Salad and dressing for 400

[just jim]

Hmmm, a food storage bag (or proofing bag) and a food storage bin would look to the uninformed like trash bags and garbage cans, but would in fact be used for their intended purpose.

 

[ed buchanan]

Jim , Reason I wrote double bags for a startup is because as you know in the beginning a start-up operation does not have the resource or luxury that established caterers do of having funds to buy every little thing they need. That comes from time and profits. In the beginning you have to improvise(that's what catering off premise is). And in some cases packing in double bags is better then cabinets because they are disposable where-as I have seen cabinets that the insides held last monthes dinner on their inner walls. I feel as long as handled in a sanitary manner they are fine, as does the health department.

 

[just jim]

I don't disagree with anything you stated.

 

[treehugger057]

40$ a ticket and this is arkansas! I can bring my salad n a brand new trash can and nobody will say a word! God I am going to miss living here when I go to Denver, but hey I like those mountains better anyway!
The party is friday and everything is set! Yes this is the first time this place has ever done catering, however I ran a catering company for 7 years. So this will not be easy but is well within my range! Thanks for everything.
peace n respect tyler

 

[just jim]

We used to store our lettuce and canned/jarred seafood in "garbage cans", double barreled the seafood with the inner one drilled for drainage of melting ice.
Also, you can take a barrels worth of salad mix, put it in a food storage bag, and squeeze all of the air out.
In this manner you can fit 4 or 5 barrels worth of fluffed up salad mix into one container for storage/transport.

 

[shroomgirl]

What is a barrel of salad?
I've never heard of that measurement.

 

[just jim]

My apologies if I should have used precise language.
It's not an industry term.
I suppose crapload would've been a better description, as that measurement is more often used. :roll:
As I described the seafood container as "double barreled" I thought anyone would be able to decipher that a garbage can was a barrel.
If you fill it, it's a barrels worth, is it not?
It was merely an effort to describe a storage technique.
So for those I confused, we will stick to "garbage can".
If you take a "garbage can" full of salad and compress it as I described, you can fit 4-5 "garbage cans" full of salad into one "garbage can" for transport.

Feel free to substitute any storage container you are familiar with, it's not relative to the procedure.

And before it starts, I prefer the term food storage bin, but I'm trying to make this more easily understood for those who may have a problem with my verbiage.

 

[shroomgirl]

sorry to be so dense....I kept thinking he didn't say case....what the hey is a barrel?
Got the insert reference....ice on bottom, food over it in another container.

 

[just jim]

Actually, the upper barrel is bottom drilled, the bottom barrel catches the run off.
Upper is filled with ice and the canned crab, jarred oyster, etc.
Haven't done that in years, haven't worked a place that does that much volume in those particular foodstuffs.

Ice in the bottom barrel wouldn't keep food above it cold enough.

 

[ed buchanan]

One Large Rubbermaid commercial cans holds enough for about 325- 375 -7 inch mesclin mix salads. Talk about portion control?:roll:

 

[caterchef]

Rubbermaid makes what they call a "Greens Kepper" It's a FDA compliant white
Perforated container that looks like a garbage can set inside of another with a spigot on bottom on wheels. They cost $200 for 20 gal. and $250 for 32 gal.size.
I use them in the walk-in cooler but, would never take them to an event. :thumb:

 

[ed buchanan]

I looked at one years ago. Went to Home Depot bpought 6 rubbermaid cans 3 spigots and made 3 of them for $96.00. ou can even make salad spinners out of them. I do not ship interstate so need no FDA compliance.:chef:

 

[treehugger057]

Party went off without a hitch! ok that is not true, but nothing we could not handle! I haven't worked in catering since dec. 05. So it was actually a lot of fun, till we had to clean up the plates and silverware. The owners came to me and told me I made it look easy! I assured them it was not. coarse I am sure they are tired after cleaning that mess up. All and all it was a great success for being a first time for catering! It was also chamber of commerce, which should bring us great business next spring when all the tourist pile into these resorts looking for a nice place to go eat.
Peace of my Day
Tyler

 

[shroomgirl]

ou can even make salad spinners out of them
how?

Treehugger, thanks for coming back and sharing your experience. Welcome to Cheftalk Pro Catering.

 

[ed buchanan]

I used old billiard balls I had in garage in he bottom of outer can, put other can inside it( Holes Punched in sides)
inner can it now elevated then just turn it and keep turning it . most of water comes out.

 

[shroomgirl]

did you add a handle?

 

[ed buchanan]

At first no, but later on, the handy man made one out of plastic fencing.