How to freeze lettuce leaves for the winter: in the freezer of the refrigerator, freezing watercress

Leaf lettuce is an excellent decoration for dishes. And also a good source of valuable substances. It helps prevent the development of many different diseases and brings great benefits to humans. The only drawback is that fresh and high-quality greens are only available in summer. In winter, you have to refuse or buy tasteless greenhouse analogues in grocery stores.

A simple way out is to make blanks. Let's figure out how to freeze lettuce leaves, what types to choose, how long to store. Nuances, secrets and recommendations for proper defrosting.

Why freeze lettuce leaves?

Salad contains a lot of water. It is crispy, juicy, and requires careful handling. The leaves are often used to decorate dishes. But it is after freezing that this cannot be done. The greenery loses its shape, becomes soft and limp, and loses its presentable appearance.

Pros of frozen salad:

preserves vitamins and microelements;
the product is rich in fiber;
fresh taste;
just prepare.

Minuses:

loses shape;
becomes limp;
the juice runs out.

Do you freeze lettuce leaves?

Not really

The product is used mainly for vegetable salads and to enrich the diet. Green cocktails - smoothies - are prepared from it. It can be added to cold sauces, soups, dressings, various pastes and spreads, purees, and side dishes. Allowed to be added to baked goods with cabbage, rice, potatoes, and meat. Any food options except desserts.

Lettuce leaves can be frozen whole, chopped or pureed. Depends on the variety. Shelf life 10-12 months. It must be defrosted in the refrigerator.

Selection and preparation of lettuce for storage

To ensure a satisfying salad harvest, you need to take care of the quality of the preparations. To do this, you need to choose the right lettuce leaves and prepare them for storage.

Only healthy and strong leaves should be prepared. They should not show signs of damage or disease. Use juicy and large greens.
The shelf life of fresh lettuce in the refrigerator is about two days. Greens are placed in vegetable drawers and wrapped in a damp towel.
You can leave the washed leaves in the water, after covering them with cling film. Watch the amount of space between the sprouts - there should be enough. This method will help keep the plant fresh longer.
Lettuce will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator if placed in an airtight container. A paper towel or napkin is usually placed at the bottom of the container, lettuce is placed on top and covered with paper. The container itself closes tightly. Be sure to let the washed leaves dry before doing this.
There is an option for storing greens unwashed. To do this, you need to sort out the leaves, leaving the healthiest and most beautiful ones. Place the greens on a tray and cover with cling film. Place the salad in the bottom compartment of the refrigerator. This will keep the lettuce from spoiling within a week.

These options are not suitable for long-term harvesting. Fortunately, there are other ways to preserve lettuce for the winter at home.

You can prepare the salad in a container for several weeks.

How to properly freeze lettuce leaves in the freezer

Housewives still ask if they can freeze fresh green salad for the winter. Someone had a bad experience. You can freeze it. But not all species tolerate the process well. Iceberg and Kress are often frozen in this way. Rarely multi-colored species. The home harvest is harvested in the afternoon.

Step-by-step preparation instructions:

Sort through, rinse. You should always wash it for freezing, regardless of where you collect it. For drying and storing in the refrigerator, it is better not to wet the leaves. It is advisable to soak purchased leaves in salt water - the dangerous substances will go away.
Dry as much as possible. Shake off all drops first, then spread on a towel. Choose the coolest place in the house.
Place into bags and containers. Iceberg can be cut or torn by hand.
Seal and freeze.

Kress is a leader. It tolerates freezing well in bulk, in containers. The leaves retain their natural flavor throughout the winter and provide great health benefits. It is not advisable to crush or compact a miniature plant. Then after defrosting it will easily return to its original shape.

What can you freeze them with?

It is not necessary to prepare only leaves. We suggest freezing it for the winter along with various additives.

There are several options:

assorted _ It is useful and convenient to immediately freeze different varieties. Mixtures are often used in winter snacks, cocktails;
mixtures with other greens . They are popular. Parsley, dill, cilantro, basil, arugula. Any options at your discretion. Convenient additives for preparing salads with tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage;

In oil . Often green leaves are cut, filled into molds, and filled with sunflower oil. It helps preserve the workpiece. The only drawback is that it is not suitable for all dishes.

Features of freezing lettuce leaves

For lovers of purees and green smoothies, it makes sense to immediately chop the leaves in a blender, package them, and freeze them. In this form they will take up much less space in the camera.

In what container should it be stored?

Bags, cling film, and containers are most often used. When preparing purees, chopped herbs, or smoothie mixtures, the crushed mass can be poured into plastic bottles, juice boxes, cups, and silicone baking or ice molds.

You can freeze without a lid. Only after the ice has hardened should it be transferred to an airtight container.

Salad leaves in the freezer

Only fresh lettuce leaves with strong veins are selected for freezing. Withered, wrinkled and deformed will not suit us. The leaf color is soft green, not yellow or spotted.

Tip It is important to wash the lettuce before freezing, as this will not be possible after thawing. Whatever one may say, the lettuce leaf withers a little after defrosting and loses its elasticity.

