Why are my salads bitter?

[Matonski]

Okay, I've tried to make a plain green salad many times, and each time there is a strong bitter taste. I've used many different types of greens and tried different brands of oils and vinegars. This last time, was the best so far, but the bitter taste crept up by the end. I used boston lettuce and romaine and brand new Lucini extra virgin olive oil (it was like 12 bucks for 500 mL) and they're aged balsamic vinegar (also like 12 bucks, but for a smaller amount). What am I doing wrong? I put the greens in a stainless steel mixing bowl, pour some oil, splash some vinegar, and toss. That's it. Oh yeah, I also sprinkle a little salt.

[babka]

are your dressing proportions right?

I usually crush half a clove of garlic with a bit of salt and then mix with three tablespoons olive oil and one tablespoon of sherry vinegar. then toss it well with the greens.

[fiftydollars]

Do any of the ingredients, when tasted individually, taste bitter?

Give your olive oil a taste... that could be your culprit.

Also taste that lettuce. Greens, Romaine especially, can be a tad bitter and there is always the possibility that a bitter-tasting residue could be on your greens.

[Wolfert]

I use the following French bistro technique for a soft salad dressing: macerate 1 teaspoon chopped shallots in 1 tablespoon vinegar for 10 minutes. Meanwhile wash and dry your greens. Salt, pepper and good oil is al you need to make this simple salad.

I don't know the reason but the soaked and chopped shallots do something wonderful to the final product.

Edited February 4, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[Cusina]

Wash your greens well too. Though maybe that goes without saying.

I, personally, like a little sweetness to my salad dressing. This is our house favorite. I make a jar and keep in the fridge. Maybe you'll like it too. You can adjust the sugar to taste. I find that the rice vinegar is a little "smoother" than some of the others available.

* Exported from MasterCook *

house vinagrette

Recipe By :

Serving Size : 20 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

3/4 cup Rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon Sugar

2 cloves garlic -- minced fine

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons basil -- minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups canola or olive oil

Mix all ingredients, shake before serving

My basic salad usually includes two handfuls of greens a fruit, dried or fresh, "crunchy bits" of some sort (like chopped nuts or roasted pumpkin seeds) and a small amount of good pungent cheese. Think balance.

[irodguy]

Are you stripping the greens off the stalk? The "Green" Parts are normally not bitter but the stalk is often quite bitter. This can be helped by grilling the stocks, but most of the time it's easier to toss them.

A nice sweet dressing

1/4 cup Walnut Oil

1 tsp Mustard or a little more as necessary

Maple syrup about 4 T

Balsamic to taste

1/3 cup Feta

[fifi]

If all of the above doesn't get you there, maybe you are just particularly sensitive to bitter flavors. Have you compared notes with dining companions?

[chefdg]

Maybe you are a "super-taster", which means you have a really good pallet. Try adding a little more vinegar, not balsamic as the sweetness will amp up the bitterness of the greens. Try red wine, or straight white.

[helenjp]

Going with the "supersensitive to bitterness" idea, what about tearing your lettuce gently, and dropping it into iced water for a good lONG soak...at least an hour.

I read this idea in an article on making lettuce-based salads with Japanese ingredients, where the bitterness of daikon combined with the slight bitterness of lettuce can be a problem.

I've used this method, and it produces a very nice, crisp salad, mild and certainly not bitter.

I don't cut lettuce if I'm going to soak it, and I am careful not to bruise it when tearing it, as the long soaking shows up any damage to the leaf.

[Matonski]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Adding a little sugar fixed everything. I'm not a super taster, in fact, most of the time, I scarf down my food without tasting it at all. Anyway, when I used to live with a friend, I would always use their olive oil and balsamic vinegar on salads. It never tasted bitter. Now, I realized that its because the cheaper balsamic vinegars are just regular vinegars with sugar added. When I bought more expensive balsamic vinegar (not the authentic stuff, just like 15 bucks for the bottle), there was no sugar in it. Anyway, this troubleshooting process was helpful.