Little Gem lettuce is a compact, sweet, and crunchy variety of romaine. Its small size makes it an ideal crop for home gardeners, providing a quicker turnaround than full-sized heads of lettuce. Knowing the optimal time and method for harvesting ensures the best taste and maximizes the yield from each plant. This guide provides instructions on when the lettuce is mature and the techniques for harvesting and storage.
Identifying When Little Gem is Ready
Little Gem lettuce is ready for harvest when the heads appear compact and the leaves are tightly bunched, typically reaching a height between four and eight inches. This miniature romaine variety matures relatively quickly, often being ready for its first harvest approximately 45 to 70 days after the initial planting. The appearance of bright green, slightly glossy leaves indicates the plant is in its prime, offering maximum tenderness and sweetness.
To determine readiness, gently squeeze the head; a firm, dense feel signals the internal leaves have compacted sufficiently. Waiting too long risks the plant initiating the process of bolting, where a central stalk begins to elongate. Once this stem development starts, the leaves accumulate a higher concentration of sesquiterpene lactones, which impart an undesirable bitter flavor. Harvesting before this elongation begins is necessary to capture the sweetest, crispest quality.
The Two Main Harvesting Techniques
Gardeners can choose between two distinct methods for harvesting Little Gem: the continuous “cut-and-come-again” approach or the singular whole-head harvest. The cut-and-come-again method is best suited for securing a steady supply of fresh, individual leaves over an extended period. This technique relies on removing only the mature, outer leaves while preserving the plant’s central growing point.
To execute this, use clean gardening shears or a sharp knife to snip the largest, outermost leaves near the base of the plant. Leave at least four to five smaller, inner leaves intact around the crown. This ensures the plant can continue to photosynthesize and regenerate new growth from the center. By consistently harvesting the leaves this way, you can obtain multiple yields from the same plant, often every one to two weeks, until the weather becomes too warm and prompts bolting.
The whole-head harvest method provides the maximum yield from a single plant when the head is fully developed and firm. This approach is ideal when a large quantity is needed immediately or when the growing season is nearing its end. To perform this, use a clean, sharp knife to cut the entire head of lettuce at the soil line.
Alternatively, cut slightly above the soil line, leaving approximately one inch of the stem and a few outer leaves behind. Leaving this small stump and its roots intact can encourage a smaller, secondary head, or “side-shoot,” to develop for a final yield. For both methods, using a razor-sharp tool minimizes damage to the delicate plant tissue, promoting a cleaner cut and reducing the risk of introducing pathogens.
Cleaning and Storing Your Harvest
Proper post-harvest handling is necessary to maintain the crisp texture and extend the shelf life of Little Gem lettuce. Begin by giving the harvested leaves a cold water bath immediately to remove any clinging soil or debris. Submerging the leaves in very cold water helps restore turgor pressure, which keeps the leaves crisp.
Thorough drying is a necessary step before storing the lettuce, as excess moisture is the primary cause of spoilage and wilting. A salad spinner is the most effective tool for rapidly removing surface water without bruising the leaves. If a spinner is unavailable, gently blotting the leaves dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels works well.
Once the lettuce is clean and dry, store it in an environment that balances humidity and airflow. The best method is to place the leaves loosely into a perforated plastic bag or an airtight container lined with a damp paper towel. This creates a high-humidity microclimate while allowing the small amount of gas exchange necessary for long-term freshness. Storing the prepared lettuce in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer, ideally set to high humidity, will keep the leaves fresh and crisp for up to seven to ten days.