Abstract: Treating lettuce for use in salads and the like to extend the storage life f said lettuce to at least about 4 weeks under refrigeration. The lettuce leaves are subdivided by cutting and treated with an aqueous solution of sodium meta bisulfite, citric acid, ascorbic acid, and potassium sorbate. Excess solution is removed from the cut lettuce, which then is enclosed in plastic bags made of vinylidine chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer film having low rates of transmission of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. The plastic bags of treated cut lettuce are tightly closed to prevent intermixing of outside air with the interior atmosphere of the bags and the treated cut lettuce, and they are stored at about 1.7.degree. .+-. 1.0.

Abstract: Method of producing compacted, dehydrated, vegetable products of increased density comprising predrying without freezing morsels of a vegetable, the moisture content of the vegetable being thereby reduced to from about 7 percent to about 18 percent, substantially immediately after the predrying step compressing the predried vegetable at a temperature of about 110.degree.F. to 120.degree.F. and at a pressure of about 200 psi to 4000 psi, thereafter redrying the compacted vegetable mass to a moisture content of about 1 to 5 percent.