Is it possible to freeze salad? Here is the answer

Freezing your favorite fruits or vegetables is an easy and practical method to vary your pleasures, even when the season does not necessarily permit it. Although almost all vegetables can be frozen, like carrots, peas or broccoli, some like radishes or salad seem to be exceptions. So, can you really freeze salad and if so, how?

Why are some people reluctant to freeze salad? Quite simply because it is a waterlogged vegetable. When freezing, the water retained in the leaves will crystallize and then burst. It is this process that will cause salad leaves to wilt and lose their flavor after thawing. Luckily for us, a few clever cooks seem to have figured out how to freeze salad while still keeping the salad (almost) intact.

First of all, absolutely avoid washing the salad. This could make it even softer after defrosting. Carefully cut it up, leaf by leaf, and place them in a bag emptied of air, which must then be closed airtight. Your salad is ready for a little trip in the cold, which should not last more than a week.

You can also freeze the salad once cooked. To do this, start by washing the leaves in cold water, then immerse them in boiling water for a few minutes. Then put them in a tray of ice water, squeeze them out gently and place them in an airtight container. Cooked salad can be stored in the freezer for 7 days.

If you plan to cook the salad with spinach or chard, especially in a gratin, you can remove the ribs before freezing it.

After defrosting, eat the salad, in a roulade or incorporated into a pasta recipe with candied tomatoes, cream and nuts. Another idea: make a green vegetable soup.