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A Recipe for Keeping Lettuce Fresh and Crisp

October 1, 2007 by Nicole 88 Comments

Salad Spinner

Have you ever wondered the best way to store lettuce so that it lasts longer and is ready to go for salads and meal prepping?

Good Intentions. I’m full of them! There are so many tips, tricks and recipes that I’ve been meaning to share with you. So many photos that have been sitting patiently on my hard drive, waiting to be paired with recipes, with stories, or at the very least a few words of explanation. So many recipes that have been written, tested, and tasted that are just waiting for that perfect photo.

I never write what I plan on writing when I plan on writing it. It just doesn’t work that way. I don’t work that way. I can tell myself that I want to share my mom’s Potato Leek Soup recipe, I can take photos of it, I can even begin to write about it. But it just won’t be posted until it’s ready to be posted! I really can’t even explain how my process works. Some days I just feel like writing about certain things.

But when I have ideas, I try to at least put them down on paper (you should see the piles of notepads that are scattered throughout my house!) so that someday, when I’m good and ready, I’ll get around to it.

Well, back in June, I decided that I had to talk to you about lettuce. There are a few things that I think everyone needs to know about how to wash, dry, and store lettuce. I thought it was so important that I actually took a series of photos so that I could show you exactly what to do with your lettuce. But, instead of sharing my tips about lettuce, I ended up writing about the lime and mint salad dressing I made that same day. And then I just sort of moved on and the lettuce photos have been sitting and waiting ever since.

So now it’s October and the food blogs are soon to be filled to the brim with pumpkin cheesecakes and apple pies but here in Sicily, summer is still hanging on. And today, finally, I’m going to talk about lettuce. So you can file this away until next summer or you can keep eating salads all year long. Either way, I hope it’s helpful!

Lettuce

How to Eat More Salads at Home

How often do you eat green salads at home? Is it a rare occasion? Do you buy lettuce at the store with the intention of making salads, forget about it, and then find a wilted mess in your veggie bin a week later? Do you try to solve the problem by buying the expensive pre-washed, bagged lettuce? Are you disappointed with the quality of that lettuce?

Ok, that’s a lot of questions. But I know that many people like to eat green salads with dinner but don’t. There could be many reasons for this but it’s usually related to time (or the lack of it). “Who has the time to wash and dry lettuce,” you might say, “and why bother? It wilts before I have chance to use it anyway!” You might have solved the problem by buying the pre-washed stuff and realized that not only is it expensive but the quality isn’t always that great. So, increasingly, it seems that dinner salads are more of something to be enjoyed at restaurants.

Not at my house!

Washing and drying lettuce doesn’t have to be that difficult and if you do it correctly, it can stay fresh and ready to be used for up to two weeks! That means that if you’re willing to give up maybe 20 minutes, once a week or every two weeks, you can have a ready supply of crisp, fresh lettuce that is ready to throw in a bowl at a moment’s notice.

The Best Way to Dry Lettuce

I have a lot of kitchen gadgets, some get used, some just take up space. Most are convenient but not essential. But the one thing in my kitchen that I really don’t want to live without is my salad spinner. A salad spinner is simply a contraption that dries your lettuce for you. But I really don’t think there is a quicker, more effective way to dry lettuce. And if you want to make a salad, there’s nothing worse than wet lettuce, except maybe wilted lettuce but we’ll get to that part soon!

I can’t stress this enough. If you don’t own a salad spinner and you enjoy eating salads, you need to buy one. That’s it. I don’t say things like this very often but I feel like it’s worth the money. There are different brands and different types, I don’t care which one you get. Watch out though because some of them are designed so that the water drains out the bottom and can only be used inside the sink. I prefer one that can be used wherever I want to use it.

I’ve had the OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner for about six years now and it’s been wonderful. Don’t spend an exorbitant amount of money on a salad spinner, it doesn’t need to be stainless steel like the $50 version I just saw on Amazon. You should spend about 20 bucks for a quality salad spinner that will last.

