The best ways to freeze vegetables for the winter

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-12 17:37

Freezing vegetables at home is one of the most popular ways to harvest for the winter. Its advantages are obvious: the products are not processed by high temperatures, the use of salt, sugar, preservatives is not required, the cooking time is reduced, and the maximum of useful components is preserved.

General rules for freezing

Freezing vegetables, like other types of blanks for future use, has its own technological subtleties:

1. Choose ripe but firm vegetables without deformation or signs of disease.
2. Wash and dry the fruit thoroughly before freezing.
3. Some vegetables need blanching to prevent microbial growth and inhibit oxidative stress.
4. To store the workpieces, use bags (dense plastic, with special zip fasteners) or plastic containers for freezers.
5. The storage temperature should not exceed -18 ° C, otherwise the shelf life of processed foods will be reduced from 8-12 to 2-3 months.
6. Do not re-freeze thawed workpieces.
7. Choose the cutting method and serving size based on the future use of the vegetables.
8. For ease of preparation, sign the date and type of freezing.

Ways to freeze vegetables at home

Cold processing allows you to preserve the maximum of nutrients contained in the fruits. Almost all vegetables can be frozen, except for radishes, turnips and radishes. After defrosting, they lose their taste, become watery and acquire an unpleasant odor.

Freezing vegetables for the winter at home can be done in several ways:

• whole fruits are harvested fresh or baked (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants);
• cut into pieces (halves, slices, plates, bars, cubes);
• grated vegetables are convenient to use for sautéing, filling for baked goods and cereals (carrots, beets, pumpkin, peppers);
• mashed (tomatoes).

Freezing carrots

This vegetable is used in sauces for soups and main courses.

1. Cut the peeled root vegetable into cubes, circles, strips for side dishes.
2. Place on a tray and place in the freezer, covered with plastic wrap.
3. Put a scatter of frozen pieces or grated carrots in bags, store according to the general instructions.

Frozen tomatoes

Tomatoes give the dish a pleasant sourness and beautiful color.

1. Freeze meaty fruits whole, cut into wedges, circles or pieces.
2. For soups and sauces, grind the tomatoes in mashed potatoes, removing the thin skin. Pour the mixture into silicone molds and freeze. Put the frozen blanks in a bag.

Freezing peppers

This vegetable can be frozen whole or cut into large pieces, rings, strips and cubes.

1. Free the whole fruits from the entrails, blanch in boiling water for no more than 1 minute. Fold the peculiar pyramids of 3-4 peppers into bags (containers) and freeze.
2. Put the chopped peppers on a tray in one layer. Freeze, put in bags.

Frozen asparagus beans

Delicate green pods are easy to freeze at home. In winter, the beans can be used to make a mouth-watering sauté, stew, or delicious casserole.

1. Wash the pods, cut off the ends.
2. Divide into 2-3 parts, dry. Freeze on a tray.
3. Or immediately put the blanks in bags, put them in the freezer.
4. Shake the contents to be frozen to keep the beans from sticking together.
5. Store vegetables for no more than 12 months at a temperature of -18 degrees.

Frozen eggplant

Eggplants are used in vegetable and mixed side dishes. For freezing, it is better to use small fruits that have a homogeneous pulp with small seeds.

1. Remove the firm skin before slicing and blanching.
2. Cut into large pieces, circles, wedges or cubes. Blanch for 2-3 minutes in salted water.
3. Dry, place on a baking sheet and freeze. Put the blanks in bags or plastic boxes with a lid.
4. Prepare whole (half) eggplants by pre-cooking in the oven. Prick the peel with a fork, grease the fruits with oil and bake until tender. Cool and freeze in bags, releasing air.

Freezing zucchini

Delicate melons and gourds are often used in the preparation of stews, vegetable purees, soups.

1. Wash young unpeeled fruits thoroughly and wipe dry.
2. Cut into circles, large slices, cubes.
3. Spread the slices on trays in an even layer, freeze.
4. Store in tight bags for 3-12 months, observing the temperature regime.

Freezing cabbage

Depending on the type of cabbage, the methods of freezing it change.

1. Broccoli has a delicate structure, so disassemble the washed and dry heads of cabbage into inflorescences and freeze on a tray. Put in bags for storage.
2. Put the washed, dried cauliflower and Brussels sprouts on the inflorescences, blanch in acidified water. After 2-3 minutes of processing, transfer the cabbage to ice water.
3. Dry, lay out to freeze on a baking sheet covered with parchment.
4. Transfer to prepared packages, containers.

Fruits frozen for the winter at home will be a beneficial help in the kitchen. From a variety of vegetables, you can independently prepare various mixtures, significantly saving the budget and time of the hostess.