The Hot Water Hack To Revive Old Lettuce

There's nothing more frustrating than opening the fridge to discover your lettuce has shriveled and lost its crisp, fresh form — especially if you were craving the likes of a nutritious seasonal chopped salad. But before you go throwing out your droopy, wilted head of romaine, try soaking it in hot water first. Yes, you read that right: hot water, not cold. While an ice-cold bath is a common trick used to perk up withered leaves, hot water can actually be more efficient in giving your forlorn-looking lettuce a much-needed boost of hydration, so you don't have to toss it into the compost bin.

As long as your soggy lettuce isn't showing any signs of spoilage — such as a bad odor or darkened, slimy leaves — it should be okay to eat (even though it may not be as appetizing). So, whether you prefer the mildly sweet taste of iceberg or the subtle floral notes of some butterhead varieties, you can revive your dejected leaves with this helpful hot water hack.

Like most vegetables, lettuce is mostly made up of water. However, lettuce can lose this water, even when refrigerated, through a process known as transpiration. This loss leads to shrinkage and deterioration in quality. Since lettuce leaves are cut off from their water supply after being removed from the soil, the key to reviving them is by putting that much-needed H2O back in.

When it comes to rehydrating dreary leafy greens, soaking lettuce in hot water may seem incredibly counterproductive — but, it's actually a nifty trick that's even used by some florists. They opt for warm water in lieu of a cold dip to bring a wilted bouquet of flowers back to life, because warmer water is typically absorbed more quickly. In a nutshell, hot water is able to open up the cells of lettuce and other plants faster than its chilled counterpart, which means the liquid can be absorbed more efficiently, resulting in much crispier and tastier produce.

If your lettuce has lost its luster, all you have to do is give it a short and refreshing warm bath — a salad spa day, of sorts. It's simple: First, fill a pot or bowl with hot water. You want the water to err on the toasty side, but it shouldn't be scalding or boiling, because the point is to revive the lettuce, not to blanch it. Next, fully submerge your leaves for about 15 to 30 minutes, then remove them from the water, pat them dry with a paper towel or reusable napkin, and place them back into the fridge so they can chill until you're ready to serve them.

This handy hack isn't just good for varieties like romaine and little gem; it also works on other leafy greens like kale, arugula, spinach, and Swiss chard, as well as fresh herbs like basil and parsley. Your colorful summer salad never looked or tasted better.