For as much as endive is difficult to grow, it is wonderfully easy to shop for and use at home. Here are some tips on how to select, store and prepare California Endive:

• When selecting California Endive at the market, choose crisp, firmly packed heads that are white (blanched) or pale yellow in color. Endive that is decidedly green has been exposed to too much light, and might taste more bitter than its paler counterparts. Look for California Vegetable Specialties' new flow-pack clear film packaging - the film is made specifically to protect the endive from light and prolong its shelf life.
  
  
• Store endive in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator. If it is not in a flow-pack pouch, we suggest wrapping the heads in a paper towel to protect them from excess light and then placing them in a plastic bag.
  
  
• There is no need to wash California Endive before using it. The leaves have never been exposed to soil, and are harvested and packed under sanitary conditions. Just remove any torn or damaged leaves, trim the bottom, and you're ready to go!
  
  
• If you are using the endive raw, you may want to remove the slightly more bitter core from the head. You can do this easily by cutting the endive in half lengthwise and then cutting away the core. If you are cooking the endive, it is not necessary to remove the core, as it will soften and sweeten with cooking.