How to Freeze Vegetables Correctly

How to Freeze Vegetables Correctly

Freezing food is a good way to save time and money.

Freezing food helps it to prevent the growth of bacteria, yeast and mold—all of which cause food to spoil. However, improper freezing can change the texture, flavor, or even cause spoilage.

To properly freeze food, follow these eight easy tips!

1. Choose the Right Size

Choose the right container for the amount of food to be frozen. A small amount of food stored in a large container traps a lot of air, which increases the likelihood of freezer burn and deterioration. Poor quality containers cause changes to food texture and flavor when defrosting and can cause food to spoil faster while still frozen.

2. Freeze Small Portions

Pack food in small or individual portions so they freeze quickly. This ensures a higher quality product when defrosting. Smaller items will also defrost quicker, which helps save time.

3. Proper Preparation

Most vegetables are best blanched before freezing (see instructions below) because this preserves texture, color, and flavor. Raw vegetables with high water content like lettuce and cabbage don’t freeze well because they are vulnerable to damage from ice crystals.

4. How to Blanch

• Fill a 6 Qt Dutch Oven with water and bring to a rapid boil over high heat.
• While the water heats, fill a 12-cup Bowl about three-quarters full with ice, then add enough cold water to come just to the top of the ice.
• When the water is boiling and the ice bath is ready, trim the vegetables to the size you need. It's best to trim them just prior to cooking so they won't discolor or dehydrate.
• Add the vegetables to the boiling water in small batches to ensure that the water continues to boil.
• Boil the vegetables until they're barely cooked through but still tender (see chart below). To test, remove one piece with a slotted spoon, dip it into the ice bath to cool for several seconds and then eat it.

Vegetable Blanching Time

Asparagus  2 minutes

Beans, Lima Beans, Summer Squash  2 minutes

Broccoli, cut  2 minutes

Carrots, whole  5 minutes

Cauliflower, cut  2 minutes

Celery  2 minutes

Corn on the Cob  4 minutes

Green Beans, whole  2 minutes

Green Peas, shelled  1 ½ minutes

• As soon as the vegetables are ready, remove them from the boiling water and submerge them in the ice bath for the same amount of time they spent in the boiling water.
• Remove the vegetables from the ice bath as soon as they are no longer warm and place them in freezer container.

I use Tupperware Freeze-It Containers to freeze my vegetables.

My Tupperware web page  www.myTWbiz.com

Frozen Shelf Life of Vegetables

Frozen, store bought 1 year

Asparagus 8 – 12 months

Beets, Carrots 8 – 12 months

Beans, Lima Beans, Peas, Summer Squash   8 – 12 months

Bell Peppers – chopped 3 – 4 months

Broccoli Cuts 8 – 12 months

Cauliflower 8 – 12 months

Celery 8 – 12 months

Chilies 8 – 12 months

Corn 8 – 12 months

Garlic – chopped 8 – 12 months

Onions – chopped 3 – 4 months

Greens: Collards, Kale, Mustard, Spinach, Swiss Chard 8 – 12 months

Green Beans 8 – 12 months

Herbs 8 – 12 months

Mushrooms 8 – 12 months

Tomatoes – quartered 3 – 4 months