Salad King Endive
Big heirloom energy. This frilly, gorgeous, massive endive lives up to its name. It goes hard through frost and heat and its slightly bitter, nutty taste can be added to sweet salads with apples, pears, honey, nuts, and cheese or blanched and seared for spectacular cooked dishes.
JOY MAX QUALITIES:
Grows up to 2’ tall. Make sure to space your plants out 12” for best results. We will fold up the outer leaves to blanch the interior as the crop matures.
Powers through frost and heat. Cold exposure will make the endives much sweeter.
Trim leaves along the long growing cycle to add frills and texture to salads. Cook the mature endives for elegant and tasty dishes.
Endive is great for lowering blood pressure, preventing anemia, contributing to healthy pregnancies, and regulating blood sugar.
Open-pollinated
Planting Information:
Sow seeds 1/4” deep (just barely cover) 4 inches apart. Thin successful seedlings to 12-18” apart. Thinning is important; crowded plants may bolt and go to seed. Keeping the soil moist is imperative not only through germination but also throughout the growing season. Lack of water will slow growth and cause the leaves to become bitter. You can also start indoors and then set out once temps are reliably below 80°.
BLANCHING: Endive is commonly blanched to remove some of the bitter flavors. Blanching covers the heart of the plant depriving leaves of sunlight and slowing the production of chlorophyll which causes bitterness. Blanch endive 2 to 3 weeks before mature harvest. Here are three ways to blanch endive: 1. Pull the outer leaves together and hold them in place with a tied string or rubber band; be sure leaves are not wet before pulling them together or they may rot; 2. Lay a board on supports over the center of the row that shades the center of the plants; 3. Place a flowerpot over each plant. Plants will be blanched in two to three weeks.
