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How to Keep Lettuce Crisp
Two Methods:Keeping a Lettuce Head CrispKeeping a Salad Crisp
Lettuce is a nutritious staple to keep on hand, but it can easily become limp, tasteless or rotten. Use these methods to keep a head of lettuce fresh or a tossed salad (without dressing) fresh.
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Steps
Method 1 of 2: Keeping a Lettuce Head Crisp
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1Take the lettuce out of its original packaging. Unless it states that it is sealed for freshness and designed to protect the lettuce from spoiling, it will need to be crisped before storage.Ad -
2Fill a sink or large bowl with cold water from the tap. -
3Separate the leaves from the core. Place them in the cold water bath for 5 minutes. If your lettuce was already limp, this should make it crisp again. -
4Remove the leaves one by one. Shake them to remove water along the ridge. -
5Lay the leaves in a salad spinner. You can buy a salad spinner online or at box stores, like Target and Walmart. Ensure you don’t pack the leaves in too tightly; you may need to do several batches. -
6Turn the crank on the salad spinner. It will force the extra water off of the leaves and into the basin at the bottom.[1] -
7Place the leaves on a dry kitchen towel. Stack them in one to two rows. Pour the water out of the basin at the bottom of the salad spinner.- Repeat the process until all of your lettuce is dry.
- You can also use paper towels if you don’t have a kitchen towel you can spare.
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8Roll or wrap the lettuce up in the towel. Insert the wrapped lettuce leaves into a gallon-sized freezer bag. Seal it.[2] -
9Place it in the crisper drawer in your refrigerator. Remove the leaves as needed.
- Leave the rest to store for one to two weeks.
- Leave the rest to store for one to two weeks.
Method 2 of 2: Keeping a Salad Crisp
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1Follow the directions in the first method to clean and crisp your lettuce. -
2Divide the leaves into smaller sections and place them in a large bowl. Toss different types of lettuce, such as green, red and cabbage for an even healthier side salad. -
3Place a folded paper towel on top of your tossed salad. The paper towel will absorb excess moisture, keeping the salad from wilting. -
4Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Put it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. -
5Remove the bowl from the fridge. Pour some salad into another bowl. Toss it separately.- Make sure you don’t season it while it’s in the storage bowl. Salt will make the salad wilt faster, because it will draw moisture out of the lettuce leaves.
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6Replace the paper towel every few days and store the remaining salad for up to 1 week.[3]Ad
Tips
- These methods will work for almost all types of lettuce, although tightly packed butter lettuce and iceberg lettuce may be better when stored whole with their cores intact. Some stores sell butter lettuce with the roots attached to preserve freshness over several weeks.
- If you want to keep pre-washed lettuce in its original packaging, line the inside of the container with paper towels. Place a few paper towels in the center or on the sides if it’s a large container. Seal the package as tightly as you can. [4]
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Things You'll Need
- Cold water
- Salad spinner
- Paper towels
- Kitchen towels
- Plastic wrap
- Gallon freezer bag
Related wikiHows
Sources and Citations
- ↑ http://pinchmysalt.com/a-recipe-for-keeping-lettuce-fresh-and-crisp/
- ↑ http://www.freep.com/article/20130516/FEATURES02/305160024/celery-vegetables-storage
- ↑ http://lifehacker.com/5903677/make-and-store-a-salad-that-will-stay-fresh-and-crisp-all-week-long
- ↑ http://andreadekker.com/simple-tip-how-to-keep-lettuce-fresh-longer/
Article Info
Featured Article
Categories: Featured Articles | Food Preservation Techniques
Recent edits by: Alabaster, Krystle, Maluniu
In other languages:
Deutsch: Salat knackig halten, Español: Cómo conservar la lechuga crujiente, Italiano: Come Mantenere la Lattuga Croccante, Português: Como Manter a Alface Fresca e Crocante, Русский: сохранить салат хрустящим
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