When it comes to buying vegetables, many of us often choose frozen options, particularly when we know we won’t be able to eat them all. This can be a cost-effective approach, as you can store them in the freezer and use them as required.
Commonly frozen vegetables include carrots, peas, broccoli, cauliflower and festive trimmings. However, there is one vegetable that is never available to buy in shops in a frozen, canned or cooked form – lettuce.
This is due to its texture and as lettuce is made up of 95 percent water, it does not freeze well. Chow Hound, which is a culinary site for food enthusiasts, explained: “All that water inside the lettuce freezes into ice crystals, and because frozen water expands, those crystals break down the cell walls and overall integrity of the lettuce.
“This breakdown is why it becomes mushy when you thaw it: All of the ‘skin’ of the vegetable has been ruined.”
The high water content of lettuce also explains why it’s not sold in cans as it will easily wilt. If it is ever found canned, it’s likely it will be after steaming, Gloucestershire Live reports.
For those looking to extend the shelf life of lettuce while maintaining its flavour, you may want to try pureeing it and then freezing it to use it in soups or cooked meals.
Alternatively, a food expert has shared a simple trick to store a whole lettuce while will keep your salads fresher for longer.
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Kristin Marr, culinary expert and founder of Live Simply, has branded lettuce as one of the most “notorious” vegetables for spoiling quickly due to its fragility and specific humidity needs.
She explained: “Greens need some moisture, but too much moisture is the enemy and will cause the greens to rot prematurely. This is why you don’t want to wash delicate greens in advance, only when you need them.”
She also noted that air circulation impacts lettuce’s lifespan as excessive dampness can accumulate in the tight confines of plastic wrapping, while the dry conditions of the fridge may cause wilting.
Marr advises using a simple preservation technique by separating individual lettuce leaves, placing them in a ziplock bag with paper towels, sealing it, and storing it in the fridge.
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