If you buy vegetables regionally and seasonally or grow them yourself in the garden or on the balcony, it is worth freezing certain varieties so that you can still have something of them in other seasons.
Vegetables can be stored in the freezer for six to twelve months. It retains its vitamins and minerals. In order to do this, however, there are a few things to consider.
Not every variety is suitable for freezing
While most vegetables can be stored in the freezer if properly prepared, there are a few exceptions that lose their taste, color and / or texture after thawing. These include cucumbers, radishes and radishes, which are better not to freeze. Onions, potatoes and tomatoes are also only suitable to a limited extent, namely in cooked or processed form.
While many vegetables should be blanched before freezing, there are also a few that are better to freeze raw, such as zucchini and mushrooms or herbs.
Proper preparation
In order not to destroy the vitamins and to have crispy vegetables even after thawing, you should first wash and blanch them. Cabbage, peas, carrots, fennel or beans are suitable for this, for example.
For blanching, they are cut into small slices or pieces and then put in boiling water with a little salt for two to four minutes. With light-colored vegetables you can add a little lemon juice to the cooking water, this will keep the color better. Then the vegetables are quenched with ice-cold water, allowed to drain and patted dry with paper kitchen towels.
Pack airtight
The vegetables can now be put in a freezer bag or a freezer-proof plastic box, whereby no air should be trapped if possible. This is how you prevent freezer burn. You can simply squeeze the air out of the bags before closing them, with cans that you don’t fill to the brim, you can simply use a little cling film to cover the food.
It is best not to pack portions that are too large, as freezing in the freezer will take longer. Smaller amounts cool down faster. The sooner you freeze the vegetables after shopping or harvesting, the more vitamins are retained.
Use frozen vegetables properly
If you take the frozen vegetables out of the freezer in order to process them further, you should first check whether freezer burn has formed in some places. This is shown by grayish or white, crystallized areas that become mushy after thawing, no longer contain nutritional values and do not taste good. It is better to remove affected areas or pieces of vegetables.
It is important not to let the vegetables thaw first, otherwise they will lose vitamins. You put it frozen in the smallest possible amount of boiling water and you can start preparing the planned dish straight away. If the vegetables have already been blanched, they will take a quarter to third less time to cook. You can quickly enjoy a delicious and vitamin-rich meal.
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