Little Lettuce, Melons and Berries

One day, you won’t have to push and shove those huge heads of iceberg lettuce into a cramped crisper drawer. Instead, you’ll slide in iceberg as small as a tennis ball.

These mini-heads have been developed by plant scientists at the U.S. Agricultural Research Station at Salinas. But they won’t be on the market until enough seeds have been propagated to produce a commercial crop. That will take a year or two.

The developers are Dr. Edward J. Ryder, plant geneticist, and Dr. William Waycott, plant physiologist. They have succeeded in altering a gene that is linked to the lettuce plant’s manufacture of a growth hormone called giberellin. Perfected over several years of research, the little icebergs are not baby lettuce but fully mature heads that contain as many cells as large heads to which Californians are accustomed. The difference is, the cells are smaller. Diminutive icebergs that have previously been marketed are merely early harvested versions of larger lettuce.

The research project involved soaking germinating lettuce seeds in a chemical called ethyl methanesulfonate. Lettuce grown from those seeds was crossed with two normal-sized commercial varieties, Empire and Salinas. The tastiest offspring came from the cross with Salinas. By December or January, the hybrid seeds will be available to commercial breeders and seed companies for development in volume.

The compact miniatures are enclosed in loose outer leaves that are not recommended for eating but can be employed as a salad container or garnish. One type has outer leaves tinged with red. The other is green.

The lettuce could arrive in produce departments as early as the fall of 1992, but Spring, 1993, is more likely, Waycott said.

Why do we need miniature iceberg lettuce? Think of all the single people with lettuce languishing in their refrigerators, and you have your answer.

This month, cantaloupes and honeydew melons should drop in price and improve in quality. They’re part of a bumper crop coming from Bakersfield, Fresno and Phoenix.

Blueberries also should drop in price, thanks to a plentiful new crop in Oregon. Meanwhile, Watsonville is providing a steady supply of raspberries, strawberries and blackberries.

Watch markets closely for the arrival of Olathe sweet yellow corn, an extra-sweet, small-kerneled corn from Colorado. There’s a good supply this year and prices should be reasonable, but the season lasts only a few weeks.

California-grown green peppers are in peak condition, and demand from out of state is escalating the price. However, cabbage remains reasonable, making coleslaw, stir-fried cabbage, stuffed cabbage rolls and other such dishes good choices for August dinners.