| Pantry | Refrigerator | Freezer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iceburg | - | 7-9 Days | - |
| Romaine | - | 7-9 Days | - |
| Mache | - | 1-2 Days | - |
| Boston | - | 2-3 Days | - |
| Butter | - | 3-5 Days | - |
| Lollo Rosso | - | 2-3 Days | - |
Shelf Life of Lettuce
Lettuce is a leafy green plant that belongs to the daisy family Asteraceae. It is also considered as the queen of the salad pants because of its widespread use. Mostly they are planted for their leaves, but few varieties can also be grown for their stems and seeds.
The shelf life of lettuce also varies in its different varieties. But, being a part of the fresh plant, it can’t be stored for long without taking some additional measurements. On average, the shelf life of lettuce is only one week if kept refrigerated. The best place to store them is inside the hydrated drawer of your fridge.
The shelf life can also vary regarding its packaging. Packaged lettuce can last longer as compared to the unpackaged one.
Purchasing Lettuce
While purchasing lettuce prefer buying those pieces that are taken freshly from the farms. They must have gone through the least processing. Otherwise, the taste and health benefits of lettuce would decrease to a great extent. Don’t go after pre-washed tags on lettuce baggage. Rather opt for the simplest and plain leaves or other plant parts. As according to the research, the least amount of bacteria was discovered in unwashed and plain lettuce headpiece.
Also, make sure to purchase lettuce with clean and fresh appearance, and fresh cut ends. Avoid those plants having dull, drooping, or dry parts. Try to select the pieces which contain minimum holes or stains. But still, as it is common in spray-free grown crops to have cracks or marks, therefore, accept it as well.
Storing Lettuce
After bringing fresh lettuce to home, firstly wash it carefully with clean water and let it dry. Following that, take some paper towels or clean wrapping towel. Put lettuce inside, wrap properly, and store inside the hydrated region of your refrigerator. In this way, you can store the lettuce at least for a week.
It is very crucial to wash each and every lettuce leaf separately, as they might have accumulated sand/dust/bacterias inside its layers. It can otherwise harm you instead of giving any health benefit.
How to Handle Lettuce
Being a fresh leafy plant part, lettuce needs your careful and soft handling. In case of having any intact with hard things, it is likely to get stains that look dull in a salad. Avoid storing lettuce with poultry, meat or seafood inside the refrigerator. In case of having any intact of ready-to-eat lettuce with previously mentioned items, discard it immediately.
Additionally, try to store lettuce separately from other heavy veggies inside your fridge. Being a soft plant part, they might get pressed inside other vegetables and start getting dull.
Cooking Lettuce
Lettuce can be used in a variety of dishes. But, the most common use is in salads. They are preferred in a raw form with plenty of salads type. It can also be used with cooked veggies, soups and sandwiches. Lettuce doesn’t only add taste and color to your salad or dishes, but it is also considered as an important source of Vitamin A and potassium.
For cooking lettuce, it is advisable to not chop them with a knife. Rather, after cutting its head, simply tear the leaves apart from your hands. In case of using it in a cooked meal, add lettuce in the end as they cooked quickly.