Market Look-For’s

• Perky greens with no sign of browning on the cut ends
• Head lettuce should have compact heads
• Check the inside leaves for signs of internal rot
• If the head is tapered up significantly, the lettuce was on its way to bolting (sending up a flower shoot) this lettuce is still good for eating but can be a bit more bitter. I prefer to use this lettuce for grilling.

Storage

• For salad mix, wash and spin dry and store in a plastic bag in the fridge
• For head lettuce, store in a plastic bag in the fridge
• If making a wedge salad, cut the head lettuce and then gently flush water between the leaves at the base and then allow to drip dry, cut side down and then refrigerate.

Notes

• If your salad is looking wilty, soak in cool to cold water for 15min to an hour. The greens will pull in fresh cool water and rehydrate.
• If your greens are beyond reviving, consider grilling or sautéing
• Greens are generally best when the weather is cool (read Spring and Fall). As it gets hot the plant feels stress and sends up its flower to set seed.
• If the lettuce tastes bitter to you, cut and soak in water to help dilute the bitter milk within the leaves.