Foods · Produce
How long does lettuce last? And how to keep it from wilting on day three.
Lettuce hates moisture, ethylene, and warm fridges. Get those three things right and a head of romaine lasts close to two weeks. Get them wrong and bagged greens slime out in 48 hours.
- Counter
- Not recommended
- Fridge
- 7-14 days (head) / 3-5 days (bagged)
- Freezer
- Not recommended
Shelf life
How long does lettuce last?
Concrete numbers by storage condition. Use the longest viable option you have time for.
| Condition | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Counter, room temperature | A few hours | Wilts visibly within half a day. Not a storage option. |
| Fridge, whole head, wrapped | 10-14 days | Romaine and iceberg are the longest-lasting types. |
| Fridge, washed and dried with paper towels | 7-10 days | Paper towels absorb the moisture that causes slime. |
| Fridge, bagged spring mix | 3-5 days | Tender greens slime out faster than firmer types. |
Storage
How to store lettuce for maximum freshness.
- 1
Do not wash lettuce until you are ready to use it. Moisture is the main driver of slime and wilting in the fridge.
- 2
For a whole head, wrap loosely in a paper towel and store in a perforated bag in the crisper drawer. The towel pulls excess moisture away without drying the head out.
- 3
For bagged or washed greens, line the container with a paper towel and replace it if it becomes saturated. One bad leaf accelerates spoilage in the leaves around it.
- 4
Lettuce is highly ethylene-sensitive. Keep it away from apples, bananas, tomatoes, and avocados, which all give off ethylene and cause brown rust spots on the leaves.
- 5
Set the crisper drawer to high humidity. Most fridges have a slider on the drawer that adjusts this.
Spoilage
How to tell if lettuce has gone bad.
Slimy or mushy texture on the leaves, especially in bagged greens.
Rust-colored or brown spots, particularly on the cut ends or ribs.
Yellow or wilted leaves that do not perk up after a cold water bath.
Watery liquid pooling in the bag or container.
A sour, off, or fermented smell.
Use it up
Recipes that use lettuce.
Real recipes from FreshTrack's starter set, all built around what is already in your kitchen.
Lemon Caesar Salad
Crisp lettuce with lemony dressing and crouton-style bread.
Common questions
About lettuce.
Related foods
Foods that go bad on the same shelf.
A kitchen ledger
Stop wasting lettuce.
FreshTrack is a free pantry tracker that surfaces items before they expire, ranks recipes by what you already have, and tracks money saved over time. Built for busy households, not factory inventory.
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