How to freeze lettuce?

by Abbas Jahangir · April 28, 2023

If you find yourself with an abundance of lettuce after a bumper season and are now wondering if you can freeze it, you’ve come to the right place! That’s what we’re going to talk about.

It’s not easy to answer this question and it all depends on what you plan to use your lettuce for after freezing it. If you’re hoping to use it in salads or as a garnish in the same way as fresh lettuce, alas, the answer is no. Lettuce does not freeze well for this purpose.

However, you can, in theory, freeze lettuce if you want to use it to flesh out your juices, smoothies, and to add some texture and flavor to your dishes.

How to freeze lettuce?

Cut the stem and loosen the lettuce leaves by hand.
Wash the leaves thoroughly in cold water and then drain them.
Divide the leaves into portions and put them in individual freezer bags; one serving per freezer bag.
Seal the freezer bags, pushing out as much air as possible, being careful not to crush the leaves. Lettuce leaves are delicate and easily damaged. If desired, you can use a straw to suck out excess air before closing the bags.
Label the freezer bags with the date and contents and put them in the freezer.

How to freeze mashed lettuce?

If you prefer, you can freeze your lettuce leaves as a puree. You can easily add it to recipes or juices and it will take up much less space in the freezer.

Cut the stem and loosen the lettuce leaves by hand.
Wash the leaves thoroughly in cold water and then drain them.
Put the leaves in a blender and puree them until you get the consistency you prefer.
Divide the lettuce purée into the compartments of an ice cube tray and then put the ice cube tray in the freezer for a few hours.
Once the lettuce puree is frozen, remove the ice cubes from the ice cube tray and transfer them to a labeled freezer bag.
Close the freezer bag tightly and put it in the freezer. You now have mashed lettuce ice cubes ready to add to any recipe.