You waited until the last spring frost and quickly sowed the seeds for your lettuce bed. Within weeks, the head lettuce was ready to be thinned and the loose leaf varieties were ready for their first gentle harvesting. Nothing tastes better than crisp lettuce straight from the garden. Soon, spring passed, summer heat arrived, and gardening websites like this one are inundated with questions: Why is my lettuce bitter? Why does lettuce turn bitter? What makes lettuce turn bitter? Is there any help for bitter tasting lettuce?
Common Causes of Bitter Lettuce
Most gardeners will tell you that bitter lettuce is the result of summer heat; lettuce is known as a cool season vegetable. When temperatures rise, the plant snaps into maturation mode and bolts--sends out a stalk and flowers. It's during this process that bitter lettuce is produced. This is a natural process that can't be stopped, but it isn't the only answer to what makes lettuce bitter. Too little water can also cause bitter lettuce. Those large, flat leaves need a large amount of water to remain full and sweet. Brown leaf edges are a sure sign that your lettuce is thirsty either from lack of water or root damage from close cultivation. Water regularly and well. Don't let the bed become bone dry. Another answer to why does lettuce turn bitter is nutrition. Lettuce needs to grow fast. Without proper nutrients, growth becomes stunted and bitter tasting lettuce is the result. Fertilize regularly, but don't get carried away. Some studies suggest that bitter lettuce can also be the result of too much nitrogen. Lastly, aster yellows phytoplasma, commonly called aster yellows, is a disease that can cause bitter lettuce. With this infection, the interior leaves lose color and the outer leaves become stunted. The whole plant can become deformed.
Why is My Lettuce Bitter and What Can I Do About It?
Most likely, your bitter lettuce is the result of the maturation process. There's no way you can completely stop Mother Nature, but there are ways you can delay the result. Mulch your lettuce to keep the roots cool and fool the plant into thinking its still spring. Interplant your lettuce with taller crops to provide shade as the weather warms. Succession planting will also help extend the season. If you think nitrogen might be the cause of your bitter tasting lettuce, add a small amount of wood ash to your soil. Some people have found it helpful to soak their bitter lettuce prior to using. If you would like to give this a try, separate the lettuce leaves, put them in a bowl of cold water and add a small amount of baking soda. Let the leaves soak about five to ten minutes, rinse thoroughly in cold water and then soak again for a few more minutes. Drain and use. You can also try refrigerating the bitter lettuce for 24 to 48 hours before serving. Note: Although the biggest cause for bitter lettuce is temperature, along with the other possible reasons listed above, additional factors such as one's region, current growing conditions and even variety can all play a role in the bitterness of lettuce plants.
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FAQs
Common Causes of Bitter Lettuce
How to get rid of bitter taste in lettuce? ›
Place your leaves in a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes, then dry and place in the fridge for a few hours before eating. Lettuce can go from bitter to sweet after a good downpour of rain so if you suspect that your lettuce may have turned bitter pick it after a shower of rain.
How to sweeten up bitter lettuce? ›
Water and cold can work miracles in restoring some of the sweetness to your lettuce in these two tips: Let your lettuce soak in the water for about an hour after harvest. (Be sure you use water that is pure and not loaded with chlorine and chemicals.)
Is lettuce bad when it tastes bitter? ›
But if not cared for adequately, your home-grown lettuce can begin developing bitter leaves in no time. Though bitter lettuce leaves are not toxic to humans and are safe for consumption, they're inedible and can effectively ruin your meals.
How do you fix bitter salad? ›
Acidity can really bring a pleasant flavor out of bitter greens. If they're being used for a salad, it's good to add a vinaigrette with plenty of acidity to brighten it up. If you are sauteing, add some vinegar or citrus to the greens to finish them off.
What neutralizes bitter taste? ›
Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal. Saltiness: Salt plays two very important roles in flavouring a dish. Firstly, it balances against bitterness.
How to keep greens from being bitter? ›
Here are five ways to tame the bite of bitter greens.
- Blanch the greens first. Once, I decided to skip a step and not blanch the broccoli rabe for a pasta dish. ...
- Add strongly flavored ingredients. Fight bitterness with other flavors like sweetness and spice. ...
- Add acid. ...
- Use salt. ...
- Braise them.
Leafy greens can deliver varying amounts of bitterness that can change with the weather, season, variety and maturity at the time of harvest. Bitterness can be muted through cooking and can be balanced when paired with complementary flavors including salty, sweet and acidic.
How to get rid of bitterness? ›
Acknowledge your emotions about the harm done to you, recognize how those emotions affect your behavior, and work to release them. Choose to forgive the person who's offended you. Release the control and power that the offending person and situation have had in your life.
Which lettuce is not bitter? ›
In general, crisphead (or iceberg) and romaine varieties are less likely to become bitter than butterhead or red and green leaf lettuces. Within the types, varieties differ in their tendency to become bitter.
Lettuces and other leafy greens get bitter from too much sun and heat. This is why they are planted in early spring and harvested until early summer. In some places, they can be replanted in the fall for a second harvest.
Is bitter lettuce still nutritious? ›
Apart from the digestive benefits bitter greens are also very nutritious. They contain good levels of calcium and magnesium needed for good bone health.
What temperature does lettuce turn bitter? ›
Lettuce bolting is triggered by warm weather and the long days of summer, usually when the daytime temperatures climb above 75°F, and nighttime temperatures are over 60°F. After bolting, lettuce leaves will taste bitter and grow slowly.
What can I do with bitter bolted lettuce? ›
Salvaging Bolting Greens For More Eating
If it still tastes fine, you know you can harvest the entire plant, and remove each leaf from the elongated stem. If the leaf tastes too bitter, pull the plant and toss into the compost pile.
