Lettuce is a summer favourite, whether you are making sandwiches for a picnic or tossing it into a salad for a barbecue, but it often spoils after just a day in the fridge. Most leafy greens, like lettuce, are mostly made up of water, but unlike other vegetables, it does not have a tough outer skin to protect them, so they lose moisture quickly.
This means that any dry air will cause lettuce to dry up, which causes the leaves to begin breaking down, causing them to wilt and turn brown. However, Jadie Aranda, the founder of Eat My Science, has learned from her grandmother that you can easily revive lettuce to make it fresh again, as all you need is some ice cubes.
She said: “Whenever we would eat dinner at my Grammie’s house, she would put the lettuce for the salad in a big bowl with water and ice cubes.
“Grammie said it made the lettuce crispy. I never realised this tip would take limp, wilted leaves and turn them into fresh greens again!”
Lettuce begins wilting simply due to a lack of water, so rehydrating the leaves is often enough to revive them. It is important to use ice cubes, as they help tighten the leaf structure and restore the texture, so you will get crunchy, crisp lettuce in just a few minutes.
Freezing cold temperatures will also slow down the metabolism in the lettuce, which helps reduce any further spoilage, so it is more likely to last much longer.
This is a natural yet effective way to keep your lettuce plump so you never have to throw it away or deal with limp salad leaves when trying to make some delicious summer meals.
How to restore lettuce so you never have to throw it away
All you need to do is place your lettuce, or any wilted salad leaves, in a bowl with cold water. Let the tap run for a minute as the colder the water, the better.
Add a few ice cubes to the bowl as well, then make sure all the lettuce is submerged in the water and cover the bowl with a tea towel
You typically need to wait 20 minutes to one hour for the lettuce to be restored. Just check on it, and if it seems limp, leave it for longer.
Once the lettuce feels firm and crisp, gently pat it dry with a dry tea towel or place it in a salad spinner. Make sure it is completely dry, as any excess moisture can encourage bacteria, which will simply make it spoil again.
Your lettuce will be plump and fresh again. If you want it to last even longer, make sure to store it properly with a paper towel, which will keep it fresh for 10 to 14 days.
