What foods can be frozen for the winter

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

Many foods can be stored in the freezer for several months and added to homemade meals as needed. Any housewife will find it useful to know what can be frozen for the winter.

What you need to know about freezing fruits and vegetables

There are many products that can be frozen in the freezer for the winter. But so that they do not lose their shape and useful properties, it is necessary to adhere to several rules for each vegetable and fruit:

Zucchini. Young fruits with a thin skin and no tails are used - they are cut in advance. If the vegetable is to be used for making stews, then it should be cut into cubes, for frying the zucchini are chopped in the form of 1 cm thick circles, and for the fritters, a grated mixture of zucchini and carrots is prepared

Beet. The vegetable must be rinsed under running water and peeled. It is crushed in any way - with a knife, blender, or rubbed with a grater. We divide everything into small portions, arrange the product in containers and use the quick freeze function

• Old onions. The vegetable is peeled from the husk and cut into slices no thicker than 1 cm. It is laid out in packages so that there is a little free space in them. Before freezing, remove the air from the bag and close it tightly. Also, onions can be pre-blanched or fried. Leeks, green onions and spinach are frozen in the same way.
• Tomatoes. Not everyone freezes tomatoes for the winter, but this is a great option for those who like to cook French meat, omelet or pizza. The vegetable is cut into slices and laid out in the upper compartment of the freezer. In this case, the bottom must be covered with cling film. Frozen rings are transferred to a bag or special container after a few hours. It is also possible to freeze whole tomatoes and even homemade tomato juice.

• Peppers. Only whole fruits with smooth skin are suitable for freezing. They are freed from stalks and seeds in advance, washed under running water, and completely dried. Peppers are laid out on a substrate for only 5-10 minutes - this time is quite enough for them to freeze. After that, it remains only to transfer them into a plastic bag.
• Plums. Before freezing, the seeds are carefully removed from the berries, then they are laid out in a horizontal position and sent to the freezer for several hours. After that, they must be transferred to a container and used in the future for the preparation of filling or compotes.

• Grape. If necessary, bunches of grapes or individual berries are harvested for the winter. But in any case, they are first laid out on a substrate for easy freezing, and then the berries are folded into one bag, which is tightly tied.
• Broccoli. For freezing, separate inflorescences are used, washed in advance in cold running water. Vegetables are sent in small portions to boiling water for 3 minutes, and then transferred to ice liquid. At the end, the broccoli is poured into a colander, and then laid out in several bags. It is very important to release all the air from them before sending them to the freezer.

Celery. The vegetable is thoroughly washed, then all large fibers are removed. It can be stored in the freezer as a whole or shredded. And if you blanch celery in advance, then its shelf life will increase from several months to a year. Dry pieces are laid out on parchment and frozen for several hours. Then they should be packed in a convenient way and hidden in the lower compartment

This is not the whole list of what you can freeze in the freezer for the winter, but it is an excellent base for preparing classic and original dishes.

Best way to store mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms and mushrooms are most suitable for winter harvesting, but you can use other mushrooms at your discretion. But again, there are a few simple rules to keep in mind.

If you want to freeze oyster mushrooms, then only fresh mushrooms are suitable for these purposes. They are very thoroughly washed, completely dry and freeze when unfolded.

After that, the mushrooms are immediately laid out in containers and frozen at the lowest temperatures.

You can also store mushrooms pre-boiled in salted water in the freezer. They are added to soup, stews, and other similar dishes. Many housewives also store mushroom broth in the freezer.

If you freeze mushrooms, then they should not be mixed with other mushrooms. The product is first kept at maximum freeze for about 12 hours, after which it is transferred to containers. It remains to set the temperature regime to about 18 ° C.

Storage periods

Before sending food to the freezer, it is worth writing the date and approximate time of freezing on containers or packages:

• berries, fruits and vegetables can be kept in the freezer for a whole year;
• stuffed mushrooms and peppers are stored from 3 months to six months;
• greens have a maximum shelf life of 4 months.

It is very important to adhere to these recommendations and not use products beyond the expiration date. This information is especially relevant for families with small children.

It is now known that you can freeze in the freezer for the winter. It will take very little time, and absolutely everyone benefits from such an activity.