STORING LETTUCE

• Keep it topped up (with water) but not soggy
• Cool, airy, damp – and not for long
• Keep the packaging
• A lot can be rescued with ice water
• Iceberg and radicchio toughest

Lettuce is one of the most delicate vegetables you can have in your kitchen. Most types of lettuce are best stored in the vegetable section of the fridge. The trick is to keep the lettuce “topped up” with water but not wet.

Storing lettuce:

Cool, airy, damp and for as short a time as possible.

Keep the packaging

It’s best to keep them in the original packaging. The material and the design will have been produced to keep the contents fresh for as long as possible.

Distinguish between root vegetables and other vegetables

Green leaves and vegetables that grow above ground use up their water reserves and their nutrients much more quickly than root vegetables, which can be said to hibernate. Store them in different drawers of the fridge.

Airy bag

Lettuce in the fridge should be surrounded by a certain amount of damp but it shouldn’t lie there moldering against a bit of plastic, for example. Use a paper bag or an airy plastic bag.

Iceberg and radicchio are toughest

Iceberg lettuce and radicchio are the toughest types and keep for up to a week, at best.

Keep the pot and the bag

Lettuce in a pot should stay in the pot and the bag to maximize its lifetime.

A lot can be rescued

Remember that even if your lettuce show signs of losing their bounce, a lot can be rescued. A few hours in iced water will revitalize most green leaves and stalks.

Storing spinach

Spinach is often bought in a bag. If you’re careful about resealing opened bags, it will keep its bounce for much longer.