Cooking Tips
Freezing Vegetables

[ Freezing Vegetables | Vegetable Preparation | Approximate Yields ]

Freezing Vegetables

Excellent frozen products may be had from most vegetables when:

1. the proper varieties are used.
2. they are harvested at the right time.
3. they are adequately scalded and cooled.
4. they are packaged correctly.

Many frozen vegetables are fresher than those purchased on the "fresh market". Practically all frozen vegetables may be stored for one year.

Choose a variety that is recommended for eating fresh, or a newer variety which has been found to be especially suitable for freezing. Do not depend too heavily on the variety for quality in frozen vegetables, because other factors are equally important.

If you grow your own, harvest tender vegetables at the best stage to be eaten fresh, or slightly younger. Process on the day harvested or bought and never use if allowed to become over-mature either before or after harvesting. The fresher the vegetables when frozen, the more satisfactory the product.

If it is necessary to store vegetables for a short time, spread them in a cool, well-ventilated place or in the refrigerator. Prompt cooling in ice water followed by storage in the refrigerator will help retain flavor and other qualities.

Scalding or Blanching

Scalding is a critical step in preparing vegetables for freezing and must be done carefully. (This is a "must" for all vegetables to be stored frozen for more than 4 weeks, except those used exclusively for their flavor such as green onions, hot peppers, and herbs). Scalding cleanses the surface of dirt and organisms, brightens the color, helps retain vitamins, and reduces the action of enzymes which otherwise would destroy the fresh flavor after about 4 weeks. It also shrinks the product, making packing easier.

Immediately before scalding, wash, drain, sort, trim, and cut the vegetables as for cooking fresh. Use one gallon of water per pound vegetable -- two gallons for leafy greens. Put vegetables into blancher (wire basket, coarse mesh bag, or perforated metal container) and lower into vigorously boiling water. Begin counting the time as soon as vegetable is placed in the boiling water. Keep the heat on high and stir water, or keep container covered during blanching. Follow the scalding time given for each vegetable. This is very important because under scalding stimulates the activity of enzymes and is worse than no scalding. Prolonged scalding causes loss of vitamins, minerals, flavor, and color.

Cooling

As soon as scalding is complete the vegetables should be cooled quickly to stop the cooking process. This may be done by immersing the vegetables in ice water or spreading them thinly on a wet cloth in front of a fan. They would be stirred several times during cooling which should not be longer than the scalding time. If water is used it should be as cold as possible in order to reduce the time of immersion. Otherwise nutrients, flavor, and color will be lost. To aid cooling, pour hot vegetables into a cool colander -- leaving hot basket to scald more vegetables.

With a large quantity, determine how many vegetables can be blanched in 15 minutes. Prepare this amount, leaving the others in the refrigerator; blanch and cool these before packaging. Package, label, and place in freezer. Continue until all vegetables are frozen. The same scalding water may be reused for the same product, but keep the water at the proper level.

Packaging

Vegetables usually are packaged loose without seasoning. Immediately after scalding and cooling, pack the vegetables in meal-size, air-tight, moisture-vapor-proof containers. Quart or pint size Ball plastic freezer bags have been found most suitable for home packaging of many frozen vegetables. After placing the vegetables in bag, press out all of the air possible, twist the top of the bag so as to form a spiral, bend spiral back to form a gooseneck, and then wrap it with a fastener. Bags closed in this manner need not be sealed and can therefore be used again. BCG jars and Ball plastic freezer boxes also are excellent.

Labeling

Label with name of product and date frozen. Ball freezer boxes have a Date Patch on lid.

Freeze Quickly

Place sealed packages in freezer in single layers, leaving 1" head space between packages. Use coldest part of freezer for freezing foods. Foods should freeze in 12 to 24 hours.

Storage

When completely frozen, packages may be compactly stacked. Keep the freezer at 0 degrees F. or lower at all times.

Thawing and Preparing Vegetables

Most vegetables can be cooked without thawing. The exception to this is corn-on-the-cob, the only vegetable which should be completely thawed before being cooked. All greens should be partially thawed so as to separate them before cooking. Precooked vegetables should also be partially thawed.

To maintain quality, cook frozen vegetables as you would fresh ones -- but cook them for a shorter period of time because they were blanched before freezing. Use the smallest amount of water possible. Time the cooking so the vegetables may be served immediately, because nutrients are lost if the vegetable is allowed to stand safer cooking. Cook only the amount that can be consumed at one meal.

Source: Ball Corporation

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