Article: Discolorations are very recognizable when they appear. Normal lettuce is typically a light-green or yellow color, although varieties such as Red Coral have purple leaves. When the dark spots appear on multiple leaves in place of these colors, your lettuce is on its way out. Discolored lettuce often feels slimy and smells bad as well. Small brown spots usually aren’t harmful if you eat them. You can also cut around them if the rest of the lettuce leaf is still healthy. Fresh lettuce has little to no smell. You may be able to detect an earthy scent from the soil the lettuce grew in. Lettuce that smells pungent is rotting. The rotten smell will be very unpleasant, so it is easy to detect. The smell will be so off-putting that you won’t want to eat the lettuce anyway, but it is often accompanied by discoloration and slime on the leaves. Fresh lettuce is firm and crisp. As lettuce ages, it becomes soft, droopy, and wrinkled. You can spot these changes by eye or by touching the leaves. These leaves may not yet feel wet, but the lettuce is still near spoiling when it begins to wilt.  Lettuce wilts right before it begins to turn brown. You will have to discard it or find a use for it right away. Wilted lettuce is safe to eat if it hasn’t begun rotting. You can try soaking it in ice water for up to 30 minutes, which may restore its crispness. In case your leaves aren’t noticeably rotten, be aware of their texture. You may be able to see moisture on the leaves as well as feel it. A sticky or slippery substance forms on the leaves as they begin to degrade, indicating softness and rot. Although wet leaves may still be safe to eat, they won’t taste very good. The leaves become soft as they wilt. You won’t be able to smell or touch the lettuce until you open the bag, but you may still see some signs of spoilage. The bag will puff up as moisture escapes the leaves. You may see beads of water collecting on the inside of the bag.  Moisture creates the perfect growing spot for bacteria and mold, so don’t eat the lettuce. You may be able to see brown spots in a spoiled bag of lettuce. You can also try opening the bag. The lettuce will have that nasty, rotten smell if it has gone bad. Find a piece of lettuce that looks safe to eat and nibble on it. You are most likely familiar with the inoffensive, watery taste of fresh lettuce. Spoiled lettuce will taste the same way rotten lettuce smells. It will have a very strong, rancid, sour taste that will make you want to spit it out. Avoid eating the lettuce if it is sour. Throw it away immediately.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Look for brown or black leaves that indicate rotting. Throw out lettuce with a strong, rancid smell. Check the leaves for signs of wilting. Touch the leaves to see if they feel wet. Throw away bags of lettuce that look swollen or moist. Taste the lettuce to see if it is sour.