The delicate leaves of lamb’s lettuce can be found in a multitude of ready-to-eat mixed salads. Given its hardiness and frost resistance, lamb’s lettuce can be grown all year round, especially during the colder winter months. Pre-washed lamb’s lettuce in particular is a popular ingredient both in restaurants and hotels and in private households. This is because its small leaves are very good at holding on tight to soil, sand, and dirt and therefore place special demands on the washing process.
With KRONEN washing machines, these sensitive salad leaves can be processed efficiently and gently. The newly developed GEWA AF pre-washing machine and the further developed GEWA XL washing machine are particularly ideal for processing larger amounts and can be combined in production lines for optimal washing results.
The GEWA AF uses the new and unique “Active Flume” washing system, which is specifically designed to wash floating leafy produce such as lamb’s lettuce. The effective and gentle infeed slide enables the light and delicate salad leaves to be submerged without mechanical stress. The pre-washing machine processes up to 2,500 kg of lamb’s lettuce per hour and has a capacity of up to 3,000 kg per hour when washing iceberg lettuce. The GEWA AF is therefore ideal for successfully handling production peaks. With a water-product ratio of just four liters of water for one liter of product, the machine is also an excellent water-saving solution. This 4-to-1 ratio is perfect for pre-washing and enables the machine to remove cell sap, sand, and soil.
For an optimal washing result when processing delicate, multi-branched produce such as lamb’s lettuce, in which dirt and grit are particularly difficult to remove, it is a good idea to wash the leaves in the GEWA XL after pre-washing. This further developed washing machine for large processing capacities can wash up to 2,500 kg of lamb’s lettuce and up to 5,000 kg of iceberg lettuce per hour. It is fitted with the HELICAL wash system, which provides highly effective rotation in a spiral pattern in the wash tank.
Using the GEWA AF and GEWA XL in production lines guarantees the gentle, efficient processing of large amounts of leafy produce such as lamb’s lettuce with high hygiene standards and reduced water consumption.
