Harvest Lettuce from Your Vegetable Garden

Few things beat the taste of fresh lettuce you just harvested from your vegetable garden. Depending on which type of lettuce you planted this year, you can start picking leaves at just about any size. For other varieties, such as Bibb lettuce, you’ll want to wait until the lettuce is full size in diameter (around 6 to 8 inches)—waiting longer results in matured lettuce that tastes slightly bitter or earthy.

1. Harvest
   You can either pick leaves from the outside of your head of lettuce, or cut the entire head off at the base. If you choose the latter, you should note that the second growth of your lettuce leaves will be different in color and texture that may not be as delicate as your first harvest.

2. Wash
   Depending on how much lettuce you’re harvesting, you’ll want a sizeable bucket of cold water to plunge the leaves into. This helps thoroughly clean the leaves from dirt and perk up any wilted greens from the hot summer sun.

3. Dry
   A salad spinner like one this one from Dynamic, is a great investment to wick away excess water and moisture on your delicate leaves. You’ll want to pick a salad spinner with a large enough capacity for your needs and a well-made, heavy-duty handle to ensure it stays in working order.