How to keep lettuce leaves fresh in the refrigerator for a long time?

Leaf lettuce, which is very popular among consumers, is used as an additive to many salads, and is also consumed in its pure form, well complementing the taste of meat and fish dishes, while saturating the body with vitamins and other beneficial substances. Such greens are consumed mainly fresh, which can be preserved for a long time if you know how to store lettuce leaves correctly. Experienced housewives use several basic methods for storing such a plant product, choosing the most suitable one for each specific case.

Storing Washed Leaves

Preparing fresh leaf lettuce for the winter is an almost impossible task, since none of the known methods can ensure such a long shelf life for this product. But it is quite possible to keep washed greens fresh at home for a month, for which you can use the following method:

• each leaf of greenery must be washed separately, immediately removing yellowed and withered leaves from the general bunch;
• the washed greens are placed in a colander and kept in it until all the water has drained from them;
• For final drying, the greens are laid out on a paper napkin or towel;
• the finally dried greens are carefully placed in a plastic container or enamel bowl, where they are covered with paper napkins or a plastic bag with holes;
• Place the filled container in the refrigerator.

If you place a silver item in a storage container with the herbs, this will make it possible to keep them fresh for up to 30 days.

Preparatory stage and storage in the refrigerator

In order for harvested vegetables to please you with their appearance and taste, it is necessary to use a high-quality starting product.

If you grow a salad crop in your own garden, harvest in the morning in dry weather, because excess moisture will lead to rapid spoilage of the greens. The plant is dug up along with the rhizome and placed vertically in pre-prepared ventilated boxes.

Due to its delicate structure, lettuce does not tolerate transportation well, and if storage rules are not followed, it can lose its original appearance in just a few hours.

Remove lettuce from the garden in dry weather

When buying greens at the market or in a store, give preference to a plant with roots, preferably with the remains of soil on them . The leaves should be juicy and elastic, without the slightest damage or signs of spoilage, but not overripe. Before buying, taste the salad: an overgrown vegetable almost always tastes bitter and the preparation from it turns out to be tasteless.

Give preference to medium-sized leaves, even if large rosettes of lettuce seem more attractive.

If immediately after harvesting or purchasing you do not have the opportunity to store the salad for long-term storage, it can be stored in the refrigerator . To do this you need to know the following tricks:

• to keep lettuce leaves fresh for about 2 days , you need to put them in the vegetable compartment, after wrapping them in a damp towel;
• greens will remain on the vegetable shelf of the refrigerator for 1 week if you wrap it in a paper napkin and put a silver object (for example, a spoon) inside the package;
• If you need to preserve the salad for up to 14 days , keep it in the refrigerator in glass or plastic airtight containers. Place a paper napkin on the bottom of the container, lay out a layer of greens, cover with paper on top and tightly close the contents with a lid.

In the refrigerator, the salad can stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.

Under the film

You can preserve the pristine freshness of an unwashed product for up to a week using the following method:

• Unwashed but sorted leaves are placed on a polystyrene foam pad, which is usually used for displaying food products in stores. The product should not be laid too tightly on such a substrate so that there is enough space between its leaves for air circulation.
• The product placed on the substrate must be covered with cling film on top and the packaging must be placed on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator.

It is better to separate the required number of plant branches for daily use manually, without using metal scissors or a knife for this purpose.

This is explained by the fact that contact of the plant with metal surfaces, which is an unverified fact, negatively affects its taste characteristics.

Where is the best place to store it?

Ideally stored in the refrigerator. But you can also choose other cool, dark places. An unheated corridor, loggia, balcony is suitable. Much depends on the weather. The temperature should not fall below zero, nor rise above +10 degrees.

It is important to provide protection against moisture loss. Just don’t send it to a damp room. It is better to store under a damp cloth or cloth. Use cling film and plastic bags. In this case, it is impossible to cover it hermetically, compact it, or lay it tightly. Air should circulate freely between the leaves.

