top tip required please

[Mrs Ava]

Going to mums on Sunday and want to take her a freshly cut lettuce or 2.  It will be at least 1 and a half ours before we reach her house and the lettuce can go into her fridge.  How do I stop it going limp (the actress said to the Bishop :o)   How do you keep your veggies um...stiff...err...turgid....ooeerr.. fresh....  ???

[Mrs Ava]

[Mimi]

Diggin a deep hole there Emma ;D.  I have the same problem with flowers picked from the garden.  What I tend to do is wrap the base in wet kitchen roll and stick into a freezer bag but I should imagine that any plastic bag would do,  and keep in as cool a place as possible.

[budgiebreeder]

Leave the root intact.There are some Tupperware containers supposed to keep lettuce fresh.Now there's a thought can you still get proper Tupperware?

[john_miller]

When I used to grow hydroponic lettuce and harvested it with the roots intact I would bag it up and then wrap a rubber band, tightly, around the bag between the root ball and the leaves. This stopped the vermiculite getting into the leaves. It could stop soil getting into the leaves if you wish to harvest in a similar fashion.
I've just checked your highs for tomorrow. If I were you I would pick the lettuce first thing in the morning and put it, bagged, in the fridge, just as commercial growers do. If you have an insulated box, or, failing that, a tight closing regular box, and one of those blue liquid freezer bottles use both to transport the lettuce.

 

[Palustris]

My mother always used to put a piece of clean coal in with the lettuce. Not coke, old fashioned black shiny coal!

[Wicker]

Can't add anything to the above except Budgie's mention of the Tupperware container - I have a Tupperware "Lettuce Crispit" which I guard with my life it's so old and does what it's meant to do (hmmm am I talking about me?!).  Don't know if you can still get it but I must find out as I'd be lost without it - keeps lettuce crisp for days on end.

[budgiebreeder]

Thats the one i mean Wicker.They really did the job.Used to be my night out when the children were small,a Tupperware Party.Sad isnt it. ;) :( :'(

[Wicker]

Happy  days and fond memories, Budgiebreeder  ;D

[Mrs Ava]

Excellent advice, thanks all.  Roots and all into a sealed plassy bag, and it wasn't too bad.  The leaves on the kohl rabi I took her, limp as limp can be!  Makes me wonder how supermarkets keep everything so pert?!  I must get a good cool box and keep my freezer blox in the freezer so they could do their job!  

[gavin]

1.  Don't wonder!  It'll only keep you awake for 10 minutes.

2.  Don't buy the stuff.

3.  If bought - DON'T ASK.  It'll leave you sleepless every time you eat or serve the stuff!

;D ;D ;D

[Wicker]

Irradiation??? :o :o :o

[Doris_Pinks]

Everyone out there should do a basic what happens to our food course! On second thoughts no they shouldn't cos then they would ALL want lotties! ;D Scarey stuff! :o

[Val]

Hi everyone I'm new here so not sure if I'm getting this right, Just had to reply to Wicker, my tupperware lettuce container has just given up the ghost after 34 years, it was scoured on the sides, its been relegated to the shed now, so is still in production. ::)

[flowerbaby_uk]

Can't help re the tupperware but can tell you that the HYDRA organic catalogue sells plastic bags that keep your salads stuff fresh for longer. They are impregnated with minerals or something like that so worth a try and all for a good cause too :)

Ann-Marie

[DolphinGarden]

Shops keeping their veggies fresh???

Like Wicker, first thing into my head was Irradiation.


regards,

[Andy H]

Irradiation? whats that?

Someone mentioned bags impregnated with minerals so maybe the coal mentioned earlier would work :D
Wonder why???

[windygale]

Hi Andy - H, hope this helps, http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodirradiation.htm
later
windy

[busy_lizzie]

EJ Just before Christmas discovered something called "Salad Bags" in Morrison's.  These are plastic bags with perforations in them and a lower space where the water drips down to, when you wash them. You swing the bag round after you have rinsed the lettuce etc and when you have poured the water out you seal the bag and the salad keeps for about 3 days.  It really worked and I did our Salad for Christmas day a few days earlier and it was still nice and fresh. I know this was to transport salad stuff to your Mum's last year but it might be useful for this year too. Pic below.   :) busy_lizzie

[Clayhithe]

When I used to grow hydroponic lettuce

Why did you stop?

How did you do it?

[skypilot]

Wicker mentioned irradiation (similar to microwaves) If is the case that supermarkets etc irradiate the food to keep it fresh, then I need not worry, I have a Vodaphone mast next door to my lottie and my plants, are irradiated every day so they should last forever   ;D