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Freezing Vegetables

© Vic Ferri

There are three basic methods for preserving vegetables - freezing, canning and drying. Each has its pros and cons, but without question, freezing is the quickest, easiest, and most common method of preserving vegetables and the nutrients they contain. Frozen foods come closest to tasting fresh and are great steamed or used in stir fries, soups or stews.

To obtain the best quality and longest storage life, it is important to blanch your vegetables in boiling water before freezing them. Blanching is necessary to inactivate enzymes in the vegetables. If these enzymes are not stopped, your vegetables can start to lose quality after after just a few weeks in the freezer. They`ll develop "off" flavors and a tough texture. There also tends to be a loss of vitamins and that garden-fresh color, when vegetables are frozen unblanched. The blanching process will prevent all these bad points and give you nine to twelve months, or even more, of quality storage time.

Blanching - Basic Method To blanch, bring to a rapid boil 1 gallon of water per pound of vegetables. Place the vegetables(cut or chopped as needed)in a wire basket, mesh bag, or similar utensil and immerse them in the boiling water for the required length of time for that particular vegetable. Keep the pot or kettle covered. As soon as the time is up, remove the vegetables and immediately put them in ice cold water. Chill the vegetables until they are completely cold, about the same amount of time as it took for the blanching, then drain well and pack for freezing.

Blanching Time Blanching time is crucial and varies with the vegetable and size. Under-blanching stimulates the activity of enzymes and is worse than no blanching. Over-blanching causes loss of flavor, color, vitamins and minerals. Make sure to follow the recommended blanching times for the particular vegetables you wish to freeze(see end of article)

The Cooling As soon as blanching is complete, vegetables should be cooled quickly and thoroughly to stop the cooking process. To cool, plunge the basket of vegetables immediately into a large quantity of cold water, 60ºF or below. Change water frequently or use cold running water or iced water. If ice is used,about one pound of ice for each pound of vegetable is needed. Cooling vegetables should take the same amount of time as blanching. Drain vegetables thoroughly after cooling. Extra moisture can cause a loss of quality when vegetables are frozen.

Steam Blanching

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