The local Farmer’s Markets are already going strong. It’s the perfect time to stock up on vegetables. Freezing vegetables is a great way to save money, reduce waste, and make quick meals easier. Some veggies freeze beautifully, while others need a little prep (like blanching) to keep their texture and flavor.
Best All-Around Freezer Vegetables
The following vegetables hold up well in both taste and texture. These vegetables are perfect for soups, stir-fries, and casseroles.
- Broccoli: Cut your broccoli into florets. Then blanch broccoli and freeze.
- Carrots: Slice or dice your carrots to the desired size. Next blanch your carrots and freeze.
- Green Beans: Trim off the ends of your green beans. Snap or cut to desired size. Then blanch your green beans and freeze.
- Peas: Shell your peas. Then blanch briefly and freeze.
- Corn: Freeze your corn either on or off the cob but blanch first.
Vegetables You Can Freeze Without Blanching
The following vegetables are super easy to prepare. Just chop and freeze. Consider freezing in smaller portions depending on the use.
- Onions
- Garlic
- Bell Peppers (Great for cooking but will lose their crispness)
- Celery
Leafy Greens
The following vegetables are best for cooking later. They do not hold their crispness to use in salads after thawing. They are best for soups or pastas. Blanch these vegetables quickly, squeese out water, and freeze in desired potions.
- Spinach
- Kale
- Swiss Chard
Vegetables Best Frozen for Use in Recipes
The texture of these vegetables will change when they are frozen. Most will soften but they are still very useful for soups, sauces, casserole or baking recipes.
- Tomatoes: Freeze your tomatoes whole or chopped. If you have your own garden with abundance of tomatoes, freeze them to can later. For example, frozen tomatoes are perfect for canning spaghetti sauce.
- Zucchini and Other Squashes: Slice and blanch your vegetables.
- Eggplants: Cook your eggplant first for the best results. You can simply blanch the eggplant. But their texture is better if cooked.
Quick Freezing Tips
Pinterest has all sorts of recipes for freezing vegetables. The site is a wonderful resource. But here is the basic terminology.
- Blanching: This is a key step for most vegetables. Briefly boil your vegetables then place them in an ice bath. The process helps preserve the flavor.
- Dry: To prevent ice crystals forming on your vegetables, dry well before freezing.
- Flash Freeze: Spread your vegetables out on a tray then place them in your freezer. Flash freezing prevents clumping.
- Proper Containers: Use freezer bags or containers to properly preserve your vegetables. Laying your freezer bags flat allows you to save space in your freezer. Remember to label your containers with dates.
Freezing vegetables is a great way to stock up for the winter months.
