RED HEAD LETTUCE

Yuma-grown head lettuce represents over 90 percent of the U.S. winter lettuce production. Plantings start in early September, and the crop is harvested from November through March. More than 50,000 acres of head lettuce are planted each year in the Yuma area and the crop has a dollar value than $250 million a year.

More lettuce is grown in Yuma than any other crop and, it is reflected nationally in scope. Arizona ranks second only to in winter head lettuce production. Over the past five years, lettuce ranked third in the state for total acreage (behind cotton and alfalfa).

Head lettuce, also known as iceberg lettuce, is a dense rosette of leaves that forms a tight ball about the size of a human head. Although head lettuce contains fewer nutrients than leafy , it is a favorite staple vegetable for its texture and sweetness. An annual crop that prefers cool weather and plenty of water throughout the growing season, in the only potatoes rank higher in popularity as the number one vegetable.

The red pigment in , called anthocyanin, contains small amounts of fairly strong antioxidants. Eating red leaf lettuce is a delicious way to get lots of A and K, plus the anti-oxidants beta carotene and .

A leaf of head lettuce unfurls from the ball forming a bowl-shape, and unlike other types of let- tuce, the color, taste and texture of the leaf varies greatly from tip to base. The tip is rich green, leafy in texture, giving way to a lighter green sweet center with a slightly crunchy tex- ture, that lead to the snappy whitish base of the leaf. The variance in texture, sweetness and color makes head lettuce an excellent choice for sandwich toppings and salads.

Lettuce, a member of the sunflower family, is one of the oldest known and is believed to be native to the Mediterranean area. In the United States lettuce ranks second only to po- tatoes as the most popular vegetable. Average U.S. consumption in the 1990s was 30 pounds of lettuce per person per year.

There are four main types of lettuce: head lettuce, romaine, loose leaf and butterhead. Head let- tuce is better known as iceberg lettuce. Up until the 1920s it was known as “crisphead” but was renamed when California growers began shipping the lettuce under mounds of ice to keep the heads cool and crisp. Romaine lettuce was named by the Romans who believed it had healthful properties. In fact, the Emperor Ceasar Augustus put up a statue praising let- tuce because he believed it cured him from an illness.

Lettuce is a member of the sunflower family. Americans eat about 30 pounds of lettuce every year. That's about five times more than what we ate in the early 1900s. In the United States, lettuce is the second most popular fresh vegetable. Darker green lettuce leaves are more nu- tritious than lighter green leaves. About 25 percent of all iceberg lettuce is made into fresh- cut salads. All lettuce is packed right in the field. They say this lettuce came to be when a different looking and sweeter tasting head of lettuce somehow appeared in a grower's field over one hundred years ago. Noticing it was quite dif- ferent from the lettuces surrounding it and liking its flavor and superior crispness, breeders teamed to make it even better. This became a top seller and remains very popular still today. More accurately called crisphead, there are actually many varieties of this type of lettuce. Some varieties produce reddish leaves tinged with green and some have plain and scalloped edges.

Iceberg lettuce was called "crisphead", its true name, until the 1920s. It acquired the name ice- berg because of its ability to be an excellent long distance traveler when packed on ice. De- pending on the time of year, crisphead lettuce develops a firm head in 60 to 120 days and is harvested by hand.

It has been claimed that a "cold pack" made from chilled iceberg lettuce leaves aids in the relief of bumps and bruises. Chill whole leaves in freezer for at least one hour; crumple and secure with tape on the injury.

The whole thing about head lettuce is the crunch and, Americans love that crunch in a sandwich. But in the '60s and '70s, the trend started moving toward leaf lettuces; Romaine in Caesar salads, for instance. And, to this day, it is relatively harder to find a sole iceberg salad being served in restaurants.

The fragility of all lettuces, that they don't take well to freezing, drying or canning, and wilt quickly after being cut from the field. This made them something of a localized market item before the iceberg came along for shipping. The convergence of iceberg lettuce and boxcar icing meant salads could be served fresh anywhere in the nation at any time of year.

Kurt Nolte is an area agriculture agent with the Yuma County Cooperative Extension. He can be reached at 928-726-3904.