How to Harvest Buttercrunch Lettuce

Reviewed by Ben Barkan

Last Updated: August 3, 2024 Fact Checked

Green, crisp and crunchy, Buttercrunch lettuce is one of the first lettuce varieties amateur gardeners plant. Also known as Butterhead or Boston lettuce, it’s high in vitamin A, vitamin K, fibre and folate. With a little winter protection it can be grown year round, practically anywhere and harvested on demand.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Harvesting the Head of Buttercrunch Lettuce

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1
Harvest lettuce heads when the lettuce is fully grown. Easy to harvest, Buttercrunch lettuce will take between 55 to 60 days to reach maturity. When fully grown it forms rich green, compact heads of fan-shaped leaves. ^{[1]
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Research source} A mature head of lettuce will be firm to the touch and 6 to 8 inches in diameter. ^{[2]
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- Buttercrunch lettuce takes a while to run to seed so there is plenty of time after it matures for harvesting. ^{[3]
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2
Use a sharp knife or pruning shears to harvest the lettuce head. With one hand, lift up the outside leaves of the lettuce and with the other cut the head of the lettuce off at the base of the plant. Make your cut at a point that will keep all the lettuce leaves intact and the roots embedded in the ground.
- Use a long handled kitchen knife with a thin blade.
- Do not pull on the lettuce plant or you will disturb the roots.
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Do not pull or dig out the entire lettuce. You want to leave the roots of the vegetable plant behind so you can harvest it again. The whole plant will keep growing and be ready for harvesting again in two to three weeks if you leave an inch above ground. ^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Harvesting Buttercrunch Lettuce Leaves

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Buttercrunch lettuce is tasty and ready to eat at any size. Baby Buttercrunch lettuce leaves are usually ready to harvest in 24 days. ^{[5]
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Buttercrunch lettuce is a lettuce that forms a loose head. Its leaves grow from the centre, so picking leaves from the outside of the plant allows these centre leaves to grow larger. Start picking outer leaves on demand when they are 2 to 3 inches long, or wait until they are fully grown and large enough to eat. ^{[6]
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3
Use your fingers to remove leaves from the head of the lettuce. Detach outer lettuce leaves from the base of the Buttercrunch lettuce plant in a pincer movement. Dig in with your thumb and turn your hand to twist the lettuce leaf off.
- You can continue picking leaves this way until the plant goes to seed and you have to replace it with a new seedling. ^{[7]
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4
Trim lettuce leaves off with scissors or gardening shears. Use scissors to cut individual lettuce leaves off close to the base. As long as you don't disturb the crown of the Buttercrunch lettuce, lettuce leaves will keep growing back to be harvested, over and over again.
- This harvesting technique is commonly known as a ‘cut-and-come-again’ method. ^{[8]
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- Be careful when cutting. If you cut into or below the crown, the plant might die.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Storing the Harvested Lettuce

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1
Rinse and wash harvested Buttercrunch lettuce before storing it. Always wash harvested lettuce in cold water before eating and storing it. This will remove any dirt, insects and insecticides that have become trapped in and on the lettuce leaves. ^{[9]
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- While washing your lettuce, remove any damaged leaves.
- Pests to watch out for when rinsing lettuce include slugs, aphids, and small green caterpillars. ^{[10]
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2
Dry Buttercrunch lettuce after washing it. Shake any excess water off the lettuce head and gently pat it dry with a paper towel. If drying just the leaves, spread them out over a paper towel. Let them air dry or place another towel on top and gently press down to mop up any moisture. Be careful not to bruise any of the leaves. ^{[11]
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- A salad spinner is a great alternative for drying lettuce before eating or storing. ^{[12]
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3
Wrap clean lettuce in a dry paper towel. Wrapping Buttercrunch lettuce heads in a paper towel will stop them from wilting and getting slimy, as will layering lettuce leaves between paper towels. Place your paper-wrapped lettuce into a loosely closed plastic bag or cloth bag for storing.
- You may have to replace the paper towels after a few days if they become too wet. ^{[13]
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4
Store the washed and dried lettuce in the refrigerator. Lettuce does not store well for long periods and is best eaten fresh. To keep lettuce for longer than a day or two, store it in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. ^{[14]
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- Refrigerate lettuce immediately after harvesting.
- Clean, properly stored loose lettuce leaves should keep in the fridge for up to 10 days.
- Heads of lettuce have a longer fridge life and will last up to three weeks.

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Tips

Plan your garden around growing and harvesting. ‘Succession planting’ – planting lettuces at different intervals rather than all at once – will give you have a steady harvest of Buttercrunch lettuce every two weeks, rather than all at once. ^{[15]
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Harvest Buttercrunch lettuce early in the morning for maximum flavour. ^{[16]
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For a ‘cut and come again’ lettuce garden, it’s best to have several rows of lettuce growing. ^{[17]
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Warnings

Always wear gloves and wash hands after harvesting vegetables from your garden. Dirt, fertiliser and gardening mulch can contain harmful chemicals.

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Never put buttercrunch lettuce in the freezer. It will wilt, become soft and limp, and lose its flavor. ^{[18]
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How to Harvest Buttercrunch Lettuce

Steps

Harvesting the Head of Buttercrunch Lettuce

Harvesting Buttercrunch Lettuce Leaves

Storing the Harvested Lettuce

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Tips

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