My tip is a way to save money and food with lettuce. I am a senior who lives alone. I buy the bagged lettuce because it is hard for me to cut up lettuce. If I didn't eat the bag of lettuce quick enough, I still ended up wasting some of it. I knew this was because of the natural moisture in the bag. One day an idea popped into my head. Moisture can be wiped up with paper towels.
Source: My own idea.
By knitter from Bloomington, Illinois
With iceberg lettuce: 1) Core lettuce (slam the bottom on counter, and pull out stump) 2) Rinse lettuce, and rip in half so water drains out well. Dry if necessary, 3) Place lettuce in a large tupperware/zip plastic bag, with a paper towel (to wick extra water away), change paper towel if it gets really damp. 4) Never put in the back of the fridge, could freeze.
Another option: switch to romaine lettuce: filled with nutrients and easily outlasts iceberg lettuce. (04/10/2007)
By Heather
I made veggie bags out of old terry cloth towels. I wash the lettuce, let dry, wrap in paper toweling and store in terry bags. Lasts much longer for me this way. (04/10/2007)
By Lorrainez
I do not wash my lettuce until I need it. I wrap the head in heavy duty foil and it keeps fairly well. I find if I wash it, it gets more rust. I agree with Starchild in VT romaine lettuce has more nutrients(because it is darker green than iceberg) and keeps much better. (04/10/2007)
By Mary Lou
I just got a salad spinner and love it. As soon as I get my lettuce home, I break up and wash it. Then spin it completely dry. DRY is the key. Then put it in a zip lock or tupperware and it will last you about 3 weeks or more, but dry it. If it's wet, it will get brown and slimy. (04/10/2007)
By Hmac
For Iceberg lettuce, do not wash until ready to use. Wrap in dry paper towel and keep in a plastic bag. It will stay nice for a couple weeks. (04/10/2007)
Keep it in a large bowl in the fridge that has some water and a few ice cubes in it. Change the water and cubes every day until the lettuce is used up. Not a lot of ice cubes just about 3 or 4 and about 1 cup of cold water. (04/10/2007)
Put the lettuce in a large ziploc and put a paper towel in it to absorb wetness, also there is a website that tells you how to preserve veges, it is under the national center for food preservation. (04/10/2007)
By Nicole
I wrap it in 1 or 2 paper towels and just keep it in the bag from the grocery store. It lasts a couple of weeks for me this way. (04/10/2007)
By Allison
I found out on another site similar to this one that wrapping lettuce, celery, carrots or peppers in foil will let you keep it for weeks. I presently have celery in foil for the last 3 weeks and it looks just like it did when I bought it. My bibb and iceberg and romaine lettuce is just as fresh as it was 2 weeks ago. There is just my husband and me and we don't use these veggies very fast. I used to throw away more than I used or bought just enough from the salad bar ($$$$) for a meal. Thank the foil folks for saving me mega bucks. (04/10/2007)
By Fluffyone
When we went into food service, the owner of another restaurant told me to keep sliced or chopped lettuce in icy cold water. It lasts at least 5 days at home, but I never let it go that long in our food service concession, just in case. (04/10/2007)
By Coreen Hart
The traditional Tupperware lettuce container worked well. From that, most have learned, as described below, to keep it in a plastic bag with a paper towel.
I use romaine lettuce, because it is healthier. We just leave it in the original plastic bag. It stays in the veggie drawer. We only wash it when we remove a leaf.
Not only that, but I chop this lettuce for salads, including celery and other greens, and store it in a sealed plastic container. It lasts all week. When I want a salad, I put one or two handsful into a bowl, then add freshly chopped tomato and anything else that appeals to me. (04/10/2007)
By Carrie
Romaine lettuce is stays fresh longer. (04/11/2007)
By Linda
Romaine lettuce stays fresh longer. (04/11/2007)
By Linda
Store it washed, (and spun in a salad spinner if you have one) in a paper towel lined bowl, and then cover the bowl. It will stay amazingly fresh for a couple of weeks. The lettuce needs moisture, but not directly on it, which is why storing it in plastic bags usually winds up with it slimy. Paper towels keep the moisture in the bowl (or bag) without making it too wet. (04/12/2007)
By Beth
Nice duck photo!
After washing and drying it, wrap lettuce in a paper towel and further wrap cellophane wrap or a plastic grocery bag. It works. I also do this for fresh parsley and other fresh herbs, and they last in my fridge for an amazing amount of time. (04/12/2007)
By Cynthia
I am the person who originally asked about keeping lettuce. I want to thank everyone for the great response. I'm on a mission to try everyone's suggestions. Thanks again! (04/12/2007)
By Marjorie from Michigan
Wash and dry and seal in Food Saver Canister. Lasts forever if you reseal it each time you open it. (04/12/2007)
By Vickie
If you use a nylon knife instead of metal to cut it and then put what you don't use in a zip lock bag in the fridge, it will stay fresh (04/13/2007)
By
"The Willen Sisters" say to put burnt toast with lettuce. In other veggies, I add 1 or 2 sponges, it absorbs the moisture and keeps a long time in regular plastic bags. (04/15/2007)
By Annette
Tupperware lettuce keeper has worked for me for years same thing my mom used. (04/15/2007)
That sounds like a good idea. Don't know why I haven't thought of that myself. I put paper towels in with green onions in a ziplock bag and they stay fresh longer. I'm going to put one in the salad and give it a try. A friend of mine that works in a restaurant with a salad bar said they keep the lettuce already broken up in a big pan of water in the refrigerator and fill the salad bar as needed. (10/28/2008)
By GayLynn
Thank you for this great tip! We live in rural Saskatchewan and it seems that when we feel like eating salad, the lettuce we bought on the last trip to the city is always rotten! Have a great day and thanks again! Nallorey (10/29/2008)
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When i make salad i put lid or a small bowl in the bottom of the bigger bowl turned upside down and the moisture collects under the lid or bowl in the bottom of the other bowl and keeps it fresh longer
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