Variety traits

Lettuce shelf life

Lactuca sativa L.

Lettuce shelf life is defined as the post-harvest period of maintaining market quality, measured in days. It depends on the genetic characteristics of the lettuce type, tissue respiration rate, and harvesting technology.

In the reference 225 varieties crop Lettuce, where this is mentioned in the description.

For lettuce crops, shelf life is assessed using a visual scoring scale for marketability, percentage of mass loss during storage, as well as instrumental methods for measuring color, turgor, and the state of water in the tissues. The respiration rate of the leaf correlates directly with shelf life: varieties with a lower metabolic rate retain moisture longer and resist enzymatic browning on cut surfaces.

Under optimal storage conditions near 0°C and high humidity, the shelf life of head lettuce varieties, such as Romaine, reaches 21 days, decreasing to 14 days when the temperature rises to 5°C. Growing technology that preserves the root system during harvest ("living lettuce") significantly extends the product's shelf life compared to traditional harvesting by cutting.

General information about the subject — on the page Keeping quality.

Sources8

Varieties of Lettuce mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.