Crop of the Week: Leaf lettuce
February 25, 2012 6:46 PM
• In 2005, Yuma producers grew more than 8,000 acres of leaf
lettuce valued at over $120 million. Production of leaf lettuce in Yuma
has increased by more than 20 percent since 1998 and today is the
third-ranking crop here, based on gross farmgate receipts. California
and Arizona account for approximately 97 percent of the U.S. leaf
lettuce production.
• The salad has been around since ancient times, named for the Latin for salt (sal), in which the greens were seasoned with salt. In the 1970s, salad became a national obsession in the U.S. as salad bars sprang up everywhere. Along with increased interest in salad came widening choices of ingredients and more variety in salad dressings. The 1990s initiated the decade of convenience, with the emergence of the grocery store “salad mix”: pre-cut, pre-washed greens for an easy mixed green salad.
• Leaf lettuce is also fun to use as a wrap. Add grilled chicken and salsa for a healthy entree.
• Lettuce is a close relative of sunflowers, artichokes, chicory, endive and sunflowers.
• Leaf lettuce is a descendant of the weed Lactuca serriola (prickly lettuce), which probably originated in the region stretching from Asia Minor into modern-day Iran. Thanks to horticultural work from the Roman period to the present, we are now enjoying around 2,000 years of work in developing modern types and varieties of leaf lettuce.
• Iceberg lettuce doesn't offer much nutritionally, but loose leaf lettuce is nutrient rich. In fact, loose leaf lettuce provides 5 to 6 times the amount of vitamin A and five to 10 times the vitamin A compared to iceberg.
• Leaf lettuce is any of several varieties of lettuce with leaves that branch from a single stalk in a loose bunch rather than forming a tight head. The leaves are crisper and more full-flavored than those of the iceberg varieties. Depending on the variety, leaf lettuce can range in color from medium to dark green; some have red-tipped leaves. Among the more popular leaf lettuces are oak leaf, frilly red leaf and crinkly green leaf.
• In general, leaf lettuce is more perishable than head lettuce. Choose bunches with crisp, evenly colored leaves with no sign of wilting or yellowing. It should be washed and either drained completely or blotted with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture before being refrigerated in a plastic bag. It will keep this way up to about three days.
Source: Kurt Nolte is an agriculture agent and Yuma County Cooperative Extension director. He can be reached at knolte@cals.arizona.edu or 726-3904.
• The salad has been around since ancient times, named for the Latin for salt (sal), in which the greens were seasoned with salt. In the 1970s, salad became a national obsession in the U.S. as salad bars sprang up everywhere. Along with increased interest in salad came widening choices of ingredients and more variety in salad dressings. The 1990s initiated the decade of convenience, with the emergence of the grocery store “salad mix”: pre-cut, pre-washed greens for an easy mixed green salad.
• Leaf lettuce is also fun to use as a wrap. Add grilled chicken and salsa for a healthy entree.
• Lettuce is a close relative of sunflowers, artichokes, chicory, endive and sunflowers.
• Leaf lettuce is a descendant of the weed Lactuca serriola (prickly lettuce), which probably originated in the region stretching from Asia Minor into modern-day Iran. Thanks to horticultural work from the Roman period to the present, we are now enjoying around 2,000 years of work in developing modern types and varieties of leaf lettuce.
• Iceberg lettuce doesn't offer much nutritionally, but loose leaf lettuce is nutrient rich. In fact, loose leaf lettuce provides 5 to 6 times the amount of vitamin A and five to 10 times the vitamin A compared to iceberg.
• Leaf lettuce is any of several varieties of lettuce with leaves that branch from a single stalk in a loose bunch rather than forming a tight head. The leaves are crisper and more full-flavored than those of the iceberg varieties. Depending on the variety, leaf lettuce can range in color from medium to dark green; some have red-tipped leaves. Among the more popular leaf lettuces are oak leaf, frilly red leaf and crinkly green leaf.
• In general, leaf lettuce is more perishable than head lettuce. Choose bunches with crisp, evenly colored leaves with no sign of wilting or yellowing. It should be washed and either drained completely or blotted with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture before being refrigerated in a plastic bag. It will keep this way up to about three days.
Source: Kurt Nolte is an agriculture agent and Yuma County Cooperative Extension director. He can be reached at knolte@cals.arizona.edu or 726-3904.
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