How to freeze fresh lettuce:

Remove excess roots, rinse the greens in running water.
Shake the leaves to remove any excess droplets. Spread everything out in an even layer and blot with napkins. Moisture should remain at a minimum, otherwise the salad will not last long.
It is better to dry the leaves faster: after being cut from the garden, they quickly wither.
Prepare in advance convenient containers with lids, plastic trays, and ziplock bags. Even cling film will do, as long as the packaging is durable and does not allow odors to pass through.
Make portions convenient for one-time use. Leaf lettuce cannot be defrosted again; after removing it from the chamber, it must be used immediately.
When placing a serving of greens in a bag or container, try to remove as much air as possible.
Hide the bags in the freezer. If this is provided in your equipment, set the temperature below the standard -18 degrees.
The shelf life of fresh green leaves in sealed packaging is up to 1 year. Try to sell the salad faster, as it loses vitamins from long-term storage.
When removed, such a salad will no longer be delicate like a fresh one, but it will retain its taste and nutrients. Add leaves to vegetable mixtures, green smoothies, appetizers, sandwiches, soups, omelettes and toppings.

We recommend: How to prepare arugula for the winter: freezing, drying, preserving and growing on the windowsill

Advice Miss Clean magazine strongly discourages cutting off the roots and chopping the lettuce leaf with a knife. The metal causes the juice to oxidize, the edges of the lettuce leaf darken and look untidy. Chop the salad only with your hands - just tear it into manageable pieces.

How long can lettuce be stored in the freezer?

Greens can be stored for a long time only at temperatures of -18 degrees and below. Shelf life is 10-12 months. At -15 only 6-8 months. It is important to use sealed packaging to prevent air from entering. The longer the product sits, the less benefit it will bring to the body.

Freezing does not tolerate temperature changes. During a power outage, it is important not to open the freezer. If the freezer is broken, you can take the food out to the balcony or street in winter. It is important to use as soon as possible.

Freezing lettuce leaves and how to use them

If you decide to prepare a green salad in the freezer, then choose freezing methods. You can freeze greens whole, finely chopped or pureed. How to properly freeze lettuce leaves in the freezer?

Entirely

Whole leaves are pleasant to eat and can also be used to decorate dishes. This gives the food an appetizing appearance. To prepare greens, follow these steps:

Select plant parts suitable for long-term storage. Do not take small and withered leaves.
Rinse the salad well with running water. If it is important for you to preserve the bright color of green salad leaves, then plunge them into boiling water for one minute, and then immediately into ice water.
Dry the leaves by spreading them loosely. There should be enough space. Make sure there is no moisture left on the leaves. Its excess will contribute to the appearance of ice, which will change the taste of the greens even more.
Prepare airtight containers. They must be clean and dry.
Place paper towels or napkins on the bottom. Prepared leaves are placed on top.
Containers must be tightly closed and placed in the freezer.

Whole lettuce leaves can also be frozen in vacuum bags or foil. Of course, defrosted greens are not suitable for preparing fresh vegetable dishes. Luckily, there are other options for preparing lettuce. What can you make from leaves that have been stored in the freezer? Smoothies, omelettes, stews, vegetable soups. Frozen greens go well with foods that are heat-treated.

It is convenient to store vegetables and herbs in containers in the freezer

Finely chopped

Many housewives take care of supplies of herbs and vegetables in advance during the cold season. It is very convenient to add small greens to dishes without wasting time chopping food. Salad preparations for the winter can be chopped.

Grinded to puree

How to use frozen salad? Add it to dishes as a seasoning. And lettuce, crushed to a puree, is suitable for making soups and side dishes.

Frozen salad puree in cubes is convenient to add to dishes

Wash the greens in cold water.
Grind with a blender to make a paste.
Divide the puree into the molds. You can do this by first frying the greens in sunflower or olive oil. If you add seasonings and other herbs to the mixture, you get an excellent ready-made addition to dishes. This option will retain more vitamins in the plant and will delight you with a bright taste.

Vitamin puree from lettuce will appeal to many. Greens in this form are stored for a long time and go well with various products.

This is how I freeze salad for the winter

Freezing basil for the winter

When you freeze basil for the winter, it retains all the beneficial essential oils. The first step is to get fresh basil with soft stems. The bunches are washed in running water, dried and the stems are removed.

After or during chopping with a knife or using a blender (but not into powdered puree), the basil is sprinkled with olive oil, which will prevent the product from darkening when frozen and will give it a more piquant taste, although this is not necessary. The prepared basil is placed in containers or sealed bags and placed in the freezer.

Now our dear housewives will have no questions about how to freeze greens for the winter - it’s all as easy as shelling pears. Take action!

Method 1. Freeze

How to freeze salad correctly so that all nutrients and minerals are preserved:

Option 1. Ice cubes

To preserve the rich color and smell of greenery, you need to fill it with oil:

take fresh, washed and dried leaves;
It is best to tear off the root with your hands, since a knife oxidizes the greens;
Also tear the leaves with your hands or grind them in a blender;
fill the ice tray;
pour melted butter, olive or grape seed oil on top;
put in the freezer;
Place the frozen green cube in a plastic bag to prevent other odors from getting inside;
put back into the freezer.

