Homespun
Homespun
August 1, 2001
Freezing Fresh Vegetables
Freezing fresh vegetables and fruits is still in full swing. Freezing home-grown or farmer's market fruits and vegetables is a way of enjoying a little bit of summer in the winter months and offers more variety for winter meals. A freezer is usually more of a convenience than a saving, economically, but is an enjoyment for most families if used to best advantage. To make the best of it, keep the freezer full, use and replace the food - don't just store it, and use the older food first.
A few of the most frequently asked questions about freezing are as follows:
Q. Does freezing improve the quality of food?
A. Freezing does not improve the quality of the product. Frozen food is only as good as the quality of the fresh food. So, select only high quality products at optimum maturity and freshness.
Q. How much food can be frozen at one time?
A. Add only the amount that will freeze within 24 hours, which is usually two or three pounds of food per cubic foot of storage space. Overloading slows down the freezing rate. Also, foods that freeze too slowly may lose quality.
Q. What kind of packaging materials should be used for freezing?
A. Packaging materials must be moisture-vapor resistant; durable and leak-proof; not become brittle and crack at low temperatures; resistant to oil, grease or water; protect foods from absorption of off-flavors or odors; easy to seal; and easy to mark. Good freezing materials include rigid containers made of aluminum, glass, plastic, tin or heavily waxed cardboard; bags and sheets of moisture-vapor resistant wraps; and laminated papers made especially for freezing.
Q. Is it safe to freeze fruits without sugar?
A. Yes, sugar is not used as a preservative but only to maintain flavor, color and texture.
Q. How do you prevent fruit from turning brown during freezing?
A. There are several ways to prevent darkening of fruit; use pure ascorbic acid or ascorbic acid mixtures. Citric acid or lemon juice may be used but is not as effective as ascorbic acid. Some fruits which are to be cooked before serving may also be steamed to prevent browning.
Q. Why do you blanch vegetables before freezing?
A. Blanching, or scalding the vegetables in boiling water or steam for a short period of time, slows or stops the action of enzymes which cause loss of flavor, color and texture. Blanching cleanses the surface of dirt and organisms, brightens the color and helps retard loss of vitamins. Blanching also wilts or softens vegetables and makes them easier to pack.
Q. Why is it necessary to cool vegetables after blanching?
A. Vegetables should be cooled quickly and thoroughly after blanching to stop the cooking process. Otherwise, vegetables will be overcooked with loss of flavor, color, vitamins and minerals.
Q. Are vegetables safe to eat if they are not blanched?
A. Yes. They are safe to eat, but the quality (color, flavor and texture) will be poorer than that of vegetables which have been blanched.
This page created by Margie Yarnell, Extension Secretary/Webmaster.
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