So, after you go out and pick up the greatest kitchen gadget ever invented, you will need only two more things to keep your lettuce fresh and extend it’s life longer than you could ever imagine: gallon-size plastic bags (preferably zippered) and paper towels. That’s it!

How to Wash, Dry, and Store Lettuce

So this is how I wash, dry and store my lettuce so that it is fresh and ready for salad whenever I need it! I use this method for all types of lettuce (except iceberg, see the end of this post for information about cleaning and storing iceberg lettuce) and it also works for other types of greens and hearty herbs such as parsley.

1. Fill a big bowl with cold water, separate all the leaves of lettuce, place them in the water and swirl them around. If the lettuce is a bit limp, let it soak in the water for 30 minutes and it will miraculously come back to life.

2. Drain the water, turn on the faucet, and briefly rinse each piece of lettuce as you remove it from the bowl and place in the basket of your salad spinner. If you use organic lettuce, just give each piece a quick once-over to check for clinging bugs and dirt. As you put the lettuce in the spinner, you can tear the leaves in half if they are large (such as full-size romaine).

3. When the spinner is full but not tightly packed, spin the lettuce until dry.

4. Spread two paper towels (still connected) on the counter and pile the dry lettuce in the middle. Wrap the paper towels around the lettuce and slide into a gallon-size zippered plastic bag. Squeeze the air out and close the bag.

5. The lettuce can now be stored in the fridge and should stay fresh for at least a couple of weeks. You can take out what you need whenever you want to make a salad or sandwich and then just reseal the bag. The plastic bags can also be reused, of course.

Lettuce on Paper Towels
Lettuce Wrapped in Paper Towels
Lettuce in Plastic Bag
Air is Squeezed Out
Ready for the Fridge

How to Store Iceberg Lettuce

Notice I said that the above method works for all types of lettuce besides iceberg? That’s because I don’t separate and wash the leaves of my iceberg lettuce. They are so tightly wrapped that the dirt doesn’t have a chance to get all the way inside.

For iceberg lettuce, remove and discard the outside layer of leaves, rinse the whole head of lettuce well under running water, shake it dry (water can work it’s way inside when you rinse it) and wipe excess water off with a towel. Wrap the entire head in a paper towel, place in a plastic bag, and store in the fridge. Pull off leaves or cut off chunks of lettuce as you need them, rewrap remaining lettuce in paper towel and return to plastic bag. Iceberg will keep fresh for a very long time if you store it correctly!

How to Make a Great Salad

Now that you have this nifty new way of storing lettuce, what should you do with it? Make salads, of course! I usually buy two or three types of lettuce at once to add a little variety to my salads. If you wash and dry the lettuce as soon as you get home from the store, you’ll find that it’s simple to throw together a side salad to go with dinner anytime you want.

Salads don’t have to be fancy to be good. Just by using a couple different varieties of lettuce (even just a mixture of green leaf and iceberg), you’ve already got a good start towards an interesting salad. My standard dinner salad is lettuce, shredded carrot and cucumber. How hard is that? From there I might add a little red cabbage, corn, chopped apple, raisins, and/or sunflower seeds. Sometimes I throw in some cherry tomatoes. It just depends. Once you have the lettuce ready to go, the hard part is over. Have fun and be creative!

Here are some ideas for green salad additions:

  • shredded cabbage (I love adding a touch of red cabbage for color!)
  • carrots (chopped or shredded)
  • radishes
  • mushrooms
  • cherry tomatoes
  • red onion
  • cucumber
  • zucchini
  • fresh broccoli or cauliflower
  • jicama
  • corn (defrosted frozen kernels or drained, rinsed canned corn)
  • avocado
  • olives
  • fresh herbs
  • chopped apple
  • strawberries
  • orange pieces
  • raisins
  • cranberries
  • chopped dried apricot
  • drained and rinsed canned beans (black beans, garbanzos, kidney beans)
  • sunflower seeds
  • pecans
  • walnuts
  • pine nuts
  • sliced almonds
  • crumbled blue cheese
  • crumbled feta
  • goat cheese
  • shredded sharp cheddar
  • crumbled bacon
  • chopped ham
  • shredded or chopped cooked chicken or turkey
  • tuna

These are just a few of the many, many possibilities. It only takes a few ingredients to make a great salad but you can add as many as you want. The only rule I try to stick to is the more color, the better!

