Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

homestead - [Homestead] mitigating the bitterness in bolting lettuce

homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Homestead mailing list

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Mark Stutzman <mark AT transvantage.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Homestead] mitigating the bitterness in bolting lettuce
  • Date: Tue, 03 Jul 2012 14:39:30 -0400

So, it's common knowledge that once lettuce bolts, it becomes bitter. If one breaks off a leaf, a milky white liquid oozes out immediately. Tasting this liquid - very bitter. This got me wondering if this liquid was root cause of the bitterness, and whether it could be leached out.

Since I had a bed of mixed leaf lettuce which had gone to seed, and was scheduled to be pulled out so the bed could be replanted, I did an experiment: I removed all the decent-looking leaves, and soaked them in cold water for a couple of hours. It seems to have worked - the soaked and rinsed leaves are surprisingly palatable.

Has anyone done this before? A quick google search turned up nothing on the subject.

-mark




  • [Homestead] mitigating the bitterness in bolting lettuce, Mark Stutzman, 07/03/2012

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page