If you're in a hurry, fresh romaine can be stored unwashed in a loosely closed plastic bag. If you prefer to wash it before putting it away, separate leaves from the heart. After a gentle rinse, pat the romaine dry, tightly seal in a plastic bag, and store in the lettuce-only crisper drawer where it lasts the longest.
Proper air circulation and a small amount of moisture will keep your lettuce crisp and fresh. The easiest (and most effective) way to do this is to line a sturdy glass or plastic container with a few paper towels, then scatter your greens on top. Top with a matching lid and refrigerate.
Lettuces and Greens: Wrap lettuce and greens in a dry paper towel and place in plastic bag in the fridge. The paper towel will absorb any excess moisture that makes the lettuce rot and will keep it fresher for much longer.
How Do You Keep Lettuce Fresh for Two Weeks? For head lettuces, keep the head intact, but cut off the stem. Wrap it in a dish towel (or paper towel) to absorb any excess moisture during storage, and place in the crisper drawer of the fridge. This way, it should last from one to three weeks.
There are two great ways to store your iceberg lettuce to keep it fresh and crisp. If you have a specially designed lettuce crisper (which you can buy here), then use that. If you don't have a lettuce crisper, then you can wrap your iceberg lettuce in a paper towel and place it in a ziplock bag.
"Aluminum does not, on its own, have any specific synergies with lettuce. If it's protective it's either protecting it from drying out or it has just the right permeability to allow the lettuce to breathe without drying it out (aluminum foil IS permeable)," says Nestrud.
In a plastic bag
Wash the lettuce, shake out the excess water and dry it. Put it into a Ziploc bag and press or suck all of the air out of the bag. This will keep your lettuce fresh for 3-4 weeks. Remember you have to return the unused lettuce to the plastic bag and resuck the air out every time you remove some.
Rip a fresh paper towel from the roll, slide it into the bag of greens, and seal with a chip clip. The paper towel will absorb moisture that would otherwise lead your leaves to rot. This will help the greens stay fresh, giving you more time to use up the bag. Replace the towel every day for the best results.
Instead of storing your lettuce in a plastic bag or wrapping it in plastic wrap, simply wrap it tightly in aluminum foil. The foil will help retain moisture in the leaves, keeping them fresh and crisp for much longer.
They Use Perforated Container
The use of perforated bins is the key to keeping lettuce fresh and crisp at all times. Restaurants keep them in perforated containers to allow air circulation in the refrigerator. To keep its crispness, lettuce requires air and a small amount of moisture.
Option one: Wrap your lettuce loosely in a tea towel or bento cloth and tie a knot to close. Don't pack the greens tightly (give them room to breathe), as that can cause them to rot. Once wrapped, place it in a glass food storage container in a cooler part of your fridge, like a crisper or towards the back.
Put into an airtight container submerged in water. Remove leaves when needed or use entire lettuce. You can change water every three days so lettuce lasts longer. Lettuce stays fresh anywhere from ten days to a whole month!
If you prefer to wash it before putting it away, separate leaves from the heart. After a gentle rinse, pat the romaine dry, tightly seal in a plastic bag, and store in the lettuce-only crisper drawer where it lasts the longest.
You can wash your lettuce before or after storing it in the refrigerator. If you wash the lettuce before storage, place a paper towel in the plastic bag or reusable container, which can absorb excess moisture, preventing your lettuce from turning soggy and extending the shelf life.
Some restaurants will use a sulfite spray over the salad bars and in the prep kitchen to keep that shiny new sheen on their food so that it appears fresh and appetizing.
Consumers Union, on its website, advises consumers to go ahead and give those bagged, pre-washed greens an extra washing. The bottom line is — if you eat fresh lettuce, you're taking a small risk. An additional washing won't change the risk much, one way or the other.
Moisture and Air
Lettuce actually needs a good amount of airflow, in addition to a bit of moisture, in order to stay crisp. That's why restaurants store their lettuce in special perforated bins that allow for air circulation while it's held in the fridge.
Regardless of variety, lettuce heads should be stored in a plastic bag (we like this reusable one from Stasher, buy it: Target, $27). Many lettuce heads come wrapped in plastic at the grocery store, so you can leave it as is. Place the lettuce in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.
A Cook's Illustrated report on plastic lettuce knives found that lettuce cut with a metal knife showed very faint browning on the edge after 12 days, while lettuce cut with a plastic knife browned slightly after 13 days, and hand-torn lettuce lasted 14 days.
Wrap Veggies in Aluminum Foil Before storing broccoli, lettuce and celery, wrap it in aluminum foil. The foil will help to keep veggies crisp for up to 4 weeks. Just wrap in foil and store in your fridge's crisper drawer.
A plastic bag is an excellent way to store washed lettuce if you leave the lettuce whole and un-chopped or un-torn. It will definitely last longer than buying a bag of salad mix from the store.