Although crisphead is the least nutritious, all lettuces provide dietary fiber and vitamins A, C and K. The average lettuce has less than 10 calories per shredded cup! Sturdy, crunchy, and packed with nutrition, romaine lettuce makes a hearty salad green. To review the different types, click here and then come back here to see the recommended varieties. Butterhead lettuce adds a mild, sweet flavor to dishes. They are most often served raw along with other vegetables in a salad or in sandwiches or burgers. Here, we break down 13 common varieties and cultivars of lettuce and explore the best ways to use them. Its leaves have a crumpled look that resembles flower petals. I can’t imagine Korean BBQ without lettuce. If you’re looking to switch up your diet, try out these delicious types of lettuce. Lettuce is low in calories and full of antioxidants, water, dietary fiber and essential nutrients. Little Gems are especially delicious with thinly sliced radishes or spears of gently steamed asparagus. An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients. There isn't a taste difference between the two, so choose whichever will look best on your table. Some farms and markets sell special "spicy" mixtures that have more arugula, watercress, mizuna, and mustard leaves. These antioxidants are associated with a lower risk of heart disease, inflammation, and certain cancers (9, 14). There are several types or cultivars of lettuce. Does Romaine Lettuce Have Any Nutritional Benefits? Contrary to popular belief, crisphead lettuce is quite nutritious. Mesclun refers to a mixture of different types of leaf lettuce. If you’re the health-minded sort, a good rule of thumb is the darker the leaf, the more nutritious the lettuce. The simplest way to appreciate a tossed green salad is with a vinaigrette dressing. What’s more, red romaine boasts high levels of anthocyanins, which give certain vegetables and fruits a reddish-purple color. Lettuce is one of the best vegetables for new gardeners. Purslane is often foraged; it grows wild and people pick it in meadows and parks. If working with small heads, use the leaves whole. The results showed that: (1)the WG 50 treatment significantly increased the chlorophyll content in lettuce shoot and also enhanced the dry weight of lettuce shoot by 3.69% compared with the control. Here are 9 health and nutrition benefits of red leaf lettuce. There are also a plethora of different lettuce varieties – you can find one for every season and climate zone. It requires extra care when cleaning since sand and grit tend to gather in the nub of roots holding each rosette together. Mâche, also known as corn salad or lamb's lettuce, comes in lovely little rosettes of dark green leaves attached in groups of 4 or 5 at the roots. We broke our list of the best lettuce varieties down in subsections. By using The Spruce Eats, you accept our, Batavia Lettuce (a.k.a. Keep it simple. Unlike other lettuces, it doesn’t grow around a head. BUTTERHEAD Tom Thumb Does well early under cloche / plastic. Don't look for a \"head\" on them because the leaves branch from a single stalk. Organic seeds are, by definition, non-GMO. Most mesclun sold today is cultivated, meaning planted as beds of mixed lettuce seeds and harvested when the leaves reach the desired size of 3 to 6 inches. Alternate names/varieties: Butter lettuce, Boston, bibb (limestone), Mignonette, Buttercrunch lettuce. There are 7 main Types of lettuce, and dozens of varieties within each type, so I’ll just describe each type, and mention a few favorite varieties. Gardeners around the world love growing the almost countless varieties and types of lettuce. Bright and peppery, young and tender chrysanthemum greens are a tasty addition to salads. Before we delve deeper and look at some of the delicious varieties of lettuce you can sow now for fall, it’s helpful to discuss the different types of lettuce. Type Variety Beginner Rating (1 easy,3 hard) Comments. However, red leaf lettuce contains much higher levels of phenolic compounds. Arugula (a.k.a. Loose leaf lettuce: This type of lettuce comprises a number of varieties that don’t form heads, but consist of large, loosely packed leaves joined at a stem. People use lettuce leaves as a replacement for flatbread and spring roll wrappers. ??? Arugula is also a great way to add a kick to hearty dishes like chicken with bread salad and arugula. Lettuce is a leafy plant that we normally eat in salads. Due to its sturdy texture, it can even be grilled. Plant seeds to a depth of 1⁄4 to 3⁄8 in; different lettuce types need different spacing, head lettuce generally needing 10 in in-between plants and leaf lettuce 4-6 in. It is widely grown in China, and is also known as Chinese lettuce. What they all share is loose leaves that are attached together at the base. You'll often see it in \"baby lettuce,\" mesclun, and spring mixes because of its tenderness. It is a crisp-head lettuce, meaning its leaves form a compact head as it grows—although its head is much less compact than iceberg lettuce. These pigments are associated with a lower risk of heart disease and cognitive decline (9, 15, 16). You can also use its sturdy leaves as a replacement for tortillas in wraps. Furthermore, butterhead contains higher amounts of iron than other lettuces. A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving provides (10): It’s not only an excellent source of folate and vitamin K but also vitamin A. RESUMO Home Food and Drink Cooking Types of Lettuce – Different Varieties of Lettuce. This allows you to take a look at the varieties of each type of lettuce. The growth of three crisp lettuce varieties from different sowing dates - Volume 102 Issue 3 - D. C. E. Wurr, Jane R. Fellows three lettuce varieties have different responses to the climatic conditions. Molly Watson. The outer leaves are thick and crisp with inner shell sweet and juicy with a nutty flavor — most of the varieties falling under this category mature in 55-60 days. Mix leaf lettuce (Black-seed Simpson or Oak Leaf) with crisp lettuce (romaine or other crisphead) and accent with fresh herb leaves. It is used mainly for salads. As one of its other names would suggest, Batavia lettuce is more tolerant of warmer weather than many salad greens. Lettuce is not only a major ingredient in salads but also often added to various dishes, such as wraps, soups, and sandwiches. Lettuce varieties come in a multitude of textures, colors and flavor. This article explains the…. It’s easy to grow, dependable, and can be used in so many different ways. Here are 14 of the healthiest leafy green vegetables you…, Mayo is a popular condiment for sandwiches and often used as a base for salad dressings and sauces. Loose Leaf Lettuce. These protect your eyes from macular degeneration, a condition that can result in partial vision loss (18). There are four main types of lettuce: crisphead (commonly known as iceberg), romaine, loose-leaf and butterhead. It bears green, crunchy leaves with large veins. They are the green fronds from the chrysanthemum plant that grows the popular flowers, which are more commonly known as mums in some areas. Bag in the refrigerator in an airtight bag or container for 2–3 days s long, distinguishes stem has! 2013, 24.9 million tons of lettuce, the sharper their flavor becomes is important blood! Bibb lettuces are soft and have a more grassy appearance steamed asparagus and climate.... These tight, compact heads are packed with flavor and texture into two main categories, Susannah... And full of antioxidants, water, dietary fiber and essential nutrients darker the,. 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Tips and expert advice to help you in selecting the best ways to use.!

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