Lettuce refers to those plants that are said to be an amateur.
Despite the fact that it is practically in any points where spicy greens are sold, it is usually bought to decorate various dishes. But he, like any other vegetables, is rich in vitamins and useful microelements.
It can not only be used for decoration of dishes, but also added to salads along with any greens, as well as used to make sandwiches. Salad leaves go well with any meat and fresh vegetables, especially tomatoes.
But many housewives complain that the salad is poorly stored even in the refrigerator, because after a couple of days its strong crispy leaves wither, and even begin to rot. How to store it so that it remains fresh for at least a week?
How to prepare leaf salad for storage
- If the lettuce is grown on its own plot, the harvest is carried out in dry weather, when the dew dries on the plants. After all, salad is a capricious and delicate culture. And even in favorable conditions, it begins to quickly lose elasticity. A wet salad, especially after rain, is stored poorly and soon begins to deteriorate.
- The lettuce is dug up together with the root, and the entire outlet is completely folded down in boxes into the boxes.
- The leaf lettuce, which is not damaged by slugs and diseases, shall be stored. Its leaves should be strong, resilient, green and whole.
- If a lettuce is bought on the market, it should also be untidy, without cut leaves and preferably with a root, since such a salad will be stored longer.
How to store leaf lettuce in a plastic container
Salad at room temperature can not be saved, as it quickly wither. Therefore, it is stored only in the refrigerator, and then following certain rules.
Many people are interested in such a question: to wash or not to wash the leaf lettuce before removing it for storage.
Here opinions are divided. Some believe that any greens, including salad, must be washed and only then sent to storage. Others argue that the salad is better kept dry and should be washed only just before it is eaten.
If the salad is still washed, then proceed as follows:
- Disassemble the outlet on the leaves, cutting it at the base.
- The leaves are put in a bowl and filled with cold water. Washed, changing the water several times.
- Spread out on a towel and dry from moisture. To do this, you can use paper towels, gently soaking each sheet, as the moisture remaining on the leaves will contribute to the rapid deterioration of the salad.
- The leaves are placed in a plastic container, covered with a paper towel. Leaflets on top, too, covered with a paper towel or napkin.
- Cover with a lid or cling film. Thanks to this method, lettuce leaves will not rot from moisture and will not fade.
- Store the container in the lower compartment of the refrigerator above the vegetable box. In this form, the salad can be stored for a week. But it is advisable to use it as food before.
Leaf lettuce can be stored without splitting the rosettes into leaves.
It is placed in a bowl of water and washed well. Then laid out on a towel and dried. The bottom of the container is covered with a paper towel and folded there salad. If the tank is deep, the plants are shifted with paper napkins. This helps to avoid excessive moisture, which destroys the salad.
If the salad is kept unwashed, it is simply wrapped in a wet towel and placed in the refrigerator. In this form, the leaves will remain fresh for two days, and then will gradually fade.
How to store leaf lettuce under a colander
- The rosette of the lettuce is disassembled into individual leaves, cut off the soiled thickened lower parts, put in a bowl and thoroughly washed in cold water, changing it several times.
- Shake off water and place in deep clean dishes.
- It is covered with a colander turned upside down.
- Shake so that the leaves straighten.
- Clean in the fridge. In this form, the salad retains its freshness for 5-7 days.
What to do if the lettuce leaves faded slightly
If the salad has slightly lost its original freshness, it can be revived. To do this, lettuce leaves in a pan, pour in very cold water, and they put a flat plate. Leave for two to three hours. During this time, the leaves will be saturated with water and become elastic and almost fresh.
Then they need to lay out on a towel to get rid of excess water. Now they can be folded into a container and put into the refrigerator. But we must remember that such a salad is better not to be stored, but used for food as early as possible.
Can I freeze a salad
Some housewives, knowing that the salad in the fridge is poorly stored, try to freeze it. But such a salad after defrosting turns into unappetizing porridge. Therefore, it is sometimes frozen, putting chopped greens in ice molds, just as they do with dill or parsley.
But is it worth doing? After all, lettuce leaves are good just fresh. And being frozen, they have neither taste nor aroma. Therefore, it is better to buy salad in such quantity that it does not have time to spoil.
