Storing Your Garden's Vegetables: A Guide to Having Crisp Lettuce Longer

Summer is the easiest time of the year to eat healthy. There are so many fresh fruits and vegetables out there. However, the hardest and most upsetting part of growing you're own vegetables or even buying some from the store or local farmers market is storage. Where are you going to keep them? Fresh vegetables go bad so quickly, so how can you keep them fresh longer so that you have a chance to use them?

Well here are some tips that should help you to be able to enjoy the bountiful fresh vegetables that summer has the offer.

First of all let's start with lettuce. Weather you like to put it in salads, or to make sandwiches with it. Lettuce is very good for you; however it turns black and gross very quickly, usually in just a few days. Here is my tip that works great for me to keep my lettuce crisp much longer.

First of all as soon as you get your lettuce home you need to wash it. I fill my kitchen sink with cool to cold water then I take my head of lettuce or Romaine and rip off each one the leaves individually. Then I layer the leaves into the water and swish them around for a few minutes. Next I let the leaves soak in the water. This step removes any dirt or chemicals found on my leafy greens.

After my lettuce has been soaking for a while. I would say around 20 minutes or so then I remove them carefully from the water. You will notice dirt and such along the bottom of the sink. This is why it's very important to be careful while removing them from the water. That way they don't get covered in dirt again. Once out of the water. Gently blot them with paper towels or put the lettuce leaves in a salad spinner.
Personally I like to use my Presto Peel- A - Meal Electric Peeler that I bought at Wal-Mart for this step. It works great.

After all the lettuce is dry I wrap it up fairly tightly and store in an airtight Tupperware container. With these simple steps my lettuce lasts about 3 weeks. Best of all every piece of lettuce comes out crisp and perfect just like the day I bought it.

I hope with My tip for storing lettuce you and your family will have more crisp, crunchy lettuce to go with every meal and will not hesitate to pick up some leafy greens at your next trip to the store or farmers market.

*Don't forget to check out my links for more great tips.