How To Select A Head Of Iceberg Lettuce

How to select a head of Iceberg Lettuce. 

Iceberg Lettuce was originally named Crisp Head. Growers would ship the Lettuce in crushed ice to preserve freshness. Consumers thought the Heads of Lettuce sitting in the ice, looked like Icebergs and started calling it Iceberg Lettuce. The name stuck!

There are a few things to look for when selecting a Head of Iceberg Lettuce:

1. Look for medium Green colored leaves. You do NOT want really dark leaves or pale colored leaves.

2. Feel the weight of the Lettuce. Select one that is a bit heavier. Iceberg Lettuce is usually sold by the Head not the weight, so obviously you are getting more lettuce on a heavier head.

3. There should be no browning or wilting, which would indicate the Lettuce is starting to go bad.

4. Before using Iceberg Lettuce, Remove the outer leaf from the Head if your lettuce isn’t organic. The outer leaf will have more pesticides on it from the growing fields and washing will remove some, but best to just discard the outer leaf. Then wash your lettuce and store in an airtight container in the vegetable crisper in your refrigerator.

5. When using Iceberg Lettuce it is best to tear the leaves to put in your salad. Cutting the lettuce lends to faster browning on the reaming part of the head. If you are going to use the whole head at once, and you want chopped Lettuce for your recipe, then by all means get out your knife!

Tip from: Hot Dish Homemaker