Freezing Fruits and Vegetables
Today, we continue our exploration of methods of preserving the harvest. One of the simplest ways to store food is in the freezer. You can freeze just about anything – fruits, veggies, herbs, meat, jelly, baked goods – with little equipment save a freezer and some plastic bags or other container.
How to Freeze Fruit
One of our favorite things to do in the summer is berry picking; we head into the winter with a freezer full of wild blueberries, currants, strawberries, and raspberries frozen at their peak ripeness.
Here are some great websites for finding pick-your-own farming operations where you can harvest lost of fresh local food for freezing.
Frozen fruit is a real treat in the middle of winter. I like to use frozen peaches and bananas as a base for smoothies, and frozen strawberries as an addition to a winter fruit salad. I often freeze fruit on a cookie sheet before transferring it to Ziploc bags. This technique keeps the fruit separated so you can remove individual pieces of fruit.
Certain fruits, like peaches benefit from a bit of lemon juice to keep their color fresh. I like to submerge peaches very briefly in boiling water to remove the peels, and then cut them into slices.
A quick and easy pie filling can be made by adding spices and sugar directly to a pre-measured amount of fruit. Simply label the bag and freeze the contents for a quick and easy winter dessert!
How to Freeze Vegetables
Frozen vegetables are a great addition to winter soups, stews, and casseroles. Almost all vegetables should be blanched before freezing. Blanching stops enzymatic activity which can cause loss of flavor, nutrients, and color.
Blanching involves first plunging prepared vegetables into a pot of boiling water then quickly cooling them. Each vegetable has a specific blanching time. See this chart for more information: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/blanching.html
The video below will teach you how to blanch green beans in preparation for freezing.
One of my favorite ways to use frozen corn is to add it to soup, stews or chili. It adds the sweetness of summer to a hearty winter meal!
Don’t forget about popsicles! A simple fruit and yogurt smoothie makes a delicious popsicle. Sneak a mild veggie like spinach into the smoothie mix to pack a nutritional punch.
Even greens like kale can be easily and successfully frozen. Here’s how to preserve beet greens to enjoy later!
Some tips for freezing success:
1) Label bags or containers with the item and date frozen with a permanent marker such as a Sharpie. If you plan to store items in a chest freezer, you might want to document what you’ve placed on the bottom so items don’t get forgotten!
2) Eat within a few months. Frozen food can get freezer burn or develop off flavors from remaining in the freezer too long. Fruits and vegetables are generally considered safe to freeze for 8-12 months, but meat should be used sooner.
3) Remember that frozen items expand. Leave a little room in your container or bag.
How to Prepare Vegetables for Freezing by Blanching
Password: greenbeans
Blanching and Freezing Green Beans from Teri Page on Vimeo.