i found a bug in my lettuce... to eat or not to eat

Any thoughts?  Only 10 mins to lunch.. and I'm terrified >.<

It was only one.. he crawled out while I was cutting it.. I saw no others but still have the creepy-crawlies.  *eeeeek*

eat it!

Rinse and eat.

If you're really creeped out, soak it for a few minutes in a large bowl full of cold water with a teaspoon or two of vinegar mixed in.

Original Post by purespark:

Rinse and eat.

If you're really creeped out, soak it for a few minutes in a large bowl full of cold water with a teaspoon or two of vinegar mixed in.

Blast!  I'm already at work (this was this morning... ) I rinsed the CRAP out of it... hmmm ..

added crunch/protein perhaps ;)

nutritional info for bugs

be sure to remove any fangs

well? was there any extra crunch?

It depends on what type bug it is.  Grubs are tasty but beetles are too crunchy.  If you're worried about it just eat the lettuce.

success! no extra crunch... that.... i... noticed :)  thanks all for the advice/input..   I survived lunch! ;)

I couldn't have eaten it...

You mean you did not pay for the bug? Oh my! You must return it to the store and place it on another lettuce. I promise I won't tell if you won't!

rufkm right now, oh no, never eat veggies with bugs crawling all over them.

I'm a NZ expat living in Malaysia, and one of the lessons I have learnt is only to ever buy half a cabbage. Never get the whole ones!  If I get a half cabbage, I can make sure it's not full of worms. Several times I have cut into a whole cabbage to find literally about 20 earthworms wriggling around.

When things grow in the earth, sometimes they get bugs in them.  All it means is that your lettuce was not sprayed with poison.  You can get rid of bugs in any leafy vegetable by filling a sink with cold water , cut the lettuce or other greens up and soak them in the water for about 20 minutes.  Any bugs and dirt will either sink to the bottom or float to the top where you can remove them.  Lift the vegetables out of the water to drain, don't let the water drain off because any foreign matter will settle back on them.  You can repeat the rinsing process to make sure your vegetables are squeaky clean. 

I've never seen earthworms in cabbage, but I have seen the caterpillers of the cabbage butterfly in them.  Earthworms eat dirt and live in the ground; they don't climb into vegetables or eat holes in them. 

Well I was going to say not to worry about it but apparently, bugs are pretty high calorie : )

I have a friend who runs a catering company and teaches home ec to high schoolers. She was once talking about how one of her students found a bug in her lettuce and tried to throw it away, and she was incredulous. 'Where does lettuce grow? In the dirt. What lives in the dirt? Bugs. Stop freaking out and rinse it again and keep going' <- her suggestion

Original Post by clairelaine:

I've never seen earthworms in cabbage, but I have seen the caterpillers of the cabbage butterfly in them.  Earthworms eat dirt and live in the ground; they don't climb into vegetables or eat holes in them. 

They were definitely earthworms and not caterpillars. I realise earthworms usually live in the ground but I think dirt was probably dug up with earthworms in it while the cabbages were being harvested. The earthworms probably crawled into the cabbages to find somewhere cool when the soil dried out.