Choosing the right lettuce variety

Bill Kerr is a vegetable specialist and a breeder of a range of vegetables

- Bill Kerr

Iceberg lettuce has a good number of outer leaves, which help protect the head during transport and handling. This lettuce type is often sold in banana boxes, and varieties with darker leaves are preferred.

Quality is often determined by the stage of harvesting. As the lettuce becomes older, the appearance may not change, but the eating quality certainly does.

I once watched lettuce harvesting in California. A row of workers walked just in front of the harvester testing the quality of the produce before the packers placed it in boxes. Each quality tester would place a flat hand on the head of the lettuce, exert slight pressure, then cut the stem. If the head was too hard, it would be left on the ground.