Dole salads recalled

There are ways of keeping the "fixings" from spoiling if you're only using part of them. Clues are available simply by noticing which vegetables spoil more quickly in the refrigerator.

1) Run the knife under hot water between each vegetable so you don't transfer juices from one vegetable to another.

2) After washing a vegetable and using only part of it, make sure it's thoroughly dry before storing the remainder.

3) Bell peppers should have their tops cut off and seeds & white ribs removed. The white ribs decompose first, and will take the rest of the pepper along in the process.

4) Don't peel an entire cucumber if you're only using part of it. Cut off what you need and peel only that part.

5) Cut the juiciest vegetables LAST so the cutting board's not swimming in liquid. If necessary, get a bigger cutting board so you can cut different items further from one another.

6) Wash all your lettuce even if you're only using part of it immediately. That'll minimize any bacteria which are already present and improve storage time. Discard any leaves which look less than perfect. Use your salad spinner to be sure the leaves are as dry as you can get them before storing the unused ones. Wrap in paper towels.

7) Some refrigerators are too cold near the bottom and-or back. Tomatoes get soupy at excessively cold temps. In your refrigerator, they may store better on the top shelf in a bowl. Delicate lettuces are the same way, although this may be evident only to a gardener.