Endives are healthy and are harvested at a time of year when fresh vegetables are scarce. Some varieties can be picked fresh from the garden until December. Below you will find out how best to clean, cut and process your endive from the garden or the supermarket.

Before processing, endives must be thoroughly cleaned

Wash endives properly

Both endive from the supermarket and from your own garden are usually soiled with soil, sand and insects. This is especially true for varieties that have rather loose leaves. Therefore, the endive must be properly washed before processing:

  • Fill a clean sink with water or a large enough bowl to hold the endive completely.
  • Hang the lettuce upside down in the bowl or sink.
  • Using a sharp, clean knife, cut out the core. Cut around the stalk in the direction of the heart of the endive so that you cut out the stalk in a cone shape.
  • The leaves should now fall apart. Separate the remaining leaves by hand.
  • Wash the leaves thoroughly.
  • Wait for the sand and dirt to settle to the bottom and get the leaves out of the water.
  • If necessary, wash the endives a second time.

Dry endives

While you are taking the leaves out of the water, you can already check them for brown or damaged spots and remove them. Then place the lettuce in a salad spinner, drain the leaves in a colander or place on a dry, clean cloth and gently pat dry.

Cut endives

To trim the endives nice and evenly, place a few leaves on top of each other on a board, facing in the same direction. Check again for rotten spots and remove them. Then cut your endive leaves into fine strips.

Process endives

Endives are usually used fresh in salads. Since they taste a bit bitter, they can be combined well with sweet ingredients such as oranges, mangoes or apples.
But endive can not only be eaten raw. Search cooking sites for recipes like:

  • Endive stew with potatoes
  • Roasted endives with minced meat
  • Creamy endive vegetables
  • Endive Pepper Gorgonzola Soup
  • Pasta with endive cream sauce
  • Pasta bake with endive and pumpkin
  • Mashed potatoes with fried endives

Category:

Vegetable garden