From the Garden: Freezing Garden Vegetables
Some general guidelines for freezing produce:
- Assemble your freezer containers before you begin. They should be moisture-vapor resistant, durable, and easy to seal. Glass canning jars can be used, and they have the advantage of being reusable, but other glass containers may not be durable enough. Wide-mouth jars are easier to work with. If you use plastic bags or other plastic containers, be sure they are designed for freezing.
- Use vegetables that are at their peak flavor and texture, ideally picked in the morning and processed the same day.
- Wash vegetables thoroughly in a basin of cold water, lifting them out of the water so the dirt and grit can settle at the bottom.
- Blanch and cool most vegetables first. This process of precooking in boiling water or steam takes a few minutes, but it will help prevent the loss of flavor, color, texture, and vitamins, as well as making the food easier to pack. Blanching slows or stops the activity of enzymes, and the timing is crucial. Underblanching can be worse than not blanching at all, and overblanching will negatively affect flavor, color, texture, and vitamins. Microwave blanching is not recommended. Find the correct blanching time for common vegetables in the chart below.
You can purchase a blancher with a blanching basket, but it's also possible to use a large pot with a wire basket. Since you will be cooling the vegetables immediately after blanching, also prepare a large container of cold (60°F or less) water. Cut the cleaned vegetables into evenly sized pieces and use one gallon of boiling water per pound of vegetables. Lower the vegetables in the basket into vigorously boiling water and cover. Start counting the time immediately and keep the heat high enough to keep the water boiling for the duration.
As soon as blanching is complete, cool the vegetables by plunging the basket into a large quantity of cold water, changing the water or adding ice to keep it cold. The cooling time is generally the same as the blanching time. Drain the vegetables thoroughly after cooling. Vegetable blanching directions and times for home freezer storage
How to pack and freeze
Depending on your needs, you may dry pack or tray pack your vegetables for freezing. To dry pack, simply place the cooled and drained vegetables into meal-size containers, leaving a ½ inch headspace at the top of the container or bag to allow for expansion. To tray pack, spread the cooled and drained vegetables in a single layer on a tray or shallow pan.
Freeze until firm, then quickly transfer the vegetables to a freezer container. This will keep them from freezing in a block, so you can easily remove just what you need from the container. Be sure to label your container with the name of the vegetable and the date! How To Freeze Broccoli – A Beginner's Guide
The Basics of Freezing Produce
Blanching Times for Selected Vegetables
|
Vegetable |
Preparation after washing |
Blanching Time in Minutes |
|
Asparagus |
Cut into 2” lengths or leave spears whole. |
Small stalks: 2 min Medium stalks: 3 min Large stalks: 4 min |
|
Beans: green or wax |
Trim ends. Leave whole or cut into 2” lengths. |
3 min |
|
Broccoli |
Trim, cut lengthwise into pieces no more than 1½” across. (If insects are present, soak ½ hour in solution of 4 t. salt to 1 gallon cold water.) |
3 min |
|
Brussels Sprouts |
Trim, remove outer leaves (check carefully for insects). |
Small: 3 min Medium: 4 min Large: 5 min |
|
Carrots |
Trim ends, peel, and cut into ¼” cubes, thin slices, or lengthwise strips. Small carrots can be left whole. |
Diced, sliced, or strips: 2 min Small whole: 5 min |
|
Cauliflower |
Trim, break into pieces about 1” across. (If insects are present, soak ½ hour in solution of 4 t. salt to 1 gallon cold water.) |
3 min |
|
Corn: whole kernel |
Trim, husk, remove silk, wash; cut kernels off cob to about 2/3 the depth of kernels. |
4 min |
|
Corn: on the cob |
Trim, husk, remove silk, wash.
Note: Corn on the cob will take about twice as long to cool after blanching. |
Small (1 ¼” or less in diameter): 7 min Medium (1 ¼ to 1 ½” in diameter): 9 min Large (over 1 1/2” in diameter): 11 min |
|
Eggplant |
Trim, peel, slice 1/3” thick.
Note: Blanch in 1 gallon of water containing 4½ t. citric acid or ½ cup lemon juice. |
4 min |
|
Greens (beet greens, collards, chard, kale, mustard greens, spinach, or turnip greens) |
Remove stems. |
Collards: 3 min Other greens: 2 min |
|
Peas: edible pod |
Remove ends and string, leave whole. |
Small pods: 1½ min Medium pods: 2 min |
|
Peas: green |
Remove from shell. |
1 ½ min |
|
Peppers: hot |
Remove stems. |
Blanching not necessary |
|
Peppers: sweet |
Remove stems and seeds; cut into ½” strips or rings. |
Strips or rings: 2 min Halves: 3 min |
|
Summer Squash (including zucchini) |
Cut into ½” slices.
Note: If using for baking, grate zucchini and steam in small quantities until translucent. Pack in amounts used in recipes and put containers into cold water to cool. It's generally necessary to drain before using. |
3 min
Steam 1-2 min
|
|
Winter Squash (including pumpkin and spaghetti squash) |
Remove seeds and cut into small pieces |
Cook until soft in boiling water, in steam, or in 350° oven. Remove pulp from rind. Mash and cool before packaging. |
|
Tomatoes |
Dip in boiling water for 30 seconds to loosen skins. Peel, core, leave whole or cut into pieces |
-- |
|
Turnips |
Peel and cut into ½” cubes. |
2 min |
For more information:
https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/uga_freeze_veg.pdf
https://apps.msuextension.org/montguide/guide.html?sku=MT200908HR
https://food.unl.edu/article/fresh-vegetables-and-fruits