There is nothing better than a fresh salad or some crispy lettuce on top of a burger, but it can be frustrating if your leafy greens become mouldy after only a few days of buying them.
It may seem obvious to simply place salad leaves in the fridge but lettuce has a high water content, which means it will wilt and become soggy very quickly if left in its original packaging.
Instead, Emilie Raffa, a cook and founder of The Clever Carrot, has a “darm brilliant” food storage technique that only takes 10 minutes but will keep lettuce fresh for seven days longer.
She said: “It’s dead simple to do, it saves on waste, and you can have ready-to-go salad at your fingertips every day of the week.”
How to keep lettuce fresher for longer
All you need to do is first wash and dry the lettuce before storing it properly, as soaking lettuce in water will help remove bacteria on the surface which can cause mould.
Fill a clean sink with water, plug up the drain and then add the lettuce to the water.
Emilie: “Let the leaves soak until all of the dirt floats to the bottom. Then, dry thoroughly in a salad spinner.”
If you do not have a salad spinner then place the lettuce on a clean tea towel and pat it dry with another tea towel.
Make sure the lettuce is completely dry as it will quickly spoil and become mouldy if any moisture is left on the leaves.
Once the lettuce is dry then store then place a small tea towel at the bottom of the fridge and a piece of paper towel on top.
If you wish, you can also line a container if you are storing salad leaves instead of a whole head of lettuce.
Emilie said: “For storage, line the bottom of a crisper drawer with a kitchen towel and place the lettuce inside. Do not overcrowd the bin. Place a paper towel on top to absorb any excess moisture. Refrigerate until ready to use. It’s that easy!”
It may seem unusual, but the key to preventing spoilage and mould on lettuce is to reduce the amount of moisture in the place where lettuce is stored.
Lettuce leaks excess moisture naturally due to its high water content, so storing it with something absorbent will help it keep fresh for much longer.
Emilie said: “Your lettuce will stay fresh and crisp this way for up to a week. All you have to do is open the drawer and take out whatever you need.”
