Extending the Life of Lettuce - kofta Wraps...

My dear mother-in-law taught me how to extend the life of lettuce in the refrigerator a great many years ago. It's simple really. Moisture can either decay or extend produce depending on where you live. For us, we need some moisture, but not too much. 

The lettuce that I am using was from a pick-up order from Sam's Club that I did at the end of last month around the 26th I think. I do not like to do pick-up orders when I need produce because they just grab whatever is in front. This lettuce had a few spots already forming on some of the ribs. I would not have chosen this lettuce, but it still looks good after storing it in its original packaging in the refrigerator for 10 days after bringing it home. It was definitely time to process some of it for storage.  

 

I start by cutting out the core or base of the lettuce making sure to remove all discolored leaves and ribs. I then wash the lettuce in cold water and let it drain for a short period of time. I want some moisture to remain on the lettuce.

I place an unfolded napkin in a gallon sized baggie, and I make
certain that it is on the bottom of the baggie too.

I place the washed lettuce inside the baggie, and place another napkin 
or two on the top of the lettuce. 

The napkins absorb the moisture from the washed lettuce, but also allows the lettuce to
stay moist and fresh.

I have had lettuce last a month in perfect shape using this method without any rot or discoloration. It would have lasted longer, but we used it up. In the winter months, I store my lettuce in a cold room in a bowl with a napkin on the bottom of the bowl with a baggie covering the leaves. This allows me to have more space in my refrigerator for large pots of soup and other hearty space consuming meals. 

This is the wrap I made for lunch using my homemade Kofta 
from yesterday's blog post.

My homemade tortillas worked perfectly.

I used fried crumbled kofta, kefir dill sauce, freshly stored lettuce
and sliced onions for the wrap. It was delicious! Feta 
cheese would have been good, but I didn't
have any. 

Mrs. Smith