Slice them up into sixths and then equatorially again, so you end up with 12 pieces per fruit. Sometimes, vegetables are like clothes. Removing the air does help prevent oxidation, which is what causes lettuce to turn brown but has nothing to do with lettuce staying crisp. Like most fruits and veggies, celtuce is mostly water. Even if you aren’t quite sure what it is you are eating. By the time you pick some up (your best bet is at a Chinese market where you’ll be able to get it almost year-round -- it might be labeled as woju or wosun), you’ll be looking at a bumpy stalk, scarred from where it was stripped of its larger leaves, like a miniature motley palm tree plucked from an elementary school diorama. Sprinkle the walnuts and the black pepper liberally. That's why restaurants store their lettuce in special perforated bins that allow for air circulation while it's held in the fridge. Hooray, great to see a Food52 author rooting for this underdog veggie! Celtuce (Lactuca sativa var. Any grit will sink to the bottom of the sink. Depending on the celtuce variety you grow, the days to maturity may be anywhere between 50 days on the low end and 80 days on the upper end. To me, it’s the supermodel of vegetables. In the crisper drawer of the refrigerator, celtuce will keep for 2 to 3 days. If direct seeding, begin sowing in spring as soon as the soil is prepared. Drain; spin or pat dry. Which means, most are always on the hunt for uncommon produce to put on their plates. Tight heads, such as iceberg lettuce, keep the longest. How to harvest, store, and use celtuce or asparagus lettuce Growing Celtuce or Asparagus Lettuce With foliage similar in appearance and taste to romaine, celtuce forms stout central stalks upon reaching maturity, to 18 in. Placed in a ziplock bag in your fridge’s veggie drawer, celtuce will last for at least a month. When preparing celtuce, you might also find that the very bottom portions of the stem are too tough/fibrous to use. More: Need another homely vegetable to love? Sow seeds about 1" apart in rows 12-18" apart or sow in clusters of 3-4 seeds every 8". Transfer the celtuce and brine to a storage container, cover, and refrigerate at least overnight or up to a month. Try a Celtuce Frittata for an easy first recipe. The guesses come thick and fast. In general, loose lettuce leaves should be used within seven to 10 days. However, it does contain lots of vitamins and minerals, including: We grew a nice patch of celtuce this spring and found it to be a very low-maintenance plant. There are two things salad greens need to stay crisp: moisture and air. If it didn’t taste so darn good, I would dismiss it completely. Curiously, this salad is perhaps even more delicious as a late-night snack, or a refreshing breakfast – do what Luke Powell does and put an egg on it! Jicama? Hopefully, that will change. Season Late spring to early summer My husband accidentally bought some labeled "A Choy Sum" thinking that he was buying Choy Sum greens. I am also going to try freezing some of the leaves to use in cooked dishes later. They won’t eat the leaves once they start to yellow or turn brown. Celtuce plants are hardy to light frost. Revive It. There’s no right answer for whether you should direct sow your celtuce seeds in your garden or start the seeds indoors. Our recommendation: Don’t harvest celtuce leaves as the plant grows. As it gets growing, it looks like a Romaine lettuce on steroids. The tops are long and luscious, like you have a cos lettuce on top of a lollipop stem. Gently swish the leaves around in the water. How to refresh Immerse in ice water for 15 minutes. If it’s your first time growing celtuce, pay careful attention to: This info will help you determine the ideal time to harvest your celtuce. Since we’re in Ag Zone 7b, we can grow celtuce two times each year: You can also grow celtuce under low tunnels during colder months as well. In addition to their collaboration on Tyrant Farms, Aaron and his wife, Susan, are cofounders of GrowJourney.com, a USDA certified organic seed & gardening education company. Click here to learn more about our story, and please subscribe to get our freshest content delivered to your inbox! augustana, angustata, or asparagine) is the most unique of the five lettuce varieties. Don’t buy if the stem or leaves are limp. I dare say it’s one of the most elegant vegetables going. Immerse the leaves in water and agitate with fingers. Let us repeat that: do not peel your stems before storing or you’ll decrease the storage life. (So 2-3 months.). Keep in mind, however, that some types of lettuce, such as Romaine and Iceberg, are generally better if eaten right away. However, it’s hardly a new plant, unlike other trend-setters such as kalettes, a cross between Brussels sprouts and kale. Serves four as side dish, two for a light dinner, or one if you really like salad, 2 stems of celtuce – Cut off the lettuce’s leafy bit and put aside, peel the outside layer like a carrot, then slice thinly into a bowl of acidulated iced water to stop it from going brown. In any case, oxidation isn't something you should have to worry about as long as you buy fresh lettuce and use it within a few days. Mustard cabbage: 'The most underrated greens to grace Australian tables'. Kudos to you for sharing that abundance. ), Celtuce’s origins are thought to be somewhere in the Mediterranean region ~1,500 years ago. Be quick, because chef Luke Powell of Bella Brutta and LP’s in Sydney might come along to snatch up the lot! augustana or asparagina) is basically a giant lettuce plant. Prized for its woody stem, which looks like a thick asparagus stalk or wasabi root, celtuce (Lactuca sativa angustana) has a nutty, cucumber-esque flavor. with top-notch recipes, expert tips, and more. Celery? In general, loose lettuce leaves should be used within seven to 10 days. See what other Food52 readers are saying. Expect them to last one to three weeks, depending on the variety. Jack Algiere digs in to the crop in this video. It's