How to keep lettuce fresh?

Question

Please tell me how to keep the lettuce fresh and crisp after adding it to the salad. Also what kind of lettuce is normally used in salads. How do I store the lettuce in the fridge?

Answer 1

Store in a airtight ziploc bag and I have also heard of people wrapping it in paper towels inside of the bag. Also - keep it in the fridge with saran wrap over it until you eat the salad - make sure you do not put on any dressing or anything that may cause the lettuce to wilt while it is sitting (add tomatoes after).
:)

Here are some professional tips from a website:
1. Get Fresh - Buy the freshest lettuce you can from a farmer's market or a grocery store you know that typically has good produce.

2. Keep it cool - Set your produce drawer temperature and humidity controls correctly. For me, this is about the middle level. You don't want your produce drawer temperature set too low or your lettuce will "sweat" and get soggy. If you have it set to high, the lettuce will frost which is equally as tragic.

3. Wrap it Up - If you buy iceberg lettuce (which I don't really advocate since it is has zero nutritional value) wrap it in a paper towel as soon as you get home from the store and place it back in the plastic bag before storing it in the drawer. The really absorbent kind of paper towel works best.

With leafy greens, you can follow the same process. I have found though that it is better to remove leafy greens from their plastic bag and wash them before storing them. Use a salad spinner or rinse the leaves and dry them with a paper towel, then place them in a bowl. You can use the same paper towel (now damp, but will dry) to lay on top of the leaves. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid.

4. Room to Breathe - Store your lettuce in your produce drawer with plenty of breathing room. Leaves can be bruised if you have lots of other vegetables crammed in with the lettuce.

**Kitchen Tip: To save time in the kitchen, wash and tear your greens and make a big salad "base" that you and pick off for a few days during the week. Since you've already made a salad base, change up the salad with different vegetables, chicken, tuna, fresh herbs, etc. is a lot easier.

Answer 2

Any type of lettuce is great for salad really...the most popular is "iceberg" but it does not have much of a nutritional content. While " Romaine" offers a nut. content and does not have pungent flavor that often turns some people away. If you want to store the lettuce for the week the ready pack salads in the produce section have "kept" well in my veggie drawer of the fridge for up to 5 days...( without changing the original packaging). If you choose fresh ( heads) lettuce then after rinsing thoroughly.. I would tear ( never cut... edges will wilt/ turn Brown quicker) the lettuce into smaller/ salad size pieces and rinse with a solution of 1/2tsp lemon juice ( fresh or conc... fresh works best!) and 8-10oz water, strain...removing as much of the water as possible and place in a plastic container and cover with lid or airtight plastic wrap. The acidity in the lemon juice will cauterize the tiny vessels of the lettuce ...sealing out air naturally. Before resealing the container after each serving then ...inspect and discard any "browning" part/pieces... Oh yeah ....when choosing lettuce ...the lighter heads seem to make better salads...the leaves are thinner and crisper...not thick and tough..w/ a yucky after taste.

8^) Good Luck ...

Answer 3

Don't cut lettuce with a metal knife. They used to make glass or plastic knives just for this but at least tearing it keeps it for getting brown around the edges for a while.
If you have more lettuce than you are using for one meal do not toss it with the other ingredients and do not put dressing on it.
Store it in an air tight container. Even wrapping it in plastic wrap helps keep the air away and the wilting down.
The worst lettuce for turning to brown scum in the crisper is iceberg. Unluckily it is the kind most Americans were raised on. Leafier varieties like romaine will last a lot long. And they have more taste.
Though this may not be the best time, fresh spinach will last weeks in your crisper. And it so much more nutritious.

Answer 4

I'm a chef. Here is the thing. Don't keep it for more than 5 days. When chosing lettuce, look for brown. Don't buy lettuce that is starting to brown. Lettuce like all produce has a season. And a country that makes a better product. You want lettuce to be local. You want apples from Chili. You want strawberries from the US or Canada. When you know how to judge freshness, you won't have any trouble keeping it fresh, you'll be eating it. A book on produce is my advice. It will also help you make better choices on what you buy

Answer 5

Iceberg lettuce is the best for salad. It is normally used in salads. To keep fresh. Put into a zip lock bag. The best is to eat within 24 hours. Or the lettuce will start to turn brown.

Answer 6

I use Ice burg lettuce for salads. They best way to keep salads fresh is to store them in an air tight container. They still usually only last about 3 to 5 days. Store Lettuce in the crisper drawer in the bottom of your refrigerator.
Hope this helps

Answer 7

There are some diverse belongings you could attempt. a million. specifically designed lettuce bins (accessible out of your interior reach food market and so on.) 2. Air sparkling luggage (in the hang wrap section) 3. decrease a go through the middle of the lettuce and keep in a zipper lock bag (keeps sparkling) typically a lettuce in elementary words lasts a million week no count number what you do.. yet good luck

Answer 8

Get as much oxygen out of the plastic bag that you keep it in as possible. My aunt actually uses a straw to suck out excess air. Also, put a paper towel in the plastic bag to absorb excess moisture and prevent the lettuce from going rusty. Using a higher quality ziplock type of bag may also help the lettuce from absorbing the smells of the fridge.

Answer 9

Soak it in ice cold water! and add it to salad just before serving, use IceBerg Lettuce for Salads And Sandwiches.

Answer 10

sure any of the suggestions would work but be careful with the illnesses going on with spinach and lettuce right now...