Dress for Success!

Just like the salad, dressings can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be. Sometimes all a salad needs is a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground pepper.

If your salads of the past have been little more than a vehicle to get more ranch dressing in your mouth, try putting together a salad that has flavors of it’s own and you’ll be less likely to want to drown it. Ranch dressing is great, but save it for a once-in-a-while treat (try making it from scratch when you do eat it). There are plenty of tasty and healthy options.

Experiment with different vinegars and use good olive oil, soon you won’t miss the bottled stuff from the store. But if you do have a particular bottled brand you like (I love Girard’s Champagne dressing), by all means use that!

Now that you know all my tips about how to store lettuce, you have no excuse not to eat more salad at home. Enjoy!

Other Salads/Salad Dressings:

  • Cilantro Caesar Salad
  • Orange Cranberry Salad with Walnuts and Blue Cheese
  • Lime and Mint Dressing
  • Creamy Feta Dressing

Around the Web:

  • How to Make Salad Dressing –from A Veggie Venture
  • Restaurant Quality Salad at Home –from Kalyn’s Kitchen
  • Peanut Sesame Dressing –from 101 Cookbooks
  • My Father’s Vinaigrette –from Chocolate and Zucchini
  • The Infinite Vinaigrette –from CookThink
  • Roasted Garlic Ranch Dressing –from TastingMenu
  • Guacamole Goddess Dressing –from Fatfree Vegan Kitchen
  • On Loving Lettuce –from Farmgirl Fare

Filed Under: Tips and Tricks, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brooke says

    January 11, 2014 at 1:16 am

    Thank you so much for this. Growing up we rarely had salads. Unless you count fruit salad smothered in sugary this, that, or the other. Needless to say I was a bit clueless about salads when moving out but I found I love salads. What I don't love is buying a head or bag of lettuce and having it wilt and get gross within a day and a half. I have started to grow as much as I can in containers, but in the winter it's not quite an exact science yet. So store bought will have to do. Now it'll actually last!
    Reply
  2. Krista says

    January 25, 2014 at 1:23 pm

    We have the OXO spinner and only used it once in a long while when we made a proper salad for two or more. I used your tips more than a week ago and except for the outer leaves and small edges, the head of romaine lasted over a week which is unheard of since normally it's just nasty by that time. Now we're out and I'm using the iceburg method for the buy one get one free heads we just bought today. Thanks! Also it was so nice throughout the week to just grab what I wanted and to eat it right away!
    Reply
  3. Terry says

    January 26, 2014 at 9:51 am

    BRILLIANT !! I'm really stoked that I found your site.I've had a spinner in my kitchen cupboard for years, the make is a Zyliss which has a pull cord that makes it spin. Thank you for your advice. Another tip I found was how to keep Celery for at least 3 weeks was to cut the base (root end) off and trim into sticks you have to cut the leaves off. Take the sticks and wrap in aluminium foil. I put 3 in at a time (I'm a single guy) and it really works. Once again thanks a mil for the tip Kind Regards, Terry.
    Reply
  4. Takumi says

    February 9, 2014 at 3:02 pm

    Thank You!!
    Reply
  5. Bryan says

    May 7, 2014 at 11:59 am

    Wonderful post, and great advice! We just stopped buying "bagged lettuce" and have switched to your method and are loving the fresh difference!
    Reply
  6. DNoe Scott says

    July 25, 2014 at 8:28 am

    When you guy iceberg lettuce, never cut the core out with a knife, hit the core on the cabinet or something hard, then work it out. I have found that a knife is a culprit to any kind of lettuce. it makes it turn dark. hope this has helped.
    Reply
  7. Michelle says

    July 29, 2014 at 6:30 pm

    You have great information.....but your blog is just to darn long. If you could cut out all your conversation and just put the facts. It's just to long to read all that. So I just looked at the pictures....:)
    Reply
  8. Vance says

