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Iceberg Lettuce
Also called… Crisphead

Because you know what tastes good… Refreshing and low in calories, Iceberg lettuce is a perfect vegetable for diets. Essential to a healthy diet, Iceberg can be served as a salad, be added to most types of sandwiches and even be cooked and as a side dish.

A natural elegance… Iceberg’s crisp leaves form a compact head of a very delicate green colour that gets lighter and lighter toward the center. As its name suggests, Iceberg tolerates low temperatures more than other varieties of lettuce.

Good for you… Iceberg lettuce contains some carotenoids such as lutein and beta carotene (300 µg for 100g), both antioxidants that could reduce the risks of cancer. Iceberg is also a source of vitamin K.

Iceberg Lettuce Worlwide: Extremely popular in North America, Iceberg lettuce is more and more popular with Europeans.

Gourmets’ Inspirations:

Iceberg lettuce is delicious when added to sandwiches, but is particularly appealing in a salad. Try it with hard-boiled eggs, cold meats and fresh vegetables such as shallots, green onions, bell peppers, chili peppers or radishes. Garnish it with grated Parmesan or mozzarella.

Because it tolerates heat better than other varieties of lettuce, Iceberg can be braised and added to hot dishes to enhance colour. Finally, once it begins to wilt, Iceberg can be added to a vegetable soup.

The Right Dressing for Iceberg:

Iceberg lettuce is especially suited to creamy dressings. Thus replace the oil of your original oil and vinegar mix by fresh cream to which you will add Dijon mustard and a tad of vinegar or lemon juice, all seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper. Herbs are just what an Iceberg salad calls for to enhance its very light flavour. Therefore, do not skimp on herbs such as mint, basil, tarragon, cilantro or oregano to season your dressing.

Obviously, Iceberg can also be tossed with oil and vinegar, but then, it is better to choose more pungent oils and vinegars, such as walnut, chili peppers or sesame oil and shallot, sherry or red wine vinegar.

How to Select Your Iceberg Lettuce: Choose an Iceberg lettuce of a delicate green colour with firm, crisp leaves, with no rust or rot.

How to Store and Prepare Your Iceberg Lettuce: Iceberg lettuce can be stored for about two weeks in a perforated plastic bag, inside your refrigerator, as it has to breathe or it will rot. A little trick? Do not place your lettuce near fruits that release ethylene such as apples, pears or bananas to avoid premature ripening. Furthermore, wash it with cold water and just before preparing it. Add dressing only when serving. Finally, if your lettuce starts to wilt, soak it in warm and then cold water. This will produce a thermal shock that will make it a bit firmer.

Savour it… year-round (production of Quebec (Canada) and Mexico).

Related Products: Romaine, green and red leaf lettuce, Boston lettuce, Spring Mix, San Marino Mix, Oriental Mix, baby spinach, arugula, curly endive, escarole, radicchio, nappa cabbage.

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