How do you pick leaf lettuce?

Answer 1

Lettuce is a vegetable subject to spoilage. After bringing it home from a grocery store, the lettuce should be placed in a refrigerator. This is true for iceberg and romaine lettuce.

Answer 2

Picking Leaf Lettuce

Just break the leaves you want off from near the base, usually starting with the outer leaves if they're not too old. The plant just keeps on growing, supplying leaves whenever you want!

Cut-and-come-again lettuce culture:

You can also snip the whole plant off 1" from the ground with a pair of scissors. Water the plant, and it will re-sprout and give you a second, smaller cutting 2 weeks later. Lettuce grown for cut-and-come-again culture is usually planted on close centers, about 4" apart, instead of the normal 6". The technique works best with leaf and butterhead lettuce varieties. Mow a swath for a salad, water it, then mow another swath the next time you want a salad. By the time you reach the end of the bed, the first swaths you cut have re-sprouted and are ready for a second cutting.

All lettuces eventually form flower stalks and turn bitter, so it's best to harvest the whole plant before this happens. Lettuce that has bolted and gone bitter can be used in stir-fries, where the bitterness is masked by the sauce.

Answer 3

Extend the harvest season by planting successive crops. Pick outer leaves as they grow or harvest all at once. Harvesting when weather or day temperature is cooler will result in crisper leaves. Do not harvest lettuces until you are ready to use it.

Answer 4

Remove any outer discolored leaves. Then trim off their bitter tips. Chop the remaining leaf to a desired size and discard the bottom stem or root portion. Wash leaves then in clean running water and soak in salt water for about half an hour in order to remove sand and any parasite eggs and worms. Pat dry or use a salad spinner to remove the excess water.

Raw, fresh lettuce is commonly used in salads, burgers, spring rolls, and Sandwiches.

Answer 5

Romaine lettuce should feature crisp looking, unwilted leaves that are free of dark or slimy spots. In addition, the leaves" edges should be free of brown or yellow discoloration. Romaine should have compact heads and stem ends that are not too brown. According to the Environmental Working Group, lettuce is among the 12 foods on which pesticide residues have been most frequently found; therefore, it's best to choose organic Romaine.

Answer 6

The way I've always harvested lettuce is by cutting the leaf close to the stem, but I guess I'm not too sure.

Answer 7

If you mean butterhead then pick it when the heart is round and firm.

Answer 8

Cut at the bottom just above the soil.