Can You Freeze Lettuce?

We've all been there: Sometimes, you buy more meat or produce than you can eat that week. Sometimes, you have leftovers from dinner that you don't want to go to waste. Sometimes, there just isn't enough room in the fridge for everything that needs to be cold. The solution? Your freezer.

That being said, there are probably a lot of foods you're storing in your freezer but shouldn't be. According to North Dakota State University, though dairy products like milk, cream, and cheese can be stored in the freezer, the extreme cold can make their components separate and lose their appealing, smooth texture. Gross. On a similar note, fully cooked pasta isn't ideal for the freezer, unless you enjoy eating mush.

And what about that fresh produce? Per Hobby Farms, you should avoid freezing produce that contains a lot of water. As we learned in science class, water expands as it freezes, damaging the integrity of produce. This is true for citrus, peppers, and watermelon, but what about lettuce?

Although it may not seem like that big a deal to store your lettuce in the freezer, you might want to reconsider. According to Allrecipes, freezing lettuce and other leafy greens will only result in limp greens, and that's not exactly appetizing. But how exactly does this happen?

As explained by The Kitchn, freezing greens causes the water in them to expand, rupturing cell walls. Once you remove the greens from the freezer and thaw them out, they are no longer able to maintain their former structure. Instead, you're left with a soggy pile of wilted leaves.

However, even if you do freeze your leafy greens, it's not the end of the world. Limp greens can still be used in recipes where their texture doesn't really matter, like homemade smoothies and soups rather than fresh salads. And who wouldn't want an excuse to try out this yummy white bean and kale soup recipe?