Those who grow their own lettuce can count themselves lucky. Because it is really tasty and healthy fresh from the field. Harvest the lettuce just before eating, then it is as fresh as it can be. Sometimes, however, the harvested head cannot be consumed as quickly as planned. The good news is that if you store lettuce properly, it will stay fresh for a few days.
The range in the supermarket also offers a wide variety of delicious, crunchy green or red leaf and lettuce. When buying, you should make sure that you only take as much salad with you as you can eat in a short time. If a head of lettuce is not to be eaten immediately, it is particularly important to look out for certain freshness characteristics when making your selection. Here are the top tips:
How do you recognize fresh lettuce?
Durability begins with the purchase. You should make sure that the stalk looks bright and fresh. If the cut surface has turned brown, this can be an indication that the lettuce is a bit older. The lettuce leaves should by no means be limp or wilted, but rather look strong and have a good amount of juice. By resorting to seasonal, regional products, one usually chooses goods that have shorter transport routes behind them. So compared to lettuce grown in distant regions, this lettuce hasn’t had to travel so long in foil and crates before it makes it to the vegetable aisle and finally into the kitchen.
When it comes to storage, the rule of thumb is: the firmer the leaves, the easier it is to store the lettuce. The softer the lettuce, the faster it should be eaten. Romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, and radicchio can be stored for several days, while types of lettuce such as lamb’s lettuce or lollo rosso with their fine leaves should be prepared as quickly as possible.
Storing the salad: the most important things in brief
The firmer the leaves of the lettuce are and the fresher it is, the longer it can be stored. Bright-cut edges and plump, firm leaves indicate freshness. Properly packaged in the refrigerator, the salad can last for a few days. Lettuce with root balls is placed in a glass of water. Ready-cut lettuce is often at risk of contamination and should be eaten as soon as possible.
How to keep lettuce fresh?
If a head of lettuce doesn’t end up directly in the salad bowl, it’s best to store it whole. However, remove withered leaves beforehand. Root-balled lettuce is placed in a bowl with some water, allowing the plants to self-hydrate and live longer.
You can store loose lettuce leaves either without washing them or already washed and trimmed. Because the dressing influences the structure of the leaves, it is only added to the required amount of lettuce just before consumption.
It is also important that lettuce is not placed near fruit and vegetables, which emit the ripening gas ethylene. It causes the leaves to wilt prematurely and the lettuce to go bad. Salad is best kept in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. Unlike many other vegetables, you can hard to freeze lettuce.
How long can you keep lettuce in the fridge?
To store lettuce in the fridge, it’s a good idea to wrap the head in a damp cloth sprinkled with a few dashes of vinegar or lemon juice. The acid keeps bacteria away and leaves fresher for longer. Alternatively, you can wrap the vegetables in foil that has small holes in them so the vegetables can still breathe. This way, lettuce can usually be stored in the refrigerator for two to four days. Loose leaf lettuce is in good hands in a fresh storage box or in perforated foil bags and usually stays crisp for two days.
How long do ready-made salads keep?
In the case of ready-made salads, even more, attention should be paid to quick consumption after purchase. Since ready-made salads are already cut and different types are mixed, bacteria can quickly develop in the packaging. It is therefore best to pay attention to the use-by date and consume the ready-to-eat salad within a few days.
How long does lettuce stay in the bag?
Due to the many cut surfaces and the resulting large surface, ready-made salad mixes are a good breeding ground for bacteria. Therefore, you should always pay attention to the expiry date of ready-made salads and eat them as soon as possible. Until then, put the bag in the vegetable drawer of the fridge. Before putting the mixture in the bowl with the dressing or spreading it out on plates, it is advisable to wash them thoroughly under running water.