What does mesclun lettuce look like? Mesclun greens traditionally contain the small, young leaves of species such as endive, arugula, chervil and leafy lettuces like baby red leaf. Today, the notion of salad mixes has expanded to include many other varieties of greens and herbs.
Full Answer
What are mesclun Greens made of?
Mesclun greens traditionally contain the small, young leaves of species such as endive, arugula, chervil, and leafy lettuces like baby red leaf. Today the notion of salad mixes has expanded to include many other varieties of greens and herbs.
What is mesclun lettuce?
Mesclun means "mixed" in Provencal and is traditionally composed of several varieties of wild-harvested, young greens. Most mesclun sold today is cultivated, meaning planted as beds of mixed lettuce seeds and harvested when the leaves reach the desired size of 3 to 6 inches.
Can you grow mesclun in the garden?
Growing mesclun in the garden affords a healthful, convenient, and cost saving way to enjoy these greens. What is Mesclun? Mesclun greens traditionally contain the small, young leaves of species such as endive, arugula, chervil, and leafy lettuces like baby red leaf.
What is mesclun?
Translated from the Portuguese verb mesclar, the word mesclun means to mix thoroughly. In this case it refers to tender leafy greens and can include arugula, endive, chervil, young red and green lettuces, baby spinach, mustard greens, frisée, mizuna, young Swiss chard, radicchio and sorrel.
What kind of lettuce is mesclun?
Mesclun is a Provençal word that describes a mix of tender salad greens and herbs. It derives from the French word “mesclar,” which means “mixture.” Traditionally, a mesclun blend includes arugula, chervil, oak leaf, and mâche.
What is a substitute for mesclun?
It is a staple of Italian fare and often found in mesclun (young tender greens) salad mixes, where it behaves like a cross between lettuce and herb. Smart Substitutions: Watercress, endive, or young mustard greens.
How do you cut mesclun lettuce?
0:262:02Harvesting Lettuce Salad Mix: Arugula and Mesclun - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWon't hurt you but it might be kind of chewy to cut your salad mix. Pull out the weeds grab aMoreWon't hurt you but it might be kind of chewy to cut your salad mix. Pull out the weeds grab a handful. And using a sharp kitchen knife. Give it a crew-cut.
Is mesclun cut and come again lettuce?
Cut and Come Again. EXCLUSIVE – Our Mesclun blend of baby lettuces offers you a simple way of experiencing the delicious diversity of lettuce colors, textures and flavors. The tender young leaves are ready to cut quickly and plants will regrow rapidly for a second and even third cutting from the same bed.
How do you pronounce mesclun lettuce?
0:051:01How To Say Mesclun - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMezclan mezclan mezclan mezclan mezclan mezclan.MoreMezclan mezclan mezclan mezclan mezclan mezclan.
What means mesclun?
Definition of mesclun : a mixture of young tender greens (such as lettuces, arugula, and chicory) also : a salad made with mesclun.
How big does mesclun grow?
12 inchesMesclun Mix Leaf Lettuce A zesty mix of kale, lettuce, and mustard greens, this mesclun mix can grow to 10 or 12 inches at maturity, just 45 days from sowing – so you can plan to start picking in just a few weeks.
Do you have to thin mesclun?
Now that they've started to grow, you'll need to thin out your mesclun plants to allow the strongest ones to survive and produce more. Yes, the container might look pretty with the purples and greens, but this is about growing food, not about looking pretty. All you'll need is a pair of scissors (or your bare hands).
Can you grow mesclun greens indoors?
You can also try growing other salad bowl favorites, such as spinach, arugula (Astro is a variety that does well indoors) and mesclun. Avoid head lettuces, which are difficult to grow indoors.
Are mesclun flowers edible?
A succulent popular in many European countries is an edible form of purslane, a close relative of the well-known garden weed that is too often a nuisance in lawns or flower borders in this country. All the mesclun mixtures are particularly appealing in summer salads.
How do I grow mesclun mix?
Try to space seeds about a half-inch apart. After sowing, cover seeds with about 1/4" of planting mix and pat the area gently to ensure good seed-to-soil contact. Water carefully with a fine spray so you don't dislodge or wash away the seeds. Keep the seed bed moist and seedlings will begin to sprout in a week or so.
What kind of lettuce is in spring mix?
In general, spring mix usually contains tender baby lettuce, spinach, and other edible leaves. It may also include red and green romaine, red and green oak leaf, chard, arugula, spinach, endive, radicchio, and other heirloom lettuces.
What is Mesclun?
Mesclun greens traditionally contain the small, young leaves of species such as endive, arugula, chervil, and leafy lettuces like baby red leaf. Today the notion of salad mixes has expanded to include many other varieties of greens and herbs.
Growing Mesclun
Mesclun can be purchased as a seed mix or you can get the different varieties of greens that you prefer and make your own mix. Mesclun mix is harvested young so it doesn’t need a lot of space and even does well in containers. Sow succession crops every two weeks in spring or summer.
Harvesting Salad Mesclun
Salad mesclun is harvested with the “cut and come again” method. Cut the leaves you need for each meal and leave the rest. Harvest greens that are 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm.) long and snip them off 1 inch (2.5 cm.) above the soil line. In about a month the plant will be ready to harvest again.
