Why are my Rucola and Lettuce washed in ice-water?
I bought rucola and lettuce at the grocery store today and on the packaging is said in Dutch Drie keer gewassen in ijswater which translates to washed three times in ice-water.
Is there a reason why ice-water seems to be the water washing of choice, instead of water in general? Is it for a longer shelf life or freshness? I might be missing something obvious here. Could someone clarify?
Best Answer
Using cold/ice water helps crisp up leafy vegetables.
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Quick Answer about "Why are my Rucola and Lettuce washed in ice-water?"
The reason for using cold water is that warm water causes the vessels of the leaf to dilate, allowing them to release water and pressure. If you've got already wilted lettuce, a quick soak in warm water actually helps as the dilation stage encourages the leaf to open up and take in water to rehydrate itself.Why would you use ice water to soak lettuce?
The cold water serves to constrict the vessels in the lettuce, especially those that open up at the edges of each leaf, which helps the lettuce retain water volume and the fresh, crisp feel that we're after.What is the proper way of washing leafy lettuces?
How to Wash Your LettuceAre you supposed to wash iceberg lettuce?
"The leaves make perfect boats for lettuce wraps, which benefit from the crispiness that iceberg lettuce is known for." To clean iceberg lettuce, give the head a good rinse under cool running water and pat dry. Place on a cutting board and remove outer leaves that may be dirty or wilted, usually just the outer four.What is the best way to wash 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.The Best Way to Store \u0026 Keep Lettuce Fresh : Clean Eating
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Answer 2
I would suspect advertising speak. No-one these days can sell anything at all without some form of hyperbole.
We all know that rinsing salad in warm water won't be great for the leaves, so we'd rinse in cold water.
… but 'cold' doesn't really sell it, does it.
You can't sell 'just water'. Look at the advertising on any bottled plain water… it's got to be mineral, or spring, or highland, or naturally filtered, or organic, or made by celibate monks in the highest mountains of wherever* … anything except just water.
Ice-water just sounds better than cold.
*…or filtered through mountains for a thousand years - Best before Sept 2022 - after all, the palindrome of Evian is naive ;)
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