In a bowl of water

Storing lettuce leaves in cool water, like freshly cut flowers, can extend the shelf life of lettuce leaves. To use this method, proceed as follows:

• It is necessary to pour a little water into a bowl and put the plant bunches in it with the cuttings down, having previously cut off 2-3 mm of greenery from their lower part. Trimming the lower part of the cuttings of greenery is necessary so that the plant better absorbs moisture, which is a vital environment for it.
• The upper part of the plant stored in water is covered with cling film or a plastic bag.

The plant should not be placed too tightly in a bowl of water so that a sufficient amount of air is retained between its leaves.

Store salad for a long time: 3 ways

Leaf lettuce can be saved until next season. The vitamin composition will suffer a little, but you will get an excellent side dish, filling for pies, semi-finished product for sauces, seasoning soups, salads.

My favorite recipes:

Pickling

You can also eat pickled lettuce leaves; in this form they can be stored much longer than fresh greens, almost until the new gardening season. This plant is marinated in the following way:

• At the bottom of the container, which can be an enamel pan or glass jar, place several peeled cloves of garlic and pieces of peeled and chopped celery stalk.
• The leaves of the plant are washed and placed one at a time in layers straightened into a container.
• After filling the container, sprigs of dill and celery are placed on the top layer of leaves.
• To prepare the marinade, you need to boil a liter of water, add a tablespoon of salt, two tablespoons of sugar and one teaspoon of citric acid.
• Lettuce leaves placed in a container are poured with hot marinade and covered with oppression. After the marinade has cooled, the container with the herbs is placed in the refrigerator for storage.

Know the varieties of leaf lettuce

All types of salads are healthy and in demand in proper nutrition. They are low-calorie, rich in minerals, fiber, vitamins, accelerate metabolic processes, help lose weight, and stimulate intestinal function.

I will name the types that are well stored:

• lettuce (coral and leaf);
• iceberg;
• Batavia;
• romaine lettuce;
• oakleaf (oakleaf);
• butterhead;
• curly (frise, exariol, endive).

On the Rosstandart website there is a current GOST 33985-2016. The document contains a detailed description of the product and establishes recommendations for transportation and storage of all botanical types of salads.

GOST 33985-2016 on the Rosstandart website

Freezing

To prepare a food plant for the winter, it can be frozen in a household refrigerator. Having decided to preserve the freshness of greens in this way, you must keep in mind that lettuce leaves are not frozen entirely for the winter. This is explained by the fact that they contain a large amount of water, which, when frozen, turns whole leaves into a shapeless green mass. To freeze lettuce leaves, proceed as follows:

• the leaves of the plant are doused with boiling water, after which they are cooled in cold water;
• Having become softer and looser after the above-described processing, the lettuce leaves are crushed to a puree, which can be done manually using a meat grinder or blender;
• The resulting green mass is laid out in molds, containers or bags and placed in the freezer of the refrigerator.

Chopped and frozen mass of lettuce, prepared in the manner described above, can be used to prepare sauces, add it to soups and main courses.

Preparation for storage

Leaf lettuce can be grown in the garden, or it can be purchased. But regardless of whether it was purchased or grown at home, it is important not to forget about several factors that will affect its further storage:

1. If the plants are from a summer cottage, you should remember that if there is moisture , the leaves will begin to deteriorate faster. For this reason, it is advisable to harvest the plants on a clear day, when the dew has evaporated.
2. The plant must be removed from the ground along with the roots , and then placed in a wooden container with the roots down.
3. Leaves will be stored for a long time if they are not damaged by insects , do not show signs of disease, have an elastic structure and a bright green color.
4. You should also buy lettuce with roots , so it will last longer.
5. The leaves are chosen fresh, without signs of wilting.

Salad from the garden

You can grow your own salad on a windowsill or in a garden bed. The seeds germinate within 5 days, and after 25 days you can harvest. The main thing is to provide good watering, lighting and fertilizing.

If you pick off individual leaves, the plant will sprout new ones. You can pull out an entire rosette by the roots and store it in an upright position for 1–2 days. Hand-picked salad lasts the longest. It is rich in vitamins, iron, magnesium and is perfect for people on diets, pregnant women, and patients with anemia.

How to dry lettuce leaves

One of the simplest ways to preserve salad. Suitable for those who want to make seasonings or decoctions from it. Dried herbs lose their taste, but retain their beneficial components.

