Keeping Lettuce Fresh

How many times have you bought fresh lettuce at the farmers' market or grocery store, only to have something come up and realize you won't be able to use it as quickly as you had planned?  You put it in the frig in a plastic produce bag hoping it won't be too badly wilted before you are able to make that luscious salad you had planned.  Then, you forget about it and find it a week later too wilted and mushy to revive.  Well, read on, because here is a fool-proof way to keep it fresh and crisp for several days.   

Here are a couple of bunches of leaf lettuce we had left over from the farmers' market.

First, I cut about 1/8 inch off the end.

Then. I filled the cup about a third full with water and put the lettuce in it.

Finally (and here's the secret to keeping it fresh), I put a plastic produce bag over the lettuce, secured it to the cup with a rubber band and put it in the refrigerator.

I've had lettuce keep for over a week using this method.  It does take up some shelf space, but at least it is visible and you are unlikely to forget about it!