For Spring, Forget Iceberg

March 12, 1992|By Nancy Byal, Better Homes and Gardens.

While iceberg lettuce remains a popular choice among salad lovers, it`s fun to explore other lettuces. In your next salad, use a combination of lettuces to add flavorful pizazz, texture and color. We`ve simplified things for you with this information on identifying and handling lettuces.

Choosing your lettuce is the first step toward making any salad memorable. Some stores and markets offer many varieties of lettuces and greens. Most stock the basics, such as romaine, Boston, bibb, iceberg and leaf lettuce. To select the freshest heads possible, avoid limp or bruised greens. - Romaine or Cos lettuce is an elongated bunch of coarse leaves with a heavy rib running down the middle of each leaf. This variety originated on the Greek island of Cos. Romaine is crisp, with a refreshingly pungent flavor.

- Boston or butterhead lettuce often is confused with the smaller bibb lettuce. Boston is a medium, round-headed lettuce with soft, waxy leaves. In keeping with its delicate appearance, Boston lettuce has a delicate, mild flavor.

- Bibb or limestone lettuce, is similar in shape to the larger Boston lettuce and is a member of the butterhead family. The small, cup-shaped leaves have a soft, delicate texture and lend a subtly sweet flavor to salads.

- Iceberg is also known as crisphead or head lettuce. When shopping for this salad favorite, look for a solid, compact head with tight leaves. The leaves will vary from pale green in the center to medium green on the outside. Iceberg, one of the crispiest lettuces, has a mild, juicy flavor, so it complements salads containing stronger greens well.

- Leaf lettuce comes in several forms. The flavor is similar in all of them, but the leaves may be green to bronze to red-tipped. When selecting any type of leaf lettuce, look for large, leafy bunches of lettuce with tender leaves. The sweet yet delicate flavor blends well in any salad.

Once you`ve brought your greens home, wash, drain and chill them in a covered container until you plan to serve them. Gently pat the leaves dry. Then tear the leaves to expose the inside and allow the greens to absorb the salad dressing. (Cutting lettuce bruises and discolors the leaves.) Place leftovers in a plastic bag or covered container in the refrigerator to keep them crisp.