COOKING
How to store and wash your lettuce, how to eat each variety, and 10 easy home recipes.
STORAGE
Follow these 9 steps when it arrives and the leaves stay crisp.
When you open the box, check for torn leaves, pooled water or an odd smell. If something is wrong, take a photo and contact us through the customer service steps on the site.
Crisp leaves with an even color are in good shape. If they feel slimy or mushy, have large brown patches or smell sour, throw them out. If only a small bit at the edge has gone, cut that part off. If the damage is widespread, let the whole leaf go.
If they are only slightly droopy, soak them in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes, then drain. That often brings back some crunch. It is a common home trick and does not work every time. Leaves that are already slimy or smell off will not recover, so throw them away.
Rinse leaf by leaf under running water, and gently pull apart the base where the leaves join. Skip dish soap and produce wash, since the leaves can soak it up. Dry in a salad spinner, or spread the leaves on a clean towel. Wet leaves water down your dressing and go soft faster.
Hydroponic does not mean ready to eat. If you plan to eat it raw, rinse it in clean water first, and keep your knife, board and containers clean too. Washing lowers the risk but cannot remove everything, so eat washed leaves soon.
Keep it in the main fridge, not the freezer. Do not overpack the shelf, so cold air can move around. The warmer the fridge, the faster the lettuce spoils. If the leaf edges turn glassy and watery in patches, they may have frozen, so move the box away from the cold air vent.
Apples, pears and bananas give off a gas as they ripen, and lettuce picks up brown spots and ages faster near it. If you have the room, store fruit and leafy greens apart.
If you plan to eat the lettuce raw, do not store it on the same shelf or in the same container as raw meat or seafood, and use separate boards and knives. Wash your hands before and after handling food.
People who are pregnant, older adults, young children and anyone with a weaker immune system should take extra care with raw food. Wash the lettuce well, eat it soon, or cook it first. If you are unsure, ask your doctor.
Washed leaves spoil more easily, so we suggest finishing them the same day. If you cannot, stir-fry them with garlic, put them in soup or fry them into rice. Leaves that have gone a little soft are fine once cooked.
Lettuce is mostly water. After freezing and thawing it goes limp and mushy, so it is no good for salad and the texture suffers in soup too. Keep it in the fridge and eat it soon.
VARIETIES
Each variety has its own leaf shape and texture. Open a card to see the product page.
Wavy-edged leaves with a reddish color and a crisp bite. Good raw in salads, or tucked into sandwiches and burgers, and it looks great on the plate.
Pairs well withOil and vinegar dressing, Caesar-style dressing, Roast chicken, Boiled eggs, Cheese
Photo is for illustration only
Leaves shaped like oak leaves, in a purplish red. The texture is usually soft with a little crunch. It makes a pretty salad base, and the big leaves can be torn to wrap or fill.
Pairs well withOil and vinegar dressing, Nuts, Fruit, Feta, Roasted vegetables
Photo is for illustration only
Butter lettuce leaves are usually fairly tender and shaped like little cups. Easy to eat raw, to wrap around minced pork or shrimp, or to mix into rice.
Pairs well withMinced pork, Shrimp, Sesame dressing, Korean-style wraps with rice, Sushi rice
Photo is for illustration only
Ruffled, reddish leaves that hold sauce well and eat crisp. Works for cold tossed dishes and salads, and also as a bed under other food.
Pairs well withSesame dressing, Garlic soy dressing, Japanese-style dressing, Grilled meat, Fried food
Photo is for illustration only
Loose, ruffled leaves. Tear them into salads, line a lunchbox, or tuck them into a sandwich. They also go into a quick stir-fry or soup, with only a short time on the heat.
Pairs well withMinced garlic, Tofu, Miso soup, Egg dishes, Ham
Photo is for illustration only
Wavy-edged, bright green and crisp. A good all-rounder for everyday salads and cold tossed dishes, or as a filling or a layer in burgers.
Pairs well withOil and vinegar dressing, Chicken breast, Tuna, Tomato, Onion
Photo is for illustration only
Oak-leaf shaped with a softer texture. Eat it raw in salads, or tear off big leaves to wrap around pork floss, grilled meat or fried egg.
Pairs well withGrilled meat, Nuts, Oil and vinegar dressing, Boiled eggs, Cheese
Photo is for illustration only
Softer leaves around a tightly packed heart, with a gentle bite. Good raw or as a wrap, and it can take a light, quick stir-fry too.
