Choosing Romaine Hearts

• At the center of a bunch of romaine lettuce are the romaine hearts. These leaves are usually smaller than the outer leaves, and appear to have a yellowish tinge compared to the green outer leaves. They also have a sweeter taste and work well in raw preparations or when cooked in a skillet. When you are choosing romaine hearts, look for leaves that are free of any holes, cracks or dark spots. Avoid leaves that are browning and favor leaves that still look fresh and crisp.

Storing Romaine Hearts

• Healthy, crisp romaine hearts will stay fresh sealed in a plastic vegetable bag for up to seven days in your refrigerator's crisper. If possible, leave the lettuce in its whole form until right before you want to use it. Store it in bags by itself without any other vegetables, and keep it away from meats in your refrigerator to prevent the spread of bacteria. Once you start tearing or cutting the leaves, you will reduce the lifespan of the lettuce, so try to use it right away.

Prepping the Lettuce

• Before you cook romaine hearts, you will have to do a little preparation. First, dig into the head of lettuce and remove the leaves you want to use. For the hearts, you will have to remove several of the outer leaves until you get to the handful in the middle. You can peel them off by hand or cut off the base with a sharp knife so they are all separated. Next, wash off the leaves you plan to use and pat them dry with a paper towel. Add seasonings like salt and pepper before cooking.

Cooking Techniques

• When using a skillet to prepare romaine hearts, you can either braise them gently in a liquid like broth or juice, or you can turn up the heat and saute them in oil. The braising method will take roughly 20 minutes, until the leaves are quite tender, while the sauteing method will only take about two minutes per side over medium-high heat, until the leaves are crisp and have a nice brown color. Olive oil will add a nice flavor to the leaves if you are sauteing, and chicken or vegetable broth and even apple juice can act as the braising liquid for a low heat method.