Lettuce contains many valuable vitamins and minerals. Proper storage is essential so that you don't waste these, nor the crunchiness and good taste of the green leaves. We'll show you how to store lettuce properly.
Lettuce stays fresh best if it is given a little water
Important points for storing lettuce
As a general rule, only keep lettuce in the refrigerator, preferably in the vegetable drawer. That's where he feels most comfortable. You should not wash your lettuce leaves before storing them. But: Withered leaves must be removed beforehand - this will extend the shelf life of the lettuce.
It is advisable to take a close look at the purchase. If possible, only buy lettuce with hard leaves, because the harder the leaves, the longer the lettuce stays crisp in the fridge.
And another tip: lettuce should not be placed in the supermarket next to fruit and vegetables that will ripen later, such as tomatoes, avocados, mangoes, bananas or apples. The ripening gas ethylene produced by these causes yellowing, brown spots of rust and wilted leaves in lettuce.
Important: It is also important to keep lettuce away from such vegetables and fruit during storage - otherwise it will spoil much faster.
tips
You can actively protect the lettuce from drying out by wrapping the leaves in a damp cloth sprinkled with vinegar or lemon. Perforated foil bags are also good alternatives.
Caution: Never use tightly sealed plastic containers. These threaten to suffocate the lettuce because the moisture cannot escape. This creates a good breeding ground for microorganisms that lead to the rapid spoilage of the salad.
Lettuce leaves that have already been washed can be put into a plastic container either dripping wet or slightly spun and stored in the refrigerator for a few days.
Store different types of lettuce correctly
Ready-made (sealed) mixed salads
The large surface and the many cutting surfaces make ready mixed salads a real bacteria magnet. In short, sealed ready-made salads are extremely sensitive. Our advice on storage (and consumption):
- continuous cooling
- only store for a short time
- comply with the use-by date
- wash before consuming
iceberg lettuce
Iceberg lettuce is composed of strong leaves that are less sensitive. We recommend the following:
- wrap in a damp cloth
- place in the vegetable compartment of the fridge
This keeps the salad fresh for several days. The same applies to romaine, chicory and frillice.
lettuce
The best way to store lettuce is as follows:
- Cut the root base crosswise
- place in a small bowl of water
- cover with foil (perforated).
- place in the vegetable drawer
romaine lettuce
Romaine lettuce and radicchio will keep for a good week if you store them properly:
- wrap in perforated foil or paper towel
- put in the vegetable drawer
tips
Store Lollo Rosso in the same way. But it only stays fresh for about three to four days.
Lamb's lettuce
You should not store lamb's lettuce, but always prepare it on the same day. It collapses very quickly and after a short time is no longer particularly tasty.
The garden journal freshness ABC
How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?
The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:
- as a free PDF file to print out yourself