HOW TO MAKE YOUR $7 LETTUCE LAST LONGER!

It’s not often that fresh veges hit the headlines not once but twice on the same day. This week we learned that, thanks to cyclone and rain damage, the cost of a fresh ‘Iceberg’ lettuce has now risen to $7.99 in some supermarkets (cauliflowers and cabbages are similarly pricey), with bagged salad greens facing a supply shortage as well.

That’s depressing news for many, but makes me feel (smugly) like I’ve won the lottery. As I write this, I have 24 ‘Great Lakes’ crisphead lettuces hearting up in my garden.

That’s $168 worth of lettuce (and possibly more, as mine are organic.) Not a bad return on my investment in a $4 packet of seed.

Obviously, I store my lettuces in the garden until I’m ready to eat them, but new research from the University of Otago has revealed a few tricks to lengthen the shelf life of vegetables once they’ve been picked.

Got half an avocado in your fridge? Leave the stone in and wrap it in plastic cling film and it will last four times longer than an uncovered cut avocado. Don’t brush the exposed flesh with lemon juice or olive oil; this does more harm than good.

Store carrots in airtight containers lined with a paper towel and they’ll last 10 times longer than the wrinkly, soft ones left loose in your vege bins.

The most successful method of preserving a head of broccoli is to sprinkle it