Here ’s what to do if you spot this in your salad kit ( or leftover leafy greens ) .
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Here atBHG , we love to make Popeye proud by incur our Rx of greens . When we have the fourth dimension , we thresh about together amain dish saladfrom scratch , but we ’re also not too lofty to admit that we rely on salad kit for a working day lunch or to round out aweeknight dinner .
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Recently , one of our editors brought one of those salad kits to add together to the office electric refrigerator so she could revel it later in the week . By the time she was quick to toss the outfit together and dive in , she find the edges of the lettuce were turning an unexpected hue : pinkish . She asked around , “ Is it safe to feed pinkish scratch ? ” Even our nutrient editor in chief was n’t certain , so we popped down to the Test Kitchen and called a couple of our go - to produce professional to determine out why lettuce plough pink — and if it ’s safe to consume if it does .
Why Does Lettuce Turn Pink?
exchangeable to how apples and avocados start to embrown once you slice them unfastened , the most uncouth ground thatlettuce grow pink is due to oxidation that takes place when oxygen comes into liaison with cut plant mobile phone , explicate Sarah Brekke , M.S.,Better Homes & GardensTest Kitchen brand name manager .
“ The pic to air causes oxidation , which of course helps protect the stop edge from decay . This causes the pink color , ” add Ryan Sankey , a Fresno , California - free-base produce field team leader for Whole Foods Market .
During oxidation , some of the healthy polyphenols in the folio transform from green to pink , Brekke supply . This work as a layer of protective “ armour ” of sort .
The follow factor increase the likeliness that loot will twist pink :
Is It Safe to Eat Lettuce That’s Pink?
The chemise from green to tap is strictly aesthetic , and should n’t impact flavor or texture in any style , Sankey verifies . “ Lettuce turning pink is a harmless and natural cognitive operation that occurs on the border of a leaf where it has been cut or break off , ” he says .
There is no wellness peril to eating pink leave as long as they are crisp and are not showing any mark of odor , decay , mold , or sliminess .
How to Prevent Lettuce From Turning Pink
As we hinted to above , you could take steps to potentially reduce the hazard that your berg and romaine will transform from Team Elphaba to Team Glinda . Our expert recommend the following strategies to help define the likeliness of pinkish leafage :
If you ’re steadfastly anti - pink - edged leaves , consider investing in substitute leafy greens that are less prone to pink - ing , like arugula , Brassica oleracea acephala , spinach , collards , chard , escarole , or loot . Regardless of the type of K you get , salt away them in the refrigerator and calculate to deplete them within 7 day of leverage , Sedivy suggests .
