Storing lettuce - this is the best way to store it

Storing lettuce - the best tips for different types

Important points for storing lettuce

In principle, keep lettuce only in the refrigerator, preferably in the vegetable drawer. That is where he feels most comfortable. You shouldn't wash your lettuce before storing it. But: Wilted leaves must be removed beforehand - this will extend the shelf life of the salad.

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It is advisable to take a close look when buying. If possible, only buy salads with hard leaves, because: the harder the leaves are, the longer the salad stays crisp in the refrigerator.

And another note: In the supermarket, lettuce should not lie next to ripening vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes, avocados, mangoes, bananas or apples. The ripening gas ethylene produced by them causes lettuce to yellow, brown spots of rust and withered leaves.

Important: It is 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 drizzled with vinegar or lemon. Perforated foil bags are also good alternatives.

Caution: Never use tightly closed plastic containers. These threaten to suffocate the lettuce because the moisture cannot escape. This creates a good breeding ground for microorganisms that quickly spoil the salad.

Already washed lettuce leaves can be either dripping wet or lightly spun in a plastic box and stored in the refrigerator for a few days.

Store different types of lettuce correctly

Ready-made (welded) mixed salads

The large surface and the many cut surfaces make ready-made mixed salads a real magnet for bacteria. In short, welded ready-made salads are extremely sensitive. Our advice on storage (and consumption):

Permanent cooling
store only for a short time
Adhere to the use-by date
wash before consuming

Iceberg lettuce

Iceberg lettuce is made up of strong leaves that are less sensitive. We recommend the following:

wrap in a damp cloth
Place in the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator

This way the salad stays fresh for several days. The same applies to romaine, chicory and frillice.

Lettuce

The optimal storage for lettuce looks like this:

Cut the roots crosswise
put in a small bowl of water
Cover with foil (perforated)
place in the vegetable compartment

Romaine lettuce

Romaine lettuce and radicchio will keep for a week if you store them properly:

Wrap in perforated foil or paper towel
Place in the vegetable drawer

Tips

Keep Lollo Rosso that way too. 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 is no longer particularly tasty after a short time.