There are literally hundreds of ways to prepare vegetables; from stir fry to salad, vegetables are a wonderful gift to any cook or health-savvy individual. Buying vegetables in bulk is also a great way to save money, and encourage yourself to use (and eat) more of them. Unfortunately, vegetables tend to have a fairly short shelf-life, and this can be very discouraging when you’re doing your shopping.
Rather than sticking to buying a few vegetables to avoid spoilage – or overestimating your usage and letting your vegetables spoil, why not take another route? Freezing your vegetables will allow them to keep for long periods of time, and you can use them exactly when you want or need them.
Freezing Vegetables is Easy
If you intend throw vegetables into the freezer, you’re going to need to go through a process known as blanching. To blanch your vegetables, you need to boil them in water or steam them for a few minutes; the time for each vegetable will vary. Blanching your vegetables will halt enzymes that cause vegetables to expire – but be careful, if you overblanch or underblanch the vegetable, you’ll end up in a situation worse than not blanching at all.
How to Blanch Vegetables: Getting to Work
To blanch your vegetables, you need to first prepare them as if you were intending to immediately use them. Wash your vegetables, and cut them to your preference. The general rule of thumb is to use 1 gal. of water per pound of vegetable, and 2 gal. of water for leafy greens. You can either use a metal strainer (or another basket) – or simply drop your vegetables into the water. Your water must be boiling when the vegetables are place in it. Cover the pot with a lid and begin counting the time the moment your vegetables touch the water. Remove your vegetables from the boiling water or steam and immediately place them into ice water for the same ammount of time you used for blanching. Once the time has passed, drain and dry the vegetables completely, then place them into a plastic container and freeze them
That’s all there is to it! Below are a few common vegetables and their blanching times (in minutes). Don’t forget to use the time for both the blanching process and the cooling process.Asparagus: Small (2) | Medium (3) | Large (4) Bell Peppers – Whole (1.5) | Halves (3) | Strips (2) Broccoli Flowerettes – 3 (5 Steamed) Brussels Sprouts – Small (3)| Medium (4) | Large (5) Carrots – Small (5) | Diced (2) Celery – 3 Eggplant – 4 Green Beans – 3 Green Peas – 2 Lima Beans – Small (2) | Medium (3) | Large (4) Mushrooms – Whole (5 Steamed) | Buttons (3.5 Steamed) | Sliced (3 Steamed) Onions – (3-7) Pinto|Kidney Beans – Small (2) | Medium (3) | Large (4) Potatoes – (3-5) Summer Squash – 2