Can you freeze the lettuce

Freezing lettuce is a great way to keep it fresher for longer. Have you ever thought about freezing lettuce for future use when you see it on special and buy too many or it's about to go off from sitting too long in the fridge. Here is how to freeze lettuce before it goes off.

Types of lettuce

There is a lot of types according to shape, size, flavor, and color. here are some most popular types which are given below.

Rocket lettuce

Rocket lettuce is also referred to as arugula, it is also good to add toppings on pizza, sandwiches, making pesto and wraps. This lettuce has dark green small leaves.

Leaf lettuce

This lettuce is known as loose-leaf lettuce they have many varieties according to colors. They have loosely bunched leaves. The colors include oak, greens, and reds. They are used to make salads

Iceberg lettuce

The iceberg lettuce is sensitive to heat. They are not recommended for freezing as it is high in water content. Light in color and crunchy. Also known as crisphead lettuce.

Romaine lettuce

Romaine lettuce is used in sandwiches and salads. They are also called coz lettuce.

Butterhead lettuce

The butterhead lettuce is also called bibb or Boston lettuce. They have a slight sweetness and have a tender texture. The variety has loose leaves.

Summercrisp lettuce

Summercrisp lettuce has large flavourful and good for making salads. They are also called fresh crisp lettuce and Batavian.

Can you freeze lettuce?

Yes, you can freeze lettuce for cooking and for flavoring. I would recommend not to freeze lettuce to make salads because it can form ice crystals and the lettuce will become soggy and slimy. Freezing lettuce is handy if you don’t want to waste leftover lettuce. Freezing lettuce the correct way in a freezer bag or vacuum bag it will last up to 6 months in the freezer

How to freeze lettuce

We can freeze lettuce in different ways. Today we are going to define two techniques how can we freeze the green lettuce and use it in different ways. But it is not suitable for use on sandwiches or salads after freezing.

Method  1: How to freeze leaves.

1.   Sort

First of all, we need to Separate the lettuce leaves from each other. Cut off any discolored and tired leaves. If lettuce is fresh harvested please remove the stalk.

2.   Wash

If you wash the leaves thoroughly it will remove bacteria, Bugs, Chemicals, and sand.

3.   Dry

Ideally, dry the leaves in a salad spinner.  If you do not have one, you can drain the leaves in a colander and blot them dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to remove all the outer moisture. Keep in mind that any extra water left on the lettuce will further exacerbate the formation of ice crystals, damaging the fragile leaves and causing freezer burn.

4.   Bag and seal

put the dry and washed leaves in a freezer bag. Carefully press out the air to keep the flavor of the leaves and the freshness. Seal up the bag. If you are freezing more than one kind of lettuce you can use a separate zip lock bag  

Method 2: How to puree lettuce

1.   Sort

First of all, you need to cut the stems and remove the discolored leaves.

2.   Wash

If you wash the leaves thoroughly it will remove bacteria, Bugs, Chemicals, and sand.

3.   Lightly dry

Put the leaves in a colander and shake the water off until most of the water is off. Gently clean the leaves with a paper towel or a tea towel. We will be pureeing so there is no problem if some moisture is left on the leaves.

4.   Blend

Put the cleaned leaves in a blender and blend at high speed. Use a plunger to push down on the leaves and keep adding leaves so they will break down to a green pulpy puree.

5.   Freeze in an ice tray.

You can now pour the puree into an ice cube tray. Put in the freezer until it is frozen fully.

6.   Transfer to bag

When fully frozen you can remove the ice cubes and put them in a zip lock bag and place them back in the freezer. When you are ready to use you can use them in curries, soups, smoothies, and casseroles.

Method: How to thaw lettuce

Lettuce can be used in many ways, it can be used thawed or fresh in soups, stews, smoothies. Here are some steps to help you defrost lettuce the correct way and safely

Method 1: Refrigerate

Remove the lettuce from the bag from your freezer. Put the bag in the refrigerator so it can thaw out overnight

Method 2: Room temperature

Take the bag out of the freezer and keep at room temperature for two hours. Put the zip lock bag on a tea towel or a plate so it can thaw without much mess. When it is defrosted put it in the fridge if you don’t want to use it straight away

Conclusion

Lettuce doesn't have immediate use in the kitchen but it doesn’t mean you have to toss it in the bin. You can either freeze it, blend it or bag it, There is heaps things you can do with your greens. It can be added in frozen to a berry smoothie and it will give you a nice icy drink that has hidden nutrients that you would hardly think coming from greens. A fair bit of water will be released when you use it from frozen to cooking.  Keep in mind the throwing time before adding green and throw your greens beforehand.  Have a fun time cooking.