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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Salad Spinner

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  • From: "Marlin Burkholder" <glenecofarm AT planetcomm.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Salad Spinner
  • Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 10:08:28 -0500


> I missed the original post: could you tell how to do it
> again, please? Or if it's a file on the website, could
> someone tell me where it is?

I'm not sure where I got the idea for this salad spinner, but I can't quite
claim it entirely as my own. For the benefit of those who are either too
busy or too lazy to look it up on the MF archives, here it is again. I
found this post (made nearly two years ago) by going to Google and typing in
"homemade salad spinner". It is the third item on the list of links.

Hey "market farming" list,

Not so long ago I mentioned on a post that I had heard somewhere about
someone making a salad spinner from a plastic laundry basket suspended by
string or light rope from an overhead support, wound up and released to
spin out the excess water. I said I wanted to give this a try sometime.

Several weeks ago I found the basket I was looking for at "Roses"
department store. It was about 18 inches in diameter and 12 inches deep
with a one inch open grid pattern around the sides. Cost: $1.00 each. I
bought two of them. Estimated capacity a little less than one bushel.

I nested them together and turned the inside one slightly so that the
grids crossed and reduced the grid pattern to 1/2 inch. Then I cut three
pieces of 1/8" thick braided nylon cording (the type commonly used to make
macrame plant hangers or venetian blind cords) about six feet long. I tied
the
cords to the rim of the two nested baskets at evenly spaced intervals
(tie them tightly with double knots as they tend to work loose with use) and
then knotted the three ends together about 5 feet above the basket,
making sure the basket hung level when held by the overhead knot.
Tieing these three pieces of cord into a metal or plastic ring is optional
and makes a nice professional
looking job. I hung this from a heavy nail banged into a rafter in the tool
shed so that the
basket was suspended about 2 feet above the ground, a comfortable loading
height for me.

I then loaded er up with batches of freshly washed mesclun mix and
spinach from my hoophouse, wound it up and gave it a whirl. It worked
remarkably well. I wound it up two or three times in opposite directions
with each wind and would roll or fluff the contents by gently shaking the
basket between spins to get most of the water out.

The bottoms of the baskets are solid and I considered making drain holes
with a drill but after playing with it a few minutes I decided this is
not really necessary as the centrifugal force of the spin slings most of
the water out. Holes can always be made later if needed.

Without ever having used one of the "over $200" versions available at
Johnny's, I would say it works about as well as long as you don't try it
in a kitchen.

Marlin Burkholder APS

"APS" stands for "Agricultural Production Specialist" (grin)





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