How do you keep lettuce fresh for longer?

How to store it if you have lots of space

If there’s enough space in your vegetable drawer, score the roots of the lettuce crosswise and place it in a small bowl with a little water. Cover the lettuce with perforated film (or the original packaging) and place it into your vegetable drawer. Never store lettuce in a closed box, as it will spoil more quickly if moisture can’t escape.

How to store if you don’t have much space

If the outer leaves are already brown, simply remove them. Wrap the head of lettuce in a damp cloth sprinkled with a few drops of vinegar and lemon juice – the acidity will keep bacteria away. Then place the lettuce into your vegetable drawer. Lettuce that has already been cut can also be wrapped in a (dry!) tea towel or put into a freezer bag lined with kitchen towel.

Never store it next to these fruits and vegetables

Lettuce is sensitive to ethylene, which is released by ripening fruit and vegetables; therefore, it shouldn’t be stored near apples, pears, mangoes, bananas, tomatoes or avocados.

Does fresher mean more vitamins?

The fresher your lettuce is, the higher its vitamin content. In Switzerland, lettuce is in season from March to the end of November. Incidentally, the dark, outer leaves contain more vitamins than the light ones.

What if you don’t want to eat it in a salad?

Did you know that you can also braise or sauté lettuce? The leaves can also be used to make a variety of other surprising dishes. How about lettuce and edamame soup, green chickpea hummus or lettuce pesto? To make pesto, puree the leaves with peeled almonds and olive oil, then add some pecorino and a little salt – and you're done! When made into pesto, your lettuce will remain edible for up to four weeks.

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