Lettuce. The very first thought that comes to our mind on/after hearing this term “lettuce” is hydrating delicious fresh salad which goes well in sandwiches, vegetable wraps, soup and a lot more food items. Variety makes this veggie easy to pair with nearly anything in your pantry. The added benefits of this vegetable go far beyond adding color to salads and sandwiches.
Lettuce leaves are rich in protein but contains considerably less calorie. Isn’t it a perfect recipe for your weight loss program? Yes, lettuce is rich in fiber which gives you a feeling of being full even if your tummy wasn’t really that fulfilled. Besides this, lettuce is good for your heart the reason being its potassium and magnesium richness.
Maintaining an adequate level of hydration cannot be overemphasized. Drinking water is a key part of staying hydrated, but eating foods like lettuce, which is high in water, can also help. lettuce contains an astonishing 96% of water, making it incredibly thirst-dousing. A lettuce salad contains a high-water content, so you feel full and hydrated after eating it. In that regard, if you care about your health, lettuce leaves are a good to go option.
Here’s the deal. There are many nutrients in lettuce. In particular, it contains antioxidants and vitamins K and A. So, is it a good decision to let this lettuce leaf be in awful form? Lettuce shouldn’t decay before it can be used, right!?
Keep following points in your mind and Keep lettuce at its freshest for more than a week with these storage tips.
- Cultivate a habit of checking the lettuce leaves every two to three days. Any leaves that are starting to rot should be removed. The lettuce will stay fresh for longer this way.
- Remove damaged lettuce leaves, and wash the lettuce. Though you have bought lettuce that are already washed, it’s a good practice to wash them before consuming it.
- Lettuce should be thoroughly dried. If you have a Salad spinner the best. You won’t have to worry about bruising the lettuce with this method. The lettuce can also be gently blotted with a paper towel or dish towel if you don’t possess a salad spinner.
- If the questions like “what’s the best way to store lettuce? How to prevent lettuce from getting bitter and brown?” ever crossed your mind here is a solution which may help you with your existing problem.
- After wrapping your lettuce leaves in parched paper towel, place it in bag made up of plastic. Place a few sheets of paper towels or flour sack towels (two of my favorites) between each lettuce leaf. You can also put it in any other container in case of unavailability of plastic bags. After washing the container, you can reuse it. Keeping your lettuce chilled and fresh is easiest if you place it in the tighter drawer of your refrigerator.
- Ethelene gas which is naturally produced by lettuce is discovered to be the prime reason behind transformation of fresh green lettuce leaves into wilted brown lettuce leaves. So, it’s a good idea to store lettuce in air-tight (not too compressed) plastic or storage bags in order to prevent them from Ethelene gas present in the atmosphere. Now you might be wondering how Ethelene gas could be present in the ambience around you. There are some species of plants and vegetables present around you which discharges ethene gas on being decay. For instance, apple discharges Ethelene gas as it deteriorates. That’s why it is said not to store vegetables and fruits together.
- Thus if we protect lettuce leaves from outer sources of Ethelene, undoubtedly they will last longer.
- If a paper towel becomes especially wet, replace it. Slimy lettuce can be avoided with this trick.
- In order to keep lettuce fresh for a longer time, avoid packing lettuce leaves into container bags too densely.
- Store the lettuce in the coldest part of your refrigerator that helps you to keep lettuce fresh and green for longer time (for 3 weeks to be more specific!). Note: Usually lower drawer of your refrigerator is considered to be the coolest one. So, store your lettuce there in!
- Using an ice bath before using lettuce can help restore its crispness if it has wilted. After you have removed the ice bath, let it dry and go about your business as you planned.
For the most part, how long can you keep lettuce leaves fresh?
Ideally, your goal should be to use plucked or loose lettuce leaves withing 8-10 days. Storing them for more than the respective interval of time is not recommended and unfortunately there are high chance that your sweet delicious lettuce salad may turn into some horrible unwanted bitter dish!
It’s a much-less known fact that a head of lettuce has a longer shelf life in the refrigerator. You can expect them to last between one and three weeks, depending on the variety. The iceberg lettuce with a tight head remains fresh the longest. Just because outer leaves of lettuce are starting to lose its flavor doesn’t mean you should throw it’s entire head away. Peeling those outer leaves off should leave the rest of the head intact.
Have you ever noticed that the pre-mixed lettuce packaged salad available in the super market deteriorates faster than the one’s which are plain headed lettuce leaves? Well, the very simple answer to this question is also previously mentioned Ethelene gas which in case is emitted by the vegetables pre-mixed with fresh green lettuce leaves.
If you’re unsure whether your lettuce is still acceptable to eat, follow your inner sensation. Throw it away or compost it if it smells bad, looks unappealing or feels slimy. There is a lot more value in your health than the few dollars you will spend on those lettuce.