Salads in Jars

February 22, 2015 |

Alright, alright. I know that I've taken a little creative liberty with this week's challenge. I didn't particularly feel the need to buy a pressure canner or canning supplies - so I decided to use what I already had on hand: Mason jars and a vacuum sealer. Close enough, right? These salads were actually made per the request of my boyfriend. I have made many salads in jars in the past, and have even attempted spaghetti and pizza. Maybe one day you all will be so lucky to see those recipes! (Granted I can actually remember exactly how I made them...) The best part about these salads is that there is so much room for customization that you can pretty much make any combination and still wind up with a healthy meal!

I spent the morning shopping and came back with quite the hull. There's actually a trick I use to seal my jars airtight, without a jar vacuum sealer. It's called the "broke post-grad I-can't-afford-a-real-vacuum-sealer thing-ama-jig." Patent pending.

Using some electrical tape and a thumbtack, you can actually make your own vacuum seal!



Just press the thumbtack into the top of your jar until it pokes through. Then cover the hole with some electrical tape.

When you've filled up your jars, just press the handheld vacuum sealer to the top and suck the air out! The electrical tape is air permeable enough to let air out and not back in. I'm not quite sure how it works, but I'm guessing magic.



I used this infographic for combination inspiration. Just remember, the order of the ingredients is probably the most important:

Then just stuff it all in a jar:



And there you have it! A week's worth of salads, ready to grab on your way out the door. (And bonus points if you spent the day making them for your boyfriend.)

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