Endive is he althy and is harvested at a time of year when few fresh vegetables are available. Some varieties can be picked fresh from the garden until December. Below you will find out how best to clean, cut and process your endives from the garden or the supermarket.
What is the best way to cut endives?
To properly cut endive, place a few leaves on top of each other on a board, remove any rotten areas and cut the leaves into fine strips. Make sure to wash and dry the endives thoroughly beforehand.
Wash endives properly
Both endives from the supermarket and from your own garden are usually contaminated with soil, sand and insects. This is especially true for varieties that have loose leaves. Therefore, the endive salad must be washed properly before processing:
- Fill water into a clean sink or a bowl large enough to fit the endive head completely.
- Hang the lettuce upside down in the bowl or sink.
- Using a sharp, clean knife, cut out the stem. Cut around the stem towards the endive heart so that you cut out the stem in a cone shape.
- The leaves should now fall apart. Separate the remaining leaves by hand.
- Wash the leaves thoroughly.
- Wait until the sand and soil have settled to the bottom and remove the leaves from the water.
- Wash the endives a second time if necessary.
Drying endives
While you are taking the leaves out of the water, you can 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 them on a dry, clean cloth and gently pat them dry.
Cutting endives
To cut the endives evenly, place a few leaves on top of each other on a board, facing the same direction. Check again for rotten spots and remove them. Then cut your endive leaves into thin strips.
Processing 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 endives can't only be eaten raw. Search cooking sites for recipes like:
- Endive stew with potatoes
- Fried endives with minced meat
- Creamy endive
- Endive, pepper and gorgonzola soup
- Pasta with endive cream sauce
- Pasta bake with endive and pumpkin
- Mashed potatoes with fried endives
