Growing

Lamb's lettuce can be sown as soon as the weather allows it. The sowing depth should be 1-2 cm. The plants need to be spaced around 2-4 cm apart in their rows; the greater the spacing, the better the rosettes will look. If the seeds are sown too close together, lamb's lettuce is very vulnerable to mildew in cooler autumn nights – a whitish deposit forms on (powdery mildew) or under (lettuce downy mildew) the leaves. Lamb's lettuce takes 7-12 weeks from sowing to harvest. To harvest, the entire rosette is cut off just above the soil surface.

Nutrients

Lamb's lettuce contains particularly high levels of vitamin A (retinol) as its vegetable precursor β-carotene, which is among the carotenoids as a phytochemical. Its also contains relatively high levels of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), iron is the most noteworthy mineral.

Preparation

The advantage of lamb's lettuce is that you can always harvest exactly the amount you need. Wash the fresh lamb's lettuce and prepare it as a fresh salad, a side vegetable or in a deliciously refreshing smoothie. It has a savoury taste with a slightly nutty note.

Storage/preservation

Lamb's lettuce tastes best fresh, but can also be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days.