Blanching vegetables so you can freeze your garden produce is easy to do. We do it every season with our garden veggies. Just get a good supply of Zip-lock bags in quart and gallon sizes. Any brand will do. Just make sure the bags seal well so your produce doesn't get freezer burn.
What is blanching? It is scalding the veggies in steam or boiling water to slow down the enzymes inside the veggies to preserve them in the freezer. This helps to prevent the vegetables from losing color, flavor, and vitamins and nutrients.
Most fruits can be frozen without blanching so if you have picked a lot of berries, or grapes, feel free to put them in a ziplock bag and freeze them just as they are.
Wash and peel your vegetables (if necessary). Cut out any spoiled or bruised spots. Then chop if necessary. Cut the ends off of ears of corn. Look for corn worms and cut the affected area off of the ear if you find some.
Boil the water.
Place the produce in the boiling water or in the steamer and begin counting the time immediately. This is called blanching.
Blanch for the specified amount of time. Some vegetables are blanched for just 60 seconds so it is important to watch your times closely.
Then immediately drain and plunge into ice water. Once cooled, put the vegetables in serving sizes in Zip-lock bags, seal and freeze. These will keep for six months in your freezer.
Your blanched vegetables are now perfect for use in soups, stews, casseroles, and sauces.
Always use a permanent marker to write the date you blanch them as well as the type of vegetable in the bag. Most freezer bags now have a white section on them for the date and variety.
Return from Blanching Vegetables to Freezing Strawberries
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