Can you freeze lettuce?

Lettuce is a thin-walled cell structure holding water under pressure, and that pressure is what makes it crisp. Freezing bursts the cells, so on thawing the water runs out and the leaf collapses. USDA names lettuce, cucumbers, celery, radishes and salad greens specifically as foods that come out limp and water-logged. It is not unsafe, it is simply no longer salad, and there is no preparation that avoids this.

What goes wrong

• Leaves thaw limp, translucent and watery
• The freezer cannot be undone — there is no way to restore crispness

What to do instead

• Store lettuce washed, dried and wrapped in a towel in the fridge, which buys a week
• Freeze spinach, kale and chard instead — sturdier leaves that do freeze, once blanched
• Blend leftover leaves into a soup and freeze that

Other "can you freeze" questions

• Can you freeze cheese? It depends — Yes, and it stays safe indefinitely — but hard cheese comes out crumbly and soft cheese comes out wet.
• Can you freeze milk? Yes — Yes — leave headspace for expansion and shake it hard after thawing.
• Can you freeze eggs? It depends — Not in the shell. Beat them first, or freeze whites on their own.
• Can you freeze bread? Yes — Yes — freezing is the best way to store bread, far better than the fridge.
• Can you freeze bananas? Yes — Yes — peel and slice them first, because the peel turns black and welds itself on.
• Can you freeze cooked rice? Yes — Yes, and freezing quickly is the safest way to keep leftover rice.
• Can you freeze raw chicken twice? It depends — Only if it thawed in the fridge and never got above 4 °C (40 °F).
• Can you freeze breast milk? Yes — Yes — freeze it flat in bags, and use within six months for best quality.
• Can you freeze avocado? It depends — Yes, but only as a purée — frozen slices go grey and watery.
• Can you freeze soup? It depends — Yes for most soups; cream, milk and potato-based ones separate or go grainy.
• Can you freeze butter? Yes — Yes — butter freezes better than almost anything else in the fridge.
• Can you freeze cooked pasta? Yes — Yes — undercook it slightly and toss it in oil first, or it thaws into a solid block.