Washing a five-star head of lettuce

[holliscx]

We bought a beautiful head of lettuce yesterday to make a pear salad for dinner: it was one of those leafy, country lettuces that you want to keep diving a fork into.

My wife washed the lettuce and was about to toss everything in a bowl but the result was so soggy, wilted that I decided not to eat it.

So we made separate salads, and I ate the leftover portion of delicious firm, dry, happy green leaves without washing them figuring since they were on the inside this was safe enough for one meal. The lettuce was the hero of my meal: crispy and delicious.

We have a salad spinner but I'm never happy with the results as far as ridding the leaves of water. When lettuce is dry the texture comes forward which is so satisfying in the mouth but enter the slightest bit of water and not only are the delicate leaves damaged from washing but the taste (and presentation) is gone.

I don't how you wash leaves without losing the je ne sais quois of a head of lettuce from the garden.

[Too Tall]

Fill a deep bowl with cold water and a few ice cubes and put whole leaves in for however long it takes to get dinner ready than toss them all onto tea towels, pat dry. That lettuce sounded like it was suffering but not irretrieveable.

[holliscx]

Fill a deep bowl with cold water and a few ice cubes and put whole leaves in for however long it takes to get dinner ready than toss them all onto tea towels, pat dry. That lettuce sounded like it was suffering but not irretrieveable.

Getting water anywhere near the leaves doesn't work for I can never get back to good original dry lettuce. I think the chances are so small that there's something "dirty" inside that I may just start rolling the dice and munch unwashed for real lettuce is so superior to the grocery store bag varieties that I want to continue eating and enjoying it. I've patted dry with tea towels and paper towels but the lettuce remains wet which kills the essence of the leaf for me anyway. Thanks Josh maybe I should try a fan or something to air dry it but I'm not even sure that would do the trick. Hanging lettuce to dry on the clothesline may be worth the trouble for a photograph alone. : )

[Too Tall]

Funny. I hear you man, nothing like picking it from the garden.

[steve garro]

Torn, not cut.

To wash then I dunk the whole head in cold water, and hang it upside down.

I think because it's still a plant it's tugor keeps it crisp

- Garro.