These will absorb excess water but keep the lettuce in the moist conditions it prefers. Chop up your lettuce and put in the icy water for 15 minutes. No one wants to have to pick through gross leaves or toss out a bag just a few days after purchase. Press out any air, seal tight, and store in the crisper drawer for a week to 10 days. Shake the lettuce to remove excess water, then pat the lettuce down with paper towel to thoroughly dry the lettuce. Wrap the lettuce in paper towels. Romaine lettuce is a staple green in many diets, and for good reason! Left intact and unwashed, head lettuce, like romaine or iceberg, will last one to three weeks in the fridge. Sandwich the head of lettuce — or loose leaves in single layers — between two soft, absorbent paper towels. Iceberg, romaine, and other lettuce with a stiff core last longer when this core is removed. Place the lettuce in a ziplock back and smoosh the air out. Set the wrapped lettuce in a plastic bag and store in the vegetable crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Will make your lettuce last longer. According to the University of California Statewide IPM Program, another cause of lettuce browning is tipburn, usually linked to rapid growth or soil water stress. Grab a few paper towels, and you’re ready for another easy trick that preserves lettuce for a long time. The Best Way to Keep Your Lettuce Crisp Trim off the end of the stem and separate the leaves. How to Grow Romaine Lettuce. Don’t Wash or Cut Head Lettuce Loose leaves can last seven to 10 days when properly stored, but head lettuce lasts much longer than that. Just cut off the ends and store them in the crisper drawer with paper towels to absorb moisture. Place in the crisper drawer. Cut leaves are likely to brown before whole leaves. I can keep bananas from turning brown for up to 10 days. When stored, keep the lettuce away from high ethylene-producing fruits, including apples, pears and peaches. Add another layer of paper towels before sealing the container with its lid. Always use a plastic blade. Carefully fold and roll, and place in a plastic bag. Place the lettuce in a colander and allow the excess water to drain. Fill up the sink (or a very large bowl) with cold water and submerge the leaves. If the lettuce feels dry, dampen the paper towels. Berkeley Wellness explains that lettuce leaves can turn brown when they have been bruised or cut because exposure to air triggers oxidation. Rinse, Dry and Store To keep your romaine fresh and keep the brown away, tend to it as soon as you bring it home from the store. If you have opened your bag of lettuce or you shredded the lettuce yourself, place them in a container lined with paper towels. I've got grapes right now in my fridge that I bought almost 2 weeks ago. Keep lettuce plants well-watered. However, once the weather gets too hot the lettuce will start to bolt and … The paper towel absorbs that extra moisture that normally ruins your lettuce – such an easy trick! Place the leaves in a salad spinner and spin vigorously until they are dry. When packaged this way, lettuce can last as long as 10 days before wilting and browning. Scoop out the lettuce and drain for a couple of minutes. I keep what I'm not taking in a ziplock bag in the veggie drawer in my fridge but by the end of the first week the lettuce is turning brown and wilty. Wrap the lettuce in a paper towel. Incidentally, when dealing with a whole head of green lettuce such as Romaine or a leaf lettuce variety, you can actually store your leaves longer if you go ahead and cut or tear them away from the stem, and wash or dry them, making them ready for use. Just make sure to dry them well, with paper towels or even better, in a salad spinner. Store in a plastic container. Add half of the shredded lettuce, then add a layer of paper towels and cover with the rest of the lettuce. Place the wrapped lettuce in a very cold section of the refrigerator, such as a vegetable drawer. Above, I mentioned you should place your cut pieces into a collander or a salad spinner, and this is actually one of the most important steps if you want your lettuce to keep in the fridge.