Pairs well withChicken breast, Shrimp, Minced pork, Sushi rice, Japanese sesame dressing
Photo is for illustration only
One box holds several red and green lettuces with different leaf shapes and textures, so your salads come out colorful and you can try a few ways of eating them. Use the soft leaves for wrapping, and the firmer ones for sandwiches or salads.
Pairs well withOil and vinegar dressing, Sesame dressing, Roast chicken, Boiled eggs, Fruit
Photo is for illustration only
RECIPES
10 home recipes, from a ten-minute salad to a hot soup.
Shake up a quick vinaigrette, toss it with crisp leaves, and dinner is on the table in ten minutes.
A simple Caesar-style dressing made from yogurt and grated cheese, with toasted bread cubes on top.
Poached chicken breast, shredded and wrapped in soft lettuce leaves with a little sauce.
Shrimp, mushrooms and water chestnuts stir-fried until fragrant, then spooned into lettuce leaves.
Fried egg, ham and crisp lettuce between toast. Good for breakfast or a picnic.
Garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil tossed through crisp lettuce. Light, and good with a bowl of rice.
Rich sesame dressing over crisp lettuce. Add shredded chicken or cucumber if you like.
A quick home-style stir-fry, 30 seconds to a minute over high heat, so the leaves keep some crunch.
Day-old rice fried with egg and ham, with lettuce stirred in at the end so you still get some crunch.
Tofu miso soup with lettuce added at the very end, just wilted and no more.
FAQ
Yes. Hydroponic or soil-grown, it is the same, and our lettuce is not a ready-to-eat washed pack. Before eating it raw, rinse the leaves one by one under running water and drain them. No dish soap or produce wash. Washing only lowers the risk, so eat washed leaves soon.
Put it in the fridge as soon as it arrives and eat it soon. Lettuce usually keeps about 3 to 7 days in the fridge, and tender baby leaves less. It depends on your fridge temperature, whether it has been washed or cut, and how it looked on arrival. If it turns slimy, discolored or smells off, do not eat it.
Do not wash it yet, since damp leaves go off faster in the fridge. Put a dry paper towel at the bottom of a container or sealed bag, lay the lettuce in and cover with another towel. Keep it in the main part of the fridge, at around 4°C and not frozen. Change the towels when they get damp, and wash only when you are ready to eat.
Not necessarily. Lettuce is mostly water and droops when it loses some in transit or storage. If it is only slightly limp, a few minutes in ice water, then draining, usually brings back some crunch, though it does not work every time. If it is slimy, mushy or smells off, it has spoiled, so throw it out.
Wash the leaves, soak them in ice water for a few minutes, drain them well and chill them for a little while. That usually makes them crisper. Do not soak for more than 15 minutes, and drain thoroughly, because wet leaves water down the dressing.
The red or purple color comes from pigments in the plant itself, and the shade can vary with the variety and how it was grown. It is only a difference in looks. You cannot judge the taste from the color alone.
Yes. It is mostly water, so stir-fry it over high heat for 30 seconds to a minute and take it off as soon as the leaves go limp. Cook it longer and it releases water and turns mushy. For soup, add it right at the end.
We do not recommend it. Lettuce is mostly water and turns mushy after thawing, so it is no good for salad. Keep it in the fridge and eat it soon.
Washed leaves spoil more easily, so we suggest eating them the same day. If you really must keep them, drain them thoroughly, wrap them in a dry paper towel, keep them in the fridge and eat them soon.
We grow it in a hydroponic greenhouse in Dounan, Yunlin, and pick only after you order. It is pre-cooled and packed, then travels by cold chain, refrigerated all the way to your door. When it arrives, put it in the fridge right away and eat it soon.
Take out only what you need each time and keep the rest dry in the fridge. If the leaves have gone a little soft, stir-fry them with garlic, put them in soup or fry them into rice. Cooked, they are easier to get through.
People who are pregnant, older adults, young children and anyone with a weaker immune system should take extra care with raw food. Wash the lettuce well and eat it soon, or cook it first. For individual situations, ask your doctor.
We do not recommend it. Apples, pears and bananas give off a gas as they ripen, and lettuce picks up brown spots and ages faster near it. If you have the room, store fruit and leafy greens apart.
Some ingredients in these recipes can cause allergies, such as shrimp, eggs, sesame, soy (tofu, miso), dairy and wheat (bread). If you or your family have an allergy, swap that ingredient out. Rinse raw greens under running water and use separate knives and boards for raw and cooked food. Pregnant women, children, older adults and anyone with a weaker immune system should ask a doctor before eating raw greens.
SHOP
Hydroponic lettuce harvested to order and delivered cold to your door.
