Iceberg - to wash, or not?

[Aquagility]

Taking the advice of shaneystar2 http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Food-and-Drink/ Question379121.html I bought myself a huge iceberg - I'll never eat it all - so now my question is - do you have to wash the leaves of an iceberg?

[lafrancaise]

I would rinse the outer leaves at least, somebody's handled it and something might have crawled across it!

[crete]

you must have a big freezer to store an iceberg . : )

[ethandron]

i never wash iceberg lettuce. i cut a quarter out of it, like a slice of cake (if you see what i mean). i put the 3 quarters in a plastic bag and back into the fridge. then i chop up the quarter i'm using fairly finely. if you use a plastic knife, you don't get 'pink' cut edges when it's been refrigerated.

[Aquagility]

Thanks,laf and eth. Back in your box, crete! :o)

[shaneystar2]

Why didn't you get yourself Little Gems or Romaine .Not so big and much tastier .Or a nice ordinary butterhead ? Iceberg is so tasteless ....!

[Aquagility]

Because you were not there to hold my hand! ;o(

[shaneystar2]

Oh alright ..........I'll hold your hand !

By the way, I saw your post about link compressing somewhere .
Have a look here

It's easy peasy ....give it a try .

[shaneystar2]

Sorry I gave you my link ..but this is the first page
http://www.stevie21.com/celtic/tags.asp

[peppy]

I always think that unwashed iceberg lettuce has such a dreadful acidic, chemically taste.
I wash it and even just a touch of salt and pepper, if you prefer it without lovely dressings, improves the taste no end x x

[rebeccarowse]

Definatley Wash it!!
Heres a tip too!!
Bang the lettuce quite hard onto the work surface with the stalk end hitting the surface!
This will then lossen the centre ( the Core Which isnt too good to eat!)
Then you can wash the leaves seperatly as the lettuce comes appart easily and stops it bruising when you cut it!

[ethandron]

the middle bit's the best bit!

[Alibobs]

No need to wash - just peel off the outer couple of layers. I tear off what I need so you don't get the marks from the metal in the knife as previously mentioned. They last for ages!

[chazza]

Yes i think you should always wash it. Sometimes the ones from tesco/sainsburys/M+S contain little bugs or bits of soil!

[lisenswede]

WASH!!! Thay have been spayed with tonns of cemicals unless you buy organic. There was even a program on telly about it how there is even growth hormones on them now to make them get as big as possible. Go organic when it comes down to sallad stuff!

[loggy01]

definately wash or buy an Organic one - lots of sprays have been used. There is a special knife at Lakeland Plastics specially for lettuce so that it can be cut without it going brown!! No I haven't got one, but they seem to do a gadget for most purposes. I have a lettuce washer and spinner in one and use this all the timeas I am super fussy about greenfly, bugs etc.

[Aquagility]

Thank you all for your answers and advice.