also worth considering that bagged greens have been found to be the culprit in a number of outbreaks of food poisoning, so it's a good idea to wash them yourself anyway. Many people think that the best way to keep lettuce crisp is to seal it up in a bag with all the air squeezed out, even to the point of inserting a straw into the bag to suck out every last molecule of air before sealing it shut. He also serves on the board of the Diversified Agriculture Committee for the South Carolina Farm Bureau. At maturity/harvest size, celtuce reaches a height of 10″-20″, depending on the variety. But even then, it is an uncommon menu item in Australian Chinese restaurants. Originating in the Mediterranean, like most lettuces, it then arrived in China around 600 A.D., making its way to the western world in the … Lettuce will typically store this way with no ill effects for six to eight days. Rinse and cut them in half or thirds. However, if celtuce is like most lettuce varieties, it can take a frost, but won’t do well in hard freezes. Celtuce is thought to have originated in the Mediterranean, before migrating east to China with trade. Hi Douglas! Someone, somewhere, at some point in history who spoke English said, “Crunch, crunch, mmm. (Ours is still in great shape after ~3 weeks of storage.). It has such comically uneven proportions, enviously leggy with lush, carefree, blowsy hair much too large for its body. Dan Barber is pickling what? Raw celtuce cut into chopsticks. Worse, it doesn’t keep for more than a few days. But one vegetable that confounds chef and layman alike is celtuce. Yes, usually those mixed greens have already been washed, but remember, it's the residual moisture from washing and then draining the greens, along with the wet paper towel, that helps keep them crisp and fresh, along with adequate airflow. Expect them to last one to three weeks, depending on the variety. Into the bowl that is holding the celtuce leaves, add the celtuce stems, roughly torn celery leaves and stone fruit. Celtuce sounds like an homage to a druid priest, but its anglo name owes to a linguistic mashup. Celtuce is also called Chinese lettuce or Chinese stem celtuce. At full maturity the stems are roughly 20cm long, with a diameter that shouldn’t exceed 5cm. ... then store them wrapped up in some damp paper towels or … Chef April Bloomfield calls celtuce the most underrated vegetable, describing it as “slightly nutty and totally amazing.” You might find it on the menu at Roberta’s (pick up their cookbook to get their recipe for celtuce salad) or at Blue Hill, where it was introduced to Chef Dan Barber’s kitchen by Jack Algiere, the Stone Barns Center Four Season Farm Director. Also avoid celtuce that is yellowing or has dark spots on the stem or leaves. So we hope you’ll make celtuce a staple crop in your cool weather garden for many years to come! I recommend early nectarines or peaches, which will contrast nicely with the crunchiness of the celtuce. Transfer the basket to the fridge. The best way to do this is in a. Salad-spin until all the water has drained away. The holiday might look a little different this year—but we’ll be right by your side (as always!) Read on to learn what celtuce is and how to grow and eat it! How to Store Fresh Herbs So They Last Longer. Celtuce is thought to have originated in the Mediterranean, before migrating east to China with trade. Lettuce? Celtuce goes by many different names including Stem Lettuce, Chinese Lettuce, and Asparagus Lettuce. The inner stem is crunchy, juicy, and flavorful. A not-yet-mature celtuce plant growing on Palisa Anderson’s farm. Stir-fried Celtuce Recipe Instructions. With your greens fresh and crisp, you're ready to make a perfect green salad. Glad our celtuce article was helpful, Natalie! Celtuce is mild in flavor: As mentioned, it has a nuttiness to it, and as the name suggests, it tastes like a refreshing blend of celery and lettuce. Today: Stalk down your new favorite vegetable. (For the record: we still love kale chips.). Algiere is partial to roasting or grilling celtuce to bring out its nuttiness, and he has “actually tried to increase that nutty quality by adding nut pressings -- what remains after making nut oils -- to the soil” where the celtuce is grown. Heads of lettuce have a longer fridge life. All Rights Reserved. As mentioned previously, celtuce leaves are just as edible as any other variety of lettuce leaf. You can eat celtuce stems raw or cooked. Which means, most are always on the hunt for uncommon produce to put on their plates. Take the basket out of the salad spinner and cover the leaves with damp paper towels. Over the past few years, I have seen it become more widely available in Asian grocers. Admittedly, my broad circle of chef friends are highly competent and extremely curious in the study of their craft. The young leaves offer the best flavor, and are pretty much indistinguishable from other lettuce leaves if used in a salad. Drain and pat or spin dry. In Chinese, the stem and leaves are referred by two separate names: wosun and yóumàicài. augustana, angustata, or asparagina), also called stem lettuce, celery lettuce, asparagus lettuce, or Chinese lettuce, is a cultivar of lettuce grown primarily for its thick stem or its leaves. Once the greens have chilled for about 30 minutes, they'll be crisp and ready to use. document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a8404cdacd05f2c6e9c1aa40bff486cb" );document.getElementById("a2e6bd15df").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read our blog! I am always amused by their delight at coming across a vegetable they have never experienced before. Process the jars by placing them in a pot of hot water enough to submerge the jars for up to 2 inches in depth. For instance, if you plant a 60 day maturing celtuce variety on September 1, set a calendar reminder to harvest it on November 1. Remove the, Now you're going to want to dry the lettuce. Many Chinese people have grown up eating celtuce.