Make Your Own Mesclun Mix
The wide variety of greens and species for salads means it is up to you to decide what is mesclun. In addition to the plants already mentioned you can mix in purslane, cress, Asian greens, red kale, and chicory. Plant them with leafy herbs to harvest at the same time such as cilantro, parsley, and basil.
Why Grow Mesclun?
Wondering what the benefits are of growing mesclun over a single type of lettuce? Here are a few reasons to consider planting this type of crop:
Mesclun Mixes
Mesclun mixes are often characterized by their flavor profile. They may also be labeled and named for what’s in the mix or how quickly it grows. Here are some examples of mesclun mixes available to purchase:
How to Plant Mesclun
Mesclun, like many garden greens, is a cool-season crop that’s best grown in the late spring or early fall. It doesn’t do well in the heat of the summer, though it’s possible to grow mesclun during the hot months with a bit of effort. You can grow them in just about any zone that gets below 80°F for long enough.
How to Care for Mesclun
Keep your mesclun crop well-watered and avoid letting the soil dry out, especially in hot weather.
Problems with Growing Mesclun
Problems are entirely dependent on what’s included in your preferred mesclun mix. Poor germination and high crop failure rates, however, are usually an issue with water access. Your mesclun needs frequent watering to prevent the plants from drying out.
Companion Plants for Mesclun
If the heat is a problem, plant tall plants nearby, like tomatoes, to provide cover for your mesclun. Plant pest-repelling flowers and herbs close by to keep away pests from whatever is included in your mix. You may even choose to grow edible flowers nearby and herbs like mint to add into your salad.
Harvesting Mesclun
It’s time to harvest mesclun when greens reach at least 3 inches in height. The choice is yours, though. Wait a little longer for larger leaves or harvest when small for a salad of baby greens. Tender baby greens taste best, but there’s nothing wrong with waiting for a larger leafed harvest.
Cut and Come Again Mesclun
These varieties have soft, loosely packed heads and very good flavor. They are fairly easy to grow and tolerate some heat. Under good growing conditions, these varieties can be one of the fastest growing crops.
Basics
Mesclun lettuces will thrive in mild weather with consistent moisture. To extend the sowing season into hot weather, sow in light shade or erect a canopy of loosely woven shade cloth over the bed.
What Is Mesclun?
The name mesclun is derived from the word mesclar, which means mixture.
How to Sow
You may come across a four- or six-inch container of young mesclun seedlings for sale at a farmers market or local nursery, to transplant into the garden or a container.
How to Grow
Once the plants are off to a healthy start, your main goal is to keep them growing quickly. A fast pace helps to ensure that the harvest is tender and succulent.
Growing Tips
For the best flavor, only grow mesclun during periods of cool weather.
Where to Buy
You can find info on purchasing seeds for individual spring mix components in our guides to growing each type of leafy green, including arugula, chervil, chicory, cilantro, endive, kale, lettuce, and mache, as well as mizuna and other mustards. But the easiest option is to buy a premixed packet.
Managing Pests and Disease
As I mentioned earlier, you can avoid a number of the diseases and insects that would otherwise plague mesclun greens by growing them quickly, harvesting them at baby leaf size, and getting them out of the garden after the last harvest is complete and before the hot weather sets in.
Harvesting and Storage
It’s fun to pick and eat homegrown spring mix. Because the different components will grow and develop their flavors and textures at slightly different paces, you’ll never have the same exact harvest twice if you cut and come again.
Origins
The term mesclun for a mixture of young salad greens is quite recent, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary first used in 1976. Of Provençal dialect origin, it derives from the verb mesclar, to "mix thoroughly" and literally means "mixture".
Spring mix
In the North American foodservice industry, the first appearance of mesclun traces to restaurants and farm stands in the early 1980s, with a rise in popularity since. A mesclun mix can be described as comprising baby leaves of lettuces and other greens (and often herbs) in a wide range of leaf shapes, colors, textures and tastes.
1. Crisphead Lettuce
It has curved, overlapping leaves forming crispy, round heads. The leaves are creamy-white on the inside and are tightly-packed, having a mild flavor and crunchy texture.
2. Butterhead Lettuce
The butterhead lettuce has soft, buttery-textured leaves forming small, loosely-folded heads, while having a sweet, delicious flavor.
3. Romaine Lettuce
It has long, dark green leaves forming an elongated, loaf-shaped head. It is crispy-textured with a slightly bitter taste and is sold as ‘hearts’ or whole heads in North America. Its vase-shaped heads can grow to a height of 12 inches.
4. Loose-Leaf Lettuce
One of the most fast-growing lettuce varieties, the loose-leaf lettuce contains large, moderately crispy, loosely-packed leaves that do not form compact heads. It has a mild, sweet flavor.
5. Arugula
Originating in the Mediterranean and southern Europe, Arugula is now grown in most countries around the world. It has a peppery flavor and contains dark green leaves that are either shorter and rounded or long and spiked. Wild-harvested variety is the most pungent, while the cultivated type varies in the strength of taste.
6. Batavia Lettuce
It is more resistant to a warmer climate, staying crispier than other lettuce varieties. Batavia consists of red-tinted or green leaves that are crunchy and nutty-flavored.
7. Frisee
Frisee comes with curly, frizzled green leaves tinged with yellow and has a slightly bitter flavor along with a crunchy texture.
