How to use up extra lettuce before it goes bad

Here in Britain we tend to use humour as a crutch to get through difficult times, finding a joke in the darkness to lighten the mood.

The most recent iteration of that comes in the form of a lettuce, which is being compared to Liz Truss and pitted against the Prime Minister in a battle of wills (and wilts).

The Daily Star has set up a livestream of a 60p iceberg from Tesco, taking bets on whether the leader will last longer in her job than the lettuce takes to rot.

Garnering over 10,000 likes on the YouTube stream, it’s currently day two of Liz vs Lettuce, with the salad vegetable plonked next to a photograph of the Tory leader as it decomposes.

But while the comical comparison lifts spirits across the nation, it may also remind you of that bag of leaves languishing at the back of your crisper drawer.

A whopping 2.5 million tonnes of household food waste is generated every year, with salad being one of the worst offenders. It’s estimated that 40% of bagged salad gets chucked in the bin – that’s equivalent to 37,000 tonnes or 178 million bags.

We’ve all been there, planning a week of healthy meals only to dodge the salad when dinnertime comes. Then by the time you clean out the fridge, you’re left with soggy leaves and indeterminate green goo that’s far from appetising. And so the cycle begins again… unless you stop it, of course.

Along with being a little less squeamish about sell-by dates, we could all benefit from learning more about how use leftover ingredients before they’re spoiled, saving money and doing our bit to cut down on waste.

So if you have a wet lettuce that’s seen better days, here’s how to make something great with it before it’s resigned to the bin.

Store lettuce correctly

A rotten vegetable can’t be revived, but you can make your salad leaves last longer by storing them correctly in the first place.

Wash and dry your lettuce before putting it into an airtight container with a dry paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Ensure your fridge is set to 4C, then store your salad in the crisper drawer for long-lasting freshness.

Get juicing

For greens that are on the turn, juices and smoothies are a great way to get past wilting.

Blitz up your lettuce leaves in a blender or juicer, adding apple juice, ginger, or turmeric to taste – voila, fancy green juice without the high price tag.

Use lettuce in a slaw

Salad leaves that aren’t the prettiest make a great addition to coleslaw, as the dressing and blend of vegetables hides a multitude of sins.

Cruciferous greens like kale and chard go best alongside carrot and cabbage, but an iceberg or romaine spin can work well too. Chop up your lettuce ultra-fine and cover in a vinaigrette dressing for an easy and eco-friendly side dish.

Make lettuce soup

It’s soup season, folks, and lettuce is invited to the party.

Many cultures have their own form of lettuce soup, but if you’re using leftovers you may want to keep things basic and go from there.

Soften an onion (or shallots or celery – whatever you have handy) and some garlic in a pan with a bit of oil, before adding your lettuce until it wilts. Put this mixture into a blender with vegetable stock and a handful of peas, and that’s work lunches sorted.

Freeze it

Don’t fancy lettuce soup or smoothies right now?

Making lettuce ice cubes is a good way to get round this. Puree your leaves in a blender, pour into ice cube trays, and freeze.

You can then use the cubes in all sorts of meals, from stews to juices, hiding the veg from picky eaters and reducing your waste in the process.

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