# preserving lettuce **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 28, 2002, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preserving-lettuce/106135 "2002-04-28T17:32:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hillbillykid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e95f7d/32.png) [@hillbillykid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hillbillykid)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preserving-lettuce/106135/1 "2002-04-28T17:32:09Z")
is there something i can wash lettuce in to keep it from “rusting”? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preserving-lettuce/106135/2 "2002-04-28T17:52:17Z")
Lemon juice helps. Citric acid would work too. They both act as antioxidants. ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preserving-lettuce/106135/3 "2002-04-29T13:50:05Z")
When storing lettuce in fridge, stay away from plastic. Wrap it in either a clean dish towel, or paper towels. It stores well, and if you do keep it a little long, the outside leaves just get dried out not slimy. You maight also try a paper bag for the same reason - to prevent slimyness… :eek: [Lettuce](http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/lettuce1.html) is a most interesting veggie, so I have found out whilst looking for info for your question. Here is another suggestion for you from the link previous: > [@](#): > > Avoid storing lettuce with apples, pears or bananas. These fruits release ethylene gas, a natural ripening agent, that will cause the lettuce to develop brown spots and decay quickly. Toss lettuce that looks slimy or has black spots. The slime is the residue of bacterial decomposition and the black spots are usually mold. Hope you find this useful. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DVous\_Means](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@DVous\_Means](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DVous_Means)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preserving-lettuce/106135/4 "2002-04-29T15:17:14Z")
I usually store lettuce in the fridge i a Tupperware lettuce bowl. There is a spike to insert into the lettuce once the stem is removed to hold it upright and to keep it from touching the sides of the bowl. I find that an iceberg lettuce keeps for up to a month in this fashion. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preserving-lettuce/106135/5 "2002-04-29T16:38:25Z")
I use a Rubbermaid lettuce bowl, it’s got a plastic grid for the bottom, to keep the head out of any condensed water. Tightly lidded, it will keep a head fresh for about a month, I think. Whatever the timeframe is, it seems like forever, and it stays crisp and pretty much unbrowned. The only difficulty I ever have is that a whole head of iceberg is a bit tough to fit in, have to lean on it a bit to get the lid shut. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preserving-lettuce/106135/6 "2002-04-29T17:43:54Z")
My approach has always been to wash it, shake it dry, wrap it up thoroughly in paper towels, and put it in a plastic bag. The paper towels keep it from actually touching the plastic, so it doesn’t start getting that slimey quality. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preserving-lettuce/106135/7 "2002-04-29T20:51:10Z")
I gotta get one of those lettuce bowls. I used to use these veggie bag things, that had tiny holes. They seemed to keep the lettuce and other veggies fresh forever. But they stopped making them, or selling them in my area. BASTARDS!