Buzz
After my salad spinner was lost during the divorce, I hesitated to replace it for years. I had gotten used to buying pre-washed salad greens—and living in a small studio apartment—so having a bulky, dedicated drying tool didn’t seem like a must-have.
But then I moved into a house, started a garden, and realized that my old method of air-drying rinsed produce on kitchen towels wasn’t efficient enough—there was simply too much lettuce. That’s when I found this collapsible wonder from Prepworks, and I instantly regretted not having a spinner all those years.
I began consuming more salad—with my homegrown greens—but soon realized that the spinner could be used for drying other items beyond romaine, thawed spinach, or vegetables softened with a little salt—such as mushrooms, shrimp, and scallops.
Give your mushrooms a spin
As you may already know, mushrooms have a tendency to soak up water, but they also grow in dirt. I’m not fond of eating dirt (even the ‘clean’ dirt from which commercially-grown mushrooms are harvested), so I always give them a wash. A quick rinse won’t saturate them, especially if you give them a spin right afterward.
Even better, you can rinse your mushrooms right in the basket of your salad spinner, then place it back in the spinner and give it a spin like you would with lettuce. Once all the excess moisture is removed from your fungi, they’re ready for cooking. For the perfect sear, I highly recommend starting with a dry, fat-free pan.
Give your seafood a spin
Beyond just salads and mushrooms, you can also dry shrimp and scallops, both of which brown much better if you dry them before cooking. Sure, you could blot them with paper towels, but using your spinner also reduces paper waste and eliminates excess moisture from your seafood.
The process for drying shrimp and scallops in your salad spinner is the same as drying salad greens. Simply place them in the basket, give it a spin, and once your delicious seafood is dry to the touch, take them out, sear them perfectly, and enjoy. (Just don’t forget to wash your spinner afterward. Efficiency is key, but cross-contamination is not.)
