Here are a few tips to help the salad stay fresh for just as long: – If you don’t plan on using your lettuce right away, don’t cut it with a metal knife. Use a plastic lettuce knife instead. Metal encourages lettuce to start browning. – Dress the bowl: Drizzle dressing around the bowl before you put in the salad components. Then toss the salad just before serving. – Keep your lettuce as dry as possible. The drier the lettuce, the longer it will last in your fridge. Layer up paper towels!   – Keep other components fresh with a moistened paper towel. This works well with sliced vegetables like cucumbers.