I’m lucky if my lettuce stays fresh in the refrigerator for a few days after I buy it. That’s why I’m going to be completely honest with you right off the bat and admit that I thought this viral TikTok was absolute nonsense when I first saw it. Here comes food blogger and TikToker named Lama Bazzi, who claims she has a ridiculously simple trick for keeping lettuce fresh not just for a week and not just two or even three weeks, but for an entire month. Yeah, right! I thought to myself, there is simply no way that a trick this simple can make lettuce last that long, especially in my awful refrigerator that keeps freezing all of my leafy vegetables no matter what adjustments I make to the temperature.
Then, I decided to cast my disbelief aside and actually give this simple trick a try. After all, the only thing you need for this trick is a regular old Mason jar that costs just a few bucks on Amazon. So I went ahead and gave it a shot… and believe it or not, it worked just like Bazzi said it would.
In a TikTok video posted all the way back in January, Bazzi claimed that all you have to do to keep lettuce fresh for up to a month is drop it in a canning jar like a Mason jar or a Ball jar, submerge it fully in water, and seal the lid. That’s it. According to Bazzi, that’s all you need to do, and your lettuce will stay fresh for weeks on end instead of wilting (or freezing 😞 ) after just a few days. Here’s here original TikTok that ended up going viral:
@tastegreatfoodie #lettuce #foodhack #foodhacks #kitchenhacks #coolhacksforlife #masonjar #foodtiktok #planttips #tips #learnontiktok #wow #lettucehack #fyp
Bazzi goes into greater detail about how and why the trick works on her food blog, TasteGreatFoodie. She also discusses why you don’t need to worry about things like mold using this method. It all makes perfect sense when you really stop to think about it, but it just seems so outlandish that I couldn’t believe it at first.
Well… I decided to try this viral TikTok’s trick myself, and I followed her recommendation to wash the lettuce thoroughly before putting it in the jar. Then I proceeded to change the water every 1-3 days, just like she says. This helps to ensure that bacteria won’t become a problem, according to her blog post. I left my lettuce in the jar for two weeks and wouldn’t you know? When I finally took the lettuce out to make a salad, it looked and tasted almost exactly the same as it did before I had canned it two weeks earlier. I couldn’t believe it!
In a follow-up TikTok that really blew up, Bazzi showed off some of her lettuce after it had been in a Mason jar for a full month:
@tastegreatfoodie Lettuce Hack Update!! #lettuce #lettucehack #veggiehack #foodtiktok #foodie #didyouknow #fypシ
Mason jars and Ball jars are so cheap on Amazon, so there’s nothing at all preventing you from using this technique yourself to preserve your lettuce for so much longer than you can even imagine. Apart from being amazed at the mere fact that it actually works, it’s an awesome way to cut down on waste and ultimately save money! If you don’t have an abundance of canning jars already like I did, we’ve linked some great options below that cost as little as $1.92 per jar. That means you can pull off this great trick for less than $2!
Regular Mouth Glass Mason Jars, 16 Ounce (5 Pack)
Ball Regular Mouth Mason Jars with Lids and Bands, 16-Ounces (12-Pack)
