File:How we wash lettuce (5000119456).jpg

We first fill a sink with water Then we go out into the field and pull up lettuce by the roots and place it in a tray. At the wash station we hose off the soil from the roots, then pick off dead and damaged leaves. Then we give the lettuce a quick rinse, then a more thorough quick rinse, then slosh it in the sink to extract the dirt within the head. Finally we bag it and place it in a bin for storage.

Not everyone does it this way. Leaving the root on (and moist) is labor intensive, but it keeps the plant alive, which keeps it fresh. This is important on the stand and at a farmers' market, where we don't have refrigeration. Without the root, it tends to wilt in warm weather. With the root we have kept it in the fridge for 3 weeks without problems.

This wash does not take the place of home washing of produce. Here we are removing most of the soil from the product, and we consider it edible at this stage (in fact we eat it like this), but we recommend that everyone get into the habit of washing their produce at home.