    August 3, 2014 at 5:39 am

    Thi? post provides clear idea designed fo? the nnew people of blogging, t?at truly ho? to do running a blog.
    Reply
  9. denise says

    January 5, 2015 at 1:42 pm

    Oh my I love this and I love your style of writing. Thank you, you make me feel so much better because I too have note pads and thoughts about certain things I would like to write about but can never get to them until I want to! :) Can't wait to read more :)
    Reply
  10. anon says

    April 28, 2015 at 3:20 pm

    I use a salad spinner to wash the lettuce and dry the leaf lettuce on the counter with paper towels for a few minutes, and enclose the lettuce inside a zipper baggie with paper towels. Just as you described. However, within 3 or 4 days, I start to get black spotting on my lettuce and I don't understand why this happens. I have always cleaned my lettuce this way and it never lasts as long as you post. Is there something else that can be done to make it stop with the black spotting and the edges of my lettuce collecting this black type mildew???
    Reply
  11. Freida says

    June 19, 2015 at 1:19 pm

    Just found this site. OMG its a life saver for me. Thanks
    Reply
  12. Tim says

    October 6, 2015 at 8:12 am

    This worked so well so I wanted to say thanks. Here in Spain we were finding that the lettuce that we purchased from the local market was only lasting a few days. With your tips, although I did dry the lettuce by hand as we do not have a spinner, the lettuce was good to eat a week later. I didn't waste a single leaf!
    Reply
  13. Lisa says

    February 27, 2016 at 6:20 am

    PLEASE dont rinse lettuce in the kitchen sink. Bacteria in the sink can make you sick. Wash it in a colander or clean bowl!
    Reply
  14. Susan says

    March 30, 2016 at 2:12 pm

    You can keep celery for a long time by wrapping it in aluminum foil. It will stay crisp for several weeks. Just upwrap and take off what you need and rewrap.
    Reply
  15. Ladies campus says

    April 18, 2016 at 10:30 am

    Very useful and interesting...
    Reply
  16. Diane says

    May 25, 2016 at 3:11 am

    Just confirming that no salad spinner I've tried gets it completely dry, even after 3 sessions. If yours does, do tell. I try to reuse the paper towels too, there's nothing wrong with them. Pure, thin cotton kitchen towels work well if you don't like paper towels. Tim in Spain: I've heard of "spinning" lettuce to dry by whipping it around inside a cotton pillowcase! Good way to get kids involved in the kitchen.
    Reply
  17. Lynn says

    June 18, 2016 at 11:35 am

    I like to store my salad in the spinner. I have a Zyliss. I just move 2 gallon containers from the top shelf to the door to make room. Then I can get a quick salad snack easily. Stays nice and fresh. Sometimes I cut up tomatoes and put in Baggie and store on salad in spinner, so I grab some lettuce and tomato.
    Reply
  18. Elizabeth says

    June 26, 2017 at 12:11 pm

    I have used a spinner and the paper towels in a plastic bag for many years. My mother used to wrap the lettuce, after washing, in a clean linen dish-towel, which I have also done. But you cannot find linen dish towels anymore! Cotton ones work, too.
    Reply
    • Nicole says

      June 30, 2017 at 9:58 am

      I agree that it's difficult to find linen towels these days! I have found some cotton/linen blend that are nice, but not quite the same!
      Reply
  19. Laura says

    July 20, 2018 at 11:03 am

    When someone is simply looking for the best way to keep lettuce fresh, that’s what they want to read about. Unfortunately, as with posts such as this, one must scroll through page after page of completely useless information posted by a complete stranger before eventually getting annoyed and hitting the back button to find a post that actually contains the info you’re looking for without having to read someone’s entire back story that may or may not eventually lead to some actual information. If you want to be writer then be a writer but don’t waste everyone else’s time with your cute analog please. I realize you probably think that everyone on the internet just can’t wait to hear all about you and the details of your past situations but I’m sorry to inform you that they do not. Stick to the facts please.
    Reply
  20. Fred says

    May 14, 2019 at 2:00 am

    Geez, what a gratuitous and wretched criticism. Unbelievable!
    Reply
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