Butterhead Lettuce May King is an organically grown, early-maturing lettuce variety. It is not only one of the earliest butterhead lettuces but also a true culinary delight. The leaves are soft, juicy and wonderfully tender, with a fresh, mildly sweet flavour and a subtle nutty note. The slightly red-tinged leaf edges give the heads an attractive appearance, making this lettuce a beautiful addition to both the vegetable garden and the dinner table. The young inner leaves are buttery soft yet pleasantly crisp, while the outer leaves are slightly firmer. Thanks to its mild, refined flavour, 'May King' is popular with both children and adults and forms a versatile base for countless dishes. It is delicious in fresh salads, combined with ingredients such as radishes, cucumber, fresh garden herbs, young cheese, eggs or smoked salmon. A simple vinaigrette made with olive oil, lemon juice and mustard is often all that is needed to enhance its delicate flavour. May King is surprisingly versatile beyond the traditional salad bowl. Its tender yet sturdy leaves are excellent on sandwiches or as a fresh addition to wraps, burgers and gourmet sandwiches. It also performs beautifully in warm dishes: add the leaves at the very end of cooking to creamy spring soups or vegetable soups, allowing them to wilt slightly while retaining their fresh flavour. Briefly stir-frying the leaves with garlic, onion and a splash of olive or sesame oil creates a delicious side dish, especially when combined with mushrooms, asparagus or snow peas. Added at the end of cooking, the lettuce also brings freshness to stews and oven-baked dishes.
The large leaves are ideal as healthy lettuce wraps filled with chicken, tofu, vegetables or seasoned minced meat. For something different, halve a small head and briefly grill it on a hot grill pan or barbecue. Served with Parmesan cheese, toasted nuts and a fresh dressing, it becomes a refined and surprisingly flavourful dish. The leaves are also perfect for elegant appetisers filled with tuna salad, shrimp, egg salad or hummus. They also make a healthy snack, served with hummus, herb quark or a yoghurt dip. Harvest the heads as soon as they are firm and well formed. Young heads are the most tender and have the finest flavour. After harvesting, May King will keep for about three days in a sealed plastic bag or storage container in the refrigerator. For the best taste and highest vitamin content, however, it is recommended to use the lettuce as fresh as possible. With its delicate flavour, attractive appearance and exceptional culinary versatility, Butterhead Lettuce May King is an excellent choice for both classic salads and warm dishes. This old heirloom variety proves that lettuce can be much more than just a simple side dish. Non hardy annual.
Indoor sowing: end of February - beginning of March
Germination: 5 - 10 days
Germination temp.: 10 - 18 °C
Sowing depth: ½ cm
Plant distance: 25 - 35 cm
Plant position: sunny
Days till harvest: 60 - 65
Harvest period: middle of - end of May
Sow indoors from the end of February. Sow in seperate pots filled with potting soil or use pots made of peat, these can be planted outdoors with the plants inside when the plants are large enough. Sow 1 or 2 seeds per pot. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil, because lettuce is a light germinator. Put the pots in a propagator with lid to retain the moisture. Keep the soil moist, but not to wet to prevent the seeds from rotting. Keep the temperature as even as possible and don't let the temperature drop to much during the nights. Thin the seedlings to 1 strongest per pot after 2 - 3 weeks.
Harden the young plants of in a cold frame from the beginning of April. This takes approx. 10 - 14 days. Put the plants after this period on a sunny plot with water retaining soil outdoors from half April - beginning of May, when there's no longer any danger of nightfrost. Choose a plot with with well fed, but not recently manured soil. Snails, slugs and aphids are a tread for You lettuce plants. This lettuce variety can bolt very easily. Prevent early bolting by watering the plants often and to make sure that the soil never dries out. Give this variety enough space to make large heads because this also prevents early bolting. And harvest the heads not long after they've formed. Approx. 60 days after sowing.
