Little Gem Lettuce© Denzil Green
Little Gem Lettuces are very small Romaine (Cos) lettuces that will grow 5 to 8 inches (13 to 20 cm) within 70 days of planting. The leaves are the same colour as Romaine, but a bit more tender. They are often sold with most of the outer leaves removed, leaving just the lettuce heart.
Little Gem is a good lettuce for home gardeners to grow, especially in container gardening, as it can fit into small spots, and stands up well to summer heat while other lettuces would have bolted.
Little Gem has become very popular in the UK and now is becoming slowly known in North America (2004.)
Cooking Tips
Good braised.
Substitutes
Romaine
Equivalents
1 pound lettuce = 450g = approx 6 cups torn
8 oz lettuce = 225g = approx 3 cups torn
2 oz shredded lettuce = 50g = 1 cup
8 oz shredded lettuce = 200g = 4 cups