First way

For drying, only young leaves without damage should be selected. Then wash them with cold water and place in a colander. After this, place the greens on a towel to dry. Then cover with gauze and turn on the fan to speed up the process. The greens need to be stirred every 2 hours.

This method of drying lettuce leaves will take about a few days. After drying, they need to be finely crushed.

Important: the place where the greens are dried must be protected from sunlight.

Dried lettuce leaves should be stored in an airtight jar in a dry place without foreign odors.

Second option

String the pre-prepared lettuce leaves onto threads, hang them in a ventilated place and cover with gauze.

You can also use an electric dryer. In this case, the dried salad will be ready after just a few hours.

Leaf lettuce is an excellent option for healthy preparations for the winter. To preserve it at home, it can be pickled, frozen, dried or stored in the refrigerator in cool water, bags or jars without air. In winter, the leaves are suitable as a seasoning for dishes, as well as an ingredient for smoothies. Dried herbs are used as spices for soups or raw materials for decoction. Lettuce leaves must first be properly prepared and collected at the right time in certain weather. This is one of the main conditions for quality procurement.

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Features of salad drying

Drying lettuce leaves for the winter is also not difficult. To do this, use special equipment or simply place it under gauze in fresh air. It is worth taking young green leaves and drying them. It is recommended to store the finished product in a glass container, and it must close well.

Recommendations for drying are:

1. Collect young lettuce and select only high-quality leaves.
2. Rinse the raw materials with cool water and drain in a colander.
3. Place paper or linen towels on a horizontal surface.
4. Distribute the leaves on towels. They must dry thoroughly, you can additionally blot each sheet.

There are two ways to prepare the salad:

1. Place in an electric dryer for several days.
2. Place the leaves on a flat surface and cover the top with gauze to prevent insects from eating them. Dry in a cool, semi-dark place, away from direct sunlight. Place dry herbs in a container that closes tightly.

Benefits of lettuce leaves

• Greens are rich in vitamins B, E, PP, minerals, ascorbic acid. It contains magnesium, potassium, iron.
• Leafy vegetables are low in calories.
• Normalize blood cholesterol levels.

Thanks to their rich composition, their use has gone beyond cooking. The product is gaining great popularity in cosmetology - masks, tonics, and lotions are made based on extracts.

The main thing is to wash the salad thoroughly before eating. It is best to do this in a solution of salt and soda to avoid intestinal infections.

See also: How to remove bitterness from onions for salads: 5 ways

Green salad puree

In the form of a puree, the salad will not take up much space in the freezer, but its beneficial qualities will not suffer from this type of storage. Recipe:

1. The leaves must first be softened. To do this, you can use the blanching method, as in the previous recipe.
2. Blend the salad in a blender.
3. Transfer the mixture into a plastic container and freeze.

Green puree can be added to sauces, salads and side dishes to give them not only more benefits, but also a beautiful color.

The most effective storage methods

Lettuce, like other leafy vegetables, has a short shelf life. And yet there are several ways that will allow you to preserve lettuce many times longer.

In the refrigerator: 4 ways

If you think that it's enough to just wash the lettuce leaves and put them in the refrigerator, then don't be surprised if they start to rot after a couple of days. To prevent this from happening, use one of the suggested storage methods.

To always enjoy fresh herbs, you can store them, or rather grow them yourself on the windowsill in a pot.

Purchased seeds germinate within 5 days, and after 20–25 days you will be able to harvest your first harvest. The main thing is not to forget to provide the plant with regular watering, fertilizing and sufficient lighting.

If you grow lettuce at home, it will keep better

Method 5: in the freezer

Eating fresh lettuce is great, but it's difficult to do all year round. And this is where the freezer comes to the rescue.

Whole leaves do not freeze. This is due to the fact that they contain a large amount of water, and at very low temperatures the salad turns into a mush. But you can do it differently.

Ground lettuce leaves can be added to sauce or soup

• Pour boiling water over the leaves and then cool them in cold water.
• After this, grind them manually or using a blender until pureed.
• Place the resulting slurry in molds, containers or bags.

The salad prepared in this way can be used to make sauces or soups.