Salads in Jars

Salads in jars!  Why is everyone doing it?  Because they're freaking awesome, that's why!  My first attempts are pretty boring but still great.  I made these on Wednesday and ate one the following day. The lettuce was so crispy, as were the mushrooms and golden cherry tomatoes.  I added ham, cheese, and Greek Feta dressing.  Yum!  They're supposed to last at least a week.  I made 3 all together and the other two still look great as do the strawberries I jarred on Monday.  Oh, I vacuum seal them as well.  I have a FoodSaver machine ($$) but I also bought a little hand-held model for $20 at WalMart that works very well.  If you want to keep the jar lids intact, you'll need to get a wide mouth jar vacuum attachment.  If not, you can puncture a hole in the lid with a thumb tack, lightly cover with a square of electrical tape, then place the hand-held vacuum sealer over the tape and seal.  Listen for the change in sound and you might even hear a slight "pop" as the lid is sealed.