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The Different Types Of Lettuce
13 September 2022
No salad or lettuce wrap would be complete without lettuce, and a BLT sandwich would simply not exist without lettuce. As humble as it might appear to be, lettuce in its many varieties, has become an essential ingredient in so many all-year-round servings and not only salads. Lettuce can be served grilled, braised, sautéed, layered into spring rolls, used for all types of wraps and made into sauces with all types of herbs.
There are over 20 different types of lettuce which are grown in the UK, and they come in all shapes and sizes and with a few colour variations too. However, in the UK these lettuce types are categorised into 4 distinct groups, which are Cos, Butterhead, Iceberg and Loose Leaf. They can all be grown easily in the UK both under cover and outdoors, providing fresh lettuce all-year-round.
Cos types
The Cos lettuce is among the most popular types of lettuce grown in the UK. In other countries such as France. Italy and the USA, it’s known as the Romaine lettuce because it reached Europe and America via Rome, therefore in some areas, it’s also known as the Roman lettuce. Of all the 4 groups of lettuce, the Cos type is the oldest cultivar grown in the UK.
Although the Cos lettuce is often used raw in all types of salads, it is the best choice of lettuce for cooking purposes. Cooking can very often improve the flavour of Cos lettuce, which is finding its way into numerous stir fry recipes. Cos lettuce is often described as crisp with a tight, upright habit and with dark green leaves on the outer layers and a lighter greenish yellow colour inside.
The Cos lettuce falls into the sub category of the “heart lettuce”, in that it will form a tight heart. Many people prefer the inner leaves for eating raw in salads as these are generally crisper and crunchier than the outer leaves. They can be grown outdoors and under cover in cloches, greenhouses or poly tunnels.
£0.89
Little Gem is a compact small cos type with tight hearts and a.....
Average Contents : 500 seeds
Butterhead types
The Butterhead type lettuce is so called due to its soft, ruffled and buttery leaves. Also, due to its round, rosette shape, it is known as the Cabbage lettuce or Round lettuce. This particular lettuce falls into the sub-category of “loose leaf”, which describes its growth habit. It has a completely different texture to the crisp, heart lettuces, which is often described as “velvety”.
Like all lettuces, the Butterhead originated from the Mediterranean, where it was first considered a weed before being cultivated as a food source. The large soft leaves makes this type ideal for wraps and is also used as a foundation for a variety of meat, poultry and fish dishes. It blends well with all types of vegetables, herbs and spices.
Like all lettuces the Butterhead is very easy to grow in the UK. It tends to grow much faster than the other types and can withstand a wider range of temperatures, which makes it suitable for growing all-year-round. It can be grown outdoors or under cover and can be ready for harvesting in as little as 6-8 weeks.
£0.89
All Year Round is a butterhead type with a long cropping.....
Av. Packet Contents : 500 seeds
£1.49
Premium red butterhead variety for growing outdoors.....
Av. Packet Contents : 25 seeds
Iceberg types
The unmistakeable, frilly-leafed, Iceberg type lettuce, also known as the Crisphead, is the large, tight globular lettuce you most often find in the shops. There are many popular varieties of this lettuce, which are described as the crispiest of all lettuces. They have a very mild taste and are said to be not quite as nutritional as other types but for what they might lack in nutritional value, they more than make up for in crispness and presentation.
If you cut through an Iceberg lettuce, it looks very much like a cabbage with its tightly packed leaves, which are pale green on the outside and a whitish yellow colour on the inside. The centre part of the leaves or midrib is particularly crunchy, which makes this type of lettuce a very popular choice for all types of salads. Strictly speaking and in the UK, the Iceberg lettuce is classed as a “heart lettuce”.
Iceberg lettuce will keep fresher for longer than the other types, which is why it is a favourite with the supermarkets. However, it is not always the easiest to grow with a tendency to bolt if not harvested quickly. It also dislikes extremes of weather such as long wet or windy spells or periods of drought. Careful watering is also required as it doesn’t respond well to too much or too little water. A warm, sheltered position is best for growing Iceberg lettuce.
£0.99
Saladin is the standard iceberg variety, producing fairly dense.....
Av. Packet Contents : 500 seeds
£0.99
A popular variety with amateur growers due to being slow to bolt.....
Av. Packet Contents : 500 seeds
Loose leaf types
As the name suggests, Loose Leaf lettuce is exactly that, as they do not form a compact head. Loose Leaf type lettuces come in a wide variety of attractive shapes and colours including shades of red, green and purple. They are most often referred to as “cut and come again” type lettuces, which means you can keep picking the leaves from individual plants all through the summer and they will just regrow.
Loose Leaf type lettuce are very easy to grow and are not too fussy about conditions as long as they are kept watered during dry spells. You can often purchase a mixed collection of seeds, which will produce a variety of interesting plants with a range of textures, leaf shapes, colours and tastes. These are perfect for creating dazzling salad displays.
The leaves are picked when they are small, and harvesting can start in as little as 4 weeks from seed sowing right up until 10-12 weeks. By staggering seed sowing times you are able to produce sufficient leaves to supply you throughout the whole summer, which makes this type of lettuce exceptional value for money.
£0.89
Lettuce Red Salad Bowl produces a large, fast growing rosette.....
Av. Packet Contents : 500 seeds
Summary
All the lettuce types are grown in a similar way, which includes sowing indoors, under cover or directly into outdoor seed and planting beds. They can also be grown in a variety of containers and growing bags. Sowing times depend on when you want to harvest but lettuce seeds can be sown and grown all-year-round. Young plants will need some protection from the cold and the only real pest problems you might encounter will be from slugs and snails.
Do you prefer a certain type of lettuce? Leave a comment below and let everyone know....
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