How to remove every insect from romaine lettuce?
How do I get rid of tiny insects on my lettuce, I know that there will always be insects on it but I'm so paranoid about it. I have a huge fear and I love lettuce so much. I get rid of most insects by first removing each leaf, soaking the lettuce in a vinegar water mix for 10 minutes or so, and running each individual lettuce leaf through water.
Usually this works, but I always get these little insects that don't seem to get off, I literally see them holding on to dear life when I run water through them.
I posted a pictures here too
Is there a way to get rid of these little insects? Also, what are they?
Best Answer
Meet the common aphid. These little insects suck sap from your salad and are totally harmless, should the occasional hitchhiker slip your attention.
To remove them, there are a few home remedies:
- Soak the leaves in salted water (a tablespoon for a large bowl should do).
- Or use a few dashes of vinegar instead.
Both soaking methods can be improved by gently agitating the leaves every now and then and if you use a bowl and let it overflow instead of dumping the lettuce in your kitchen sink, the aphids that float on the surface get carried away instead of reattaching themselves when you lift out the leaves.
Except for really heavy infestations (can happen to the most diligent the organic gardeners), I often simply rinse the little critters off the individual leaves under running water. Think of your faucet as a “mini pressure washer”: Don’t hold the leaves right under the faucet, but lower and let gravity help you. Then even a little water is surprisingly effective. In my experience lukewarm water works better than cold water, but I can only speculate why. Maybe because cold water makes the aphids “stiff” and they can’t let go? The most stubborn ones come off with a gentle nudge with your finger, fingernail or (if you are especially squeamish) a knife tip.
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Quick Answer about "How to remove every insect from romaine lettuce?"
Spread each leaf, taking care to expose all its curls and crevices. Using a heavy stream of water or sink hose, remove all foreign matter and soap from both sides of each leaf. Alternatively, a vegetable brush may be used on both sides of the leaf.How do I get rid of bugs in my romaine lettuce?
Put the lettuce in a bowl or in your sink, cover it with water so it's completely submerged, and add a couple splashes of vinegar. Let it soak for 10/15 minutes/up to half an hour and it should be bug free.What do you soak lettuce in to get the bugs out?
Tips for removing bugs from your veggiesWhy does romaine lettuce have so many bugs?
Since romaine lettuce grows open, it is much more prone to insect infestation throughout the head than other varieties of lettuce that primarily grow as a closed ball. The insects most commonly found in open leaf lettuce are small black or green aphids and thrips.How do you clean romaine lettuce?
The easiest way to wash romaine lettuce is to just separate the leaves and rinse and scrub them under cold running water. However, if you want to sanitize romaine because of an E. coli outbreak, bring a pot of water to a boil, then drop the separated leaves into the water for 15 seconds.More answers regarding how to remove every insect from romaine lettuce?
Answer 2
Put the lettuce in a bowl or in your sink, cover it with water so it's completely submerged, and add a couple splashes of vinegar. Let it soak for 10/15 minutes/up to half an hour and it should be bug free.
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