How to: keep lettuce fresh
Lettuce is at its best when it’s fresh and slightly crisp. Keeping your lettuce fresh for as long as possible is an art, but with the tips below, you’ll always succeed.
Buy whole heads
The best tip for fresh lettuce: always buy whole heads instead of bags of lettuce—they stay good much longer. Just look at a head of iceberg lettuce: it lasts the longest of all. Like a head of romaine lettuce, this variety stays good for seven to ten days. Leaf lettuce wilts a little sooner, namely within five to seven days. Eat butter lettuce or lamb’s lettuce as soon as possible, as these varieties stay fresh for only three to five days.
The ultimate tip
For storing your head of lettuce, we have the ultimate tip. Cut a thin slice off the stem and score a small cross into it with a knife. Place the head, cut stem down, in a container of water. Put the head, container and all, in the refrigerator. Think of the head of lettuce as a plant that you keep alive by placing it in water. If all goes well, your head will stay good for up to nine weeks! Want to use it? Take the outer leaves.
Bought a bag anyway?
Would you still rather go for bagged lettuce? If you’re lucky, this variety will stay good for three to five days. Sturdy lettuce such as arugula stays fresh longer than soft varieties such as lamb’s lettuce or butter lettuce. There are ways to keep bagged lettuce fresh for longer. Our favorite? Put the lettuce in a large bowl. Place some paper towel over the lettuce and seal the bowl with plastic wrap. Make sure no air reaches the lettuce. The paper towel absorbs the moisture, helping your lettuce stay good longer.
Wilted anyway?
Is your lettuce wilted? Place it in ice water for ten minutes to an hour. This gives your lettuce a hydrating boost. Restaurants often use this trick too, before the lettuce reaches your plate.
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