the sound they make in a bowl. Also great prices on organic butter, organic sour cream, kefir, and free-range eggs. (Though I have a farm close by here for that so I don't by them from Trader Joes any more). Oh! And their green salsa! I stock up on a LOT of that every time. Also their organic yellow corn tortilla chips my husband loves. Fun stuff for special-occasion easy treats are in the frozen section, like super-thin crust pizzas, and a spinach-kale pie (I love this, and my son when he visits and also Dh's vegan son when he visits) and since Dh does not like that, I get him their steak n'ale pie which is a treat for him and the closest he gets to what he remembers fondly from England days. I know there are other things but I can't remember since its been several months... Frozen stuff like appetizers Dh and I enjoy for a treat.. I do usually always spend TOO MUCH, though. Another reason to limit it to 2x a year - it is saving me money! Temptation is at a safe distance...