Shelf life - about a year

When storing this way, you need to close the bags/foil very tightly and remove the air. If air remains inside, the greens will quickly spoil:

Wash the salad thoroughly;
dry with paper towels;
tear or cut into small pieces;
put portions into bags or foil - there is no need to defrost and freeze again, the greens will lose their taste and appearance;
put in the freezer.

These greens are best used when preparing omelettes, soups, and vegetable stews.

The disadvantage of this type of freezing is that the containers will take up a lot of space in the freezer:

take any type of fresh salad;
wash under running water several times;
dry by laying it on a towel;
place the leaves on a cutting board, for example, or on something hard;
place in the freezer for several hours;
take out the greens and put them in containers;
put it back in the freezer

How to properly freeze lettuce leaves

Many housewives experiment with storing food because they want to preserve their greens for at least a few months. The problem with storage most often lies in the structure of the plant fibers; they cannot withstand freezing of water, which subsequently leads to the destruction of the structure of the product, which loses its presentation. You can no longer add it to your dish, as it will turn into lumps of light green color.

But we have an answer to the question of whether you can freeze lettuce leaves using some special method to preserve the taste. The main thing is to be able to correctly understand the varieties, so you can preserve the properties as effectively as possible.

There are several recommendations:

You should buy chicory varieties of greens: subspecies Endive and Escarole. They lend themselves well to cold processing, as they contain absolutely no water.
The well-known Lettuce is strictly prohibited from being frozen by any means. As a result, after defrosting, you will get a green mush that will lose all its taste and nutritional properties.

It all depends on the salad you choose and the liquid content in it. For long-term storage, it is best not to stock up on greens for future use. If you want to keep dill, salad leaves and other greens that you have accumulated fresh, use a marinade that can preserve not only the taste of the products, but also their consistency. The storage procedure is very simple, so you should use the tips presented.

About lettuce leaves

Freezing methods

There are several ways to freeze fresh herbs for the winter. They must be selected depending on where you plan to use it in the future.

Bunches

In order not to bother too much, the green mass can be frozen in its entirety in bunches. Here's how to do it:

Form a small bunch of washed and dried greens with the stems removed.
Wrap it in cling film or foil, forming a kind of sausage or roll.
Place in the freezer.

To consume, you will need to remove the “sausage” from the freezer, open it at one end and chop the required amount of greens. Wrap up the rest and place it back in the freezer. If the integrity of the film or foil is accidentally damaged, wrap it in a new layer.

You can freeze any greens in bunches. In this form it can be used in salads, first courses, side dishes, pies, sauces, pizza.

There is also a way to store greens in bags and containers:

Dry the washed branches and place them on a tray (baking tray, tray, plate, dish) in one layer.
Place in the freezer for two to three hours.
After this time, remove the branches from the freezer and scatter them in vacuum or regular bags, or in plastic containers.

The green seasoning prepared in this way is immediately removed from the freezer before being placed in the finished dish and, without defrosting, is chopped and then added to the food.

Using the freezing method, you can prepare , , .

Sliced

If you have time, then all the grass that you plan to freeze will need to be chopped.

Chopped plants are frozen as follows:

Wash and dry.
Finely chop with a knife or scissors.
Place in a regular or vacuum bag.
Level it well and release the air.
Send the package to the freezer.

This way you can freeze one type of herb or several.
Preferably in small batches. There is another way to freeze cut plants:

The finely chopped green mass is wrapped in film, thus creating a “sausage”, as is the case with bunches. The length of such a package should not exceed 10-12 cm - this is enough for four to five uses.
Place the “sausage” in the freezer.

To always have fresh herbs on hand, you can grow herbs (, ,) on the windowsill.

Ice cubes

Few people know how to freeze greens in the freezer into cubes. However, this is a simple matter and not at all troublesome. Here's what the process looks like in practice:

Finely chop the washed and dried plants.
Place, compacting, in ice trays.
Fill the molds with water.
Place in the freezer.

The cubes can continue to be stored in the ice tray. Or you can remove them after freezing and pour them into one container or bag.

Cubes are also great for freezing herbs for tea. To do this, they are first brewed in a teapot, and then, after the tea has cooled, it is poured into ice molds. After freezing, such cubes are good to add to regular hot tea or simply boiled water for a herbal taste. They are also used for wiping the face for various skin problems, or for toning.

Did you know?
At first, the inhabitants of Ancient Greece and Rome did not eat it, but decorated their homes with it and prepared medicinal potions from it.

How not to store leaf lettuce

Storing green salad after it has been washed should not occur in tightly closed containers and especially in plastic bags. In this case, condensation will form on the walls of the container, which will accelerate the decay of the greens.
But even without packaging, in an open form, you cannot store leaf lettuce. The plant will lose most of its moisture and become limp the next day. This can happen due to large evaporation inside the household refrigerator and chapping of the product.

We suggest you read: Is it possible to wash boots in a washing machine?

If you figure out how to store leaf lettuce for the winter, you can have a healthy addition to various dishes on hand almost all year round. You can use one piece of advice from this article, or you can use several at once.