Can you Freeze Watercress? – How Long Can You Store Watercress In The Freezer?

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Can you Freeze Watercress?: Freezing watercress is not a myth, but there are exceptions for freezing this leaf vegetable. You can definitely think of freezing the plant but need to consider the tips and process. Watercress is an aquatic leaf plant of the cabbage family.

This plant is used widely for salad preparations. You can also choose to use the plant for soups, curries, and other vegetable recipes. In this write-up, we will be figuring out how to fridge watercress and for how long can you freeze watercress.

Can you Freeze Watercress

Can you Freeze Watercress?

Yes, you can freeze watercress. You can freeze the watercress vegetable for up to 3 months in the freezer. You can’t freeze fresh or raw watercress. It is recommended to make it as a soup, pesto, or a recipe for freezing watercress. Here we are giving the simple steps to freeze watercress.

How to Freeze Watercress?

Well, freezing watercress is not as simple as it sounds. Similar to other salad leaves like lettuce, cabbage, etc., watercress does not freeze well in the freezer. When you take off the plant from its roots, it usually ends up drying out. Therefore, it is always preferable to freeze salad-like plants following the below tips.

  • Add watercress to a soup or other soup-like curries before freezing it for months. If you choose to freeze it along with other vegetables, you can store watercress in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • If you wish to use watercress for a salad for days, wash it off properly and put it into an air-tight plastic package, and place it in the freezer.
  • Make sure you use the leaves within three to four days for getting a proper crunch for salads. If you place it for weeks, the crunch will not remain the same and it will become delicate.

These are the two best options to choose from when you want to freeze watercress. Watercress does not come with long-life sustainability like other vegetables. Therefore, it is always suggestive to shop for watercress on weekly basis for regular meals.

Also Refer: Can you Freeze Watercress Soup

Tips to Freeze Watercress

Be mindful while choosing to freeze watercress for any reason you are willing to do so. Kindly, consider the below suggestions for freezing the leaf plant.

  • Freeze Once

While freezing the watercress make sure you freeze it once and not twice. Even if you freeze it once, the texture of the leaf changes. Therefore, it is recommendable to use frozen watercress for those recipes which do not deal with its texture. For instance- if you are making a bowl of soup you can surely add frozen watercress for flavours. However, wondering whether to use it for fresh salad will not be a good option.

While you freeze the watercress, the texture changes. The crunch of the leaf plant will somewhat lower down and become soggy. Additionally, try to use up all the frozen watercress at once. It is because, if you open up the freezer bag once and take out some portion and place it back, it is sure that the leaves will become soggy.

  • Use Fresh—Always

It is always advisable for the usage of watercress to use the leaves when they are fresh and crunchy. Watercress is highly a chosen option for salads. The leaves not only bring favours to the salads but also gives a crunchy texture. However, when you use them once they have frozen the texture changes and you will no longer enjoy the feeling while having a salad.

  • Use for Soups

The best choice to use a frozen leaf of watercress is to use it in soup or soupy-like dishes. You can simply take out the frozen watercress and add it to the soup. The addition of watercress will provide additional nutrients and vitamins. Even though the flavours will not remain the same as the fresh watercress, but will definitely add some extra hit to the soup.

  • Blend It!

One of the best options is to freeze watercress to blend it off and then freeze it in an air-tight container. You can also make cubes in the freezer and use the cubes for making dishes with includes greens. You can add the cubes to the pan along with other ingredients of a recipe. Use the frozen cubes of the watercress blend to add extra nutrients to a recipe.

These are the tips to follow for freezing watercress. Follow the above-mentioned tips to use frozen watercress for the best outcomes.

Steps to Freeze Watercress

Follow the below steps to freeze watercress for soup and stir-fry dishes.

  • Wash the watercress properly removing all dirt.
  • Place it in cold water for two minutes.
  • Drain off all the water using wax paper on a tray.
  • Place the leaves in the freezer for 3-4 hours.
  • Take out the leaves from the freezer and place them in a tight container or freezer bag.
  • Put off the lid tightly or seal the bag properly before storing it for months.
  • Set the date of freezing over the cover of the package and use them when you need.

How Long Can You Freeze Watercress?

As mentioned above the maximum amount of time one can freeze watercress is for 3 months. If you are blending it or storing it for soup, you can use it for up to 3 months. Or else, try to use watercress within two days for fresh salads.

Frozen watercress will change its consistency, so you should preferably freeze it only when you do not want to waste it. If you can use it while being fresh, use it up. Nothing else can be a better option than using it fresh.

If you want to keep watercress for salads, do not keep it in the freezer, rather keep it in a bag in the freeze. This way you can use it quite fresh for salads the next day. At room temperature, the watercress lasts fresh for 3-4 hours. After that the structure of the leaves with break down making them dry. During the hot season, it will hardly last at room temperature for 2 hours.

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How to Defrost Frozen Watercress?

Rather than defrosting the frozen watercress, use it as soon as you take it out of the freeze. If you let the frozen watercress defrost it will become soggy. Therefore, it is better to use it for soup or other recipes as it is.

Why Does Watercress Not Freeze Well?

Watery vegetables like lettuce, watercress, etc., freeze easily. However, the walls of these leaf plants are broken while frozen. Freezing disturbs the structure of these water-rich plants. Usually, these plants are used for salad purposes or to provide crunch to the recipes. Freezing these plants will damage the structure and hence the texture you want for the recipes will be affected.

However, if you pickle these water-like vegetables they are good to freeze. It is because once you think of making pickles, the structure of the watercress is already broken.

FAQs on Can You Freeze Watercress

1. How do you blanch and freeze watercress?

You can blanch and freeze the watercress by placing the watercress in the boiling water for 1 minute and shifting it to an ice cube tray immediately. Transfer these into airtight containers and place them in the freezer.

2. How long can you freeze watercress?

Freezing watercress is not an ideal option. Even then if you choose to freeze it for any purpose, it can last up to three months in a freezer.

3. Can you freeze homemade watercress soup?

Yes, you can freeze homemade watercress soup.

4. What is the best way to store watercress in a refrigerator?

The best way to refrigerate the Watercress is Clean the leaves properly, Place them in a cold-water bowl, and Cover the top portion of the watercress with a plastic bag. This way the leaves will remain fresh for three days around in a refrigerator.

Key Takeaways

Watercress freezing is not a myth, it is possible. But, people choose to use it when the leaves are fresh. Fresh watercress provides good nutrients for the body. However, the write-up guides you in freezing watercress whenever you wish to do so. For more details on the usage of leafy greens and freezing tips, follow our website.

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