You can freeze your veggies to preserve them. You can freeze your vegetables to use in winter dishes.
Here is an extract from Farms can be made by many people Jack Kittredge & Julie Rawson. The web version has been adapted.
The Guide to Freezing Vegetables
The process of freezing vegetables is simple, even when done in small batches. You can freeze a bunch kale or Swiss chard in just ten minutes. This will make a delicious winter meal. Try this method if you don’t try any other. You’ll soon be tempted to purchase a chest-freezer to store your harvest.
The Process of Blanching & Freezing Veggies
Most vegetables should be blanched before they are frozen. This is done by scalding them in boiling or steaming water for a brief time. The rapid heating stops the enzyme activity which can cause loss of color, flavor and texture with time.
What are the best tips for freezing vegetables?
- For best results, Preparing your work area, tools and equipment well So you can work efficiently and quickly.
- Cut the vegetables into bite size pieces.
- Wait until the water boils Immerse your prepared vegetables.
- When the pot returns to a boil, start timing. Most vegetables need to cook from one to three minutes in this part of the process. What you should be looking for is the change in color.
- Dump the blanched vegetables into a colander in the sink and rinse immediately with cold water. This is easier than fussing with cooling the vegetables in an ice-water bath.
- Store the vegetables in containers that can fit efficiently into your freezer.
This technique works well with a variety of vegetables. The length of time the vegetables are left in boiling water is a variable. It is possible to do your own research. However, I recommend keeping it simple in order to be more likely.
Tips for freezing Vegetables
Based on my personal experience, I’ve compiled a list of specific tips.
Basil. I freeze the ice cubes in trays after pureeing the leaves in olive oil and blending in a blender. Pop the frozen cubes out and store them in plastic bags.
Broccoli and Brussels sprouts are both vegetables. These brassicas need to be blanched for three minutes due to their texture.
Celery. No blanching required but the product will last longer if it is blanched.
Edamame, or green soybeans. The beans will pop out easily if you boil the pods. The beans should be cooled in water to make them easier to handle.
Garlic scapes The scapes should be harvested a month prior to harvesting stiff neck garlic. Remove the stem as well as the curly bulb. We food process and chop them, add olive oil to them, and freeze them in pint containers.
Greens. Spinach and Asian greens like chard, collards, kale or kale are all ready in a matter of minutes. Before cutting up kale, collards and cabbages we remove the stems.
Leeks. Blanch between thirty and forty-five second.
Parsley, peppers. No need to blanch these vegetables. Water is produced naturally. They freeze well unblanched and keep their quality for several months.
Starchy vegetables For pea pods, remove and discard the stem ends before cutting. Remove and discard all the string from sugar snaps. Blanch the sugar snaps for two minutes. Green beans and shell peas need three minutes. The corn (cut off from the cob) requires six to eight minute.
Summer squash and zucchini. Slice the potatoes and boil them in a little water for about two minutes. Puree in water, then freeze into plastic containers.
Winter squash. Winter squash can be saved if it starts to rot on a shelf, in a root cellar or when it is stored. Remove the rind and cut it into small pieces. Then boil it with minimal water. The same as summer squash.
Recommended Reading
Tips on Harvesting and Preserving Your Harvest
Lacto-Fermenting : A faster way to ferment vegetables