To cut or not to cut lettuce

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/08/2020 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dear Reena,

My mother always told me that lettuce should be hand torn and never cut with a knife. Is this true or is it a myth?

Thanks, Mary

Dear Mary,

Many cooks believe that when lettuce touches metal, it will react and prematurely turn brown. But it really doesn’t make a difference whether you tear or cut; lettuce turns brown at almost the same rate, give or take a day. The exception to this is when people use a knife that isn’t clean, causing bacteria to form on lettuce; in this case lettuce browns quickly. The benefit to knife-cut lettuce is that it creates uniform pieces which are easier to eat.

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Dear Reena,

I am hoping you can help me. I have glue on the front passenger seat of my car. It’s a cloth seat, black in colour. The glue is IPEX brand PVC conduit solvent cement. This is used with rigid PVC conduit to cement pipes together (used to run electrical wires through). The glue was drizzled accidentally on the seat, so it’s not a concentrated blob, but rather several streaks. It is dried on and can’t be scraped off with anything. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks, Hart

Dear Hart,

I have not heard of any water-based solvent that will remove PVC conduit solvent cement. The most effective solution is acetone. However, the risk with acetone is that it is flammable and has the potential to remove colour from upholstery. An alternative option is to spray the area with WD-40 and, after 10 minutes, gently scrape with a razor blade. Next, clean with dish soap and water to reduce the chemical smell.

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Reader feedback

Re: Freezer Smell

I recently read the article about the husband who accidentally left a package of ground beef in the fridge of a motor home. A while back, unbeknownst to me, my freezer quit, and everything thawed and/or melted for a couple of days. The smell was not pretty. A friend of mine told me about an easy fix to get rid of the smell. Simply soak a cotton ball with artificial vanilla extract and swab the sides of the fridge or freezer and allow to dry. Then soak another cotton ball with the vanilla extract and leave it in the bottom for a refreshing smell all the time. It works great and the cotton ball can be replaced as needed.

Shirley

Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.

Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website: reena.ca. Ask a question or share a tip at www.reena.ca