How to Wash Lettuce

Co-authored by Jennifer Levasseur

It’s a good idea to always wash lettuce and other leafy greens before you eat them. Whether the lettuce came from a home garden, farmer's market, or grocery store it could be carrying a food-borne illness, as well as have dirt that needs to be removed. Although you can purchase pre-washed lettuce bags, they do not taste as good or last as long as fresh lettuce. You can easily wash and dry fresh lettuce in a few minutes for your meal.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Rinsing the Lettuce

1
Cut off the lettuce root on leaf lettuce. Use a knife or your hands to break the root off of the lettuce and cut off any wilted spots. Separate the leaves of the lettuce with your hands.^{[1]
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- Be careful when using a knife so you don’t hurt yourself. Make sure your fingers are away from the blade when you cut.
2
Remove the core from iceberg lettuce. If you are using iceberg lettuce, use a paring knife to remove the core then break apart the leaves with your hands. Keep in mind that some iceberg lettuce heads are very firm.^{[2]
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3
Fill a large bowl with cool water. Soak your lettuce in a large amount of cold water. Move the water around by swirling the water vigorously. If you got the lettuce from a farmer's market, it will probably be more dirty than from the store.^{[3]
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- If you are going to dry the lettuce with a spinner, wash the leaves in the bowl and colander that came with your spinner.^{[4]
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4
Inspect whole heads. If you are washing whole heads of lettuce, make sure to thoroughly inspect them. Gently open the heads and check between the leaves for dirt. Gently bend the leaves back and away from the core to allow water to get between the leaves. Make sure to check the area where the leaves are attached to the stem.^{[5]
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- You can leave the lettuce heads together for grilling.^{[6]
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- If the lettuce was in your fridge for a while and there’s colored liquid in the bottom of the bag it came in, your lettuce has gone bad, unfortunately.
5
Let the dirt fall to the bottom of the bowl. Walk away from the leaves and let the dirt settle to the bottom of the bowl. After about 10 minutes, take the greens out of the water. Make sure not to go near the dirt at the bottom of the bowl. Gently shake the excess water off of the leaves and lay them on a paper towel.^{[7]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Drying the Lettuce

1
Spin the lettuce. The easiest way to dry lettuce is with a spinner. Once the leaves are washed, take the colander, with the lettuce inside, out of the bowl. Pour out any water from the bowl and put the colander back inside the bowl. Put the lid on top of the bowl and turn the handle to spin the lettuce to dry out the leaves.^{[8]
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- Only dry separated leaves in a spinner, not whole heads.^{[9]
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2
Roll the lettuce in a towel. You can dry lettuce by rolling it in a towel. Shake extra water off of the leaves and lay them in a single layer on a towel. Start rolling the towel (starting at the end near you). Lightly press against the green while you roll. If you push too hard, you might bruise the leaves. Unroll the towel and the lettuce should be dry.^{[10]
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3
Shake the lettuce. Drain the lettuce in a colander. Cover the top of the colander with a towel (wrap it around the edges to keep it in place). Shake the colander over the sink, in every direction. When the leaves are dry, take them out.^{[11]
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4
Swing the lettuce in a towel. Put the wet lettuce leaves in the center of a towel or a clean pillowcase. Bring all four corners together and twist the towel or pillowcase. Gather the ends in one hand and swing the towel around several times. You probably want to do this outside or in the bathroom because water might splatter.^{[12]
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5
Store the lettuce. Lay any extra leaves on a paper towel. Roll up the paper towel with the leaves inside. Put the rolled up paper towel in a plastic bag and refrigerate it. It should last for about five to six days.^{[13]
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Community Q&A

Question

How about storing the lettuce after rinsing?

Community Answer

Yes, you can store lettuce after washing. Try storing it in an air-tight container with a paper towel in the bottom to absorb any excess moisture.
Question

What can I put in the water to wash lettuce to be sure there is no e-coli on the leaves?

Community Answer

Put in some vinegar. It will assist in removing e-coli from the leaves on the lettuce.
Question

How long shall I immerse romaine leaves in boiling water to sterilize them?

Community Answer

You do not need to boil lettuce to wash it. Unless you are making a lettuce-based soup, you would not want to immerse lettuce in boiling water.