One great way to make vegetables last longer to freeze them. I always buy veggies in bulk (it’s so much cheaper) but since we are a small household this technique helps to avoid waste and eventually saves time as the veggies are already chopped, precooked and portioned ready to be added to any meal!
Here we can show you how to freeze so many vegetables and fruits; carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, squash, kale, potatoes, onions, peppers, celery, fruits and herbs.
These can last over a year in the freezer however I usually would use them by 10 months as they will slowly lose flavour over time.
Preparation
Trim and cut your vegetables as you would for regular meal preparation.
For example for carrots, trim the roots and dice and for onions peel and slice, for potatoes peel and cut into portions, fries or keep whole if wanted.
Many vegetables need to be blanched before freezing; carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, squash, kale and potatoes.
Others can be prepared and put directly into the freezer; spinach, onions, peppers, celery, berries, citrus fruits. Either using the baking sheet method first (see top tip) or just directly in air tight freezer bag or containers.
Herbs can be directly added to the freezer in airtight bag or container, or use an ice cube tray to keep them divided into portions.
Blanching
Many vegetables will need blanching before freezing, this helps to retain the colour and flavour of the product.
Firstly, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Once boiling, submerge the vegetables in the hot water for 5 minutes on boiling. They don’t need cooking fully, the vegetables should be quite firm after blanching.
For greens such as kale, spinach and broccoli, they need around 3 minutes blanching to let them wilt slightly but maintain the colour
After blanching, transfer the vegetables into a bowl of cold water (with ice if possible!) or run under cold tap to keep water cold. This shocks the veggies and stops the cooking process.
Strain the vegetables and pat away any excess water, divide the vegetables into portion sizes in freezer bags or containers, remove as much air as possible before sealing.
TOP TIP: To have individually frozen pieces (instead of solid frozen block) lay out the vegetables on a baking sheet without touching each other and put into the freezer to initially freeze, once frozen solid combine into airtight bag or container. This is advised for potatoes and fruits especially!
Thawing
Most vegetables can be added directly from the freezer into your dish and heat up pretty easily.
However some may require thawing slightly, especially if you didn’t use the baking sheet method first.
Be aware that fruits such as berries can go quite mushy when completely thawed so are best used straight away into your dish or are perfect for smoothie bowls.
Did you try this recipe? Get in touch and let us know!
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