Preserving Fresh Vegetables..Question?

[Aya]

Hello Everyone,

I'm kind of new to preserving fresh vegetables from my garden and had a quick question. When freezing vegetables, will they maintain their texture/crunchiness upon thawing? I remembered last year trying to freeze carrots (I use a food sealing system) and when I took them out of the freezer they were soft. Does this happen with all veggies or is it a carrot thing? I'd love to be able to freeze Broccoli, Snow Peas, Beans Etc..but I want to make sure they hold up well first.

Sorry this is so long

[gumbo2176]

Hello Everyone,

I'm kind of new to preserving fresh vegetables from my garden and had a quick question. When freezing vegetables, will they maintain their texture/crunchiness upon thawing? I remembered last year trying to freeze carrots (I use a food sealing system) and when I took them out of the freezer they were soft. Does this happen with all veggies or is it a carrot thing? I'd love to be able to freeze Broccoli, Snow Peas, Beans Etc..but I want to make sure they hold up well first.

Sorry this is so long

I've never had any frozen vegetable stay as crunchy as fresh with the exception of corn. Things like green beans, broccoli, soybeans, etc. I'll blanch them in boiling water then put them in a sink of cold water to stop them from cooking. Then I'll put them in freezer bags after they've dried off a bit, get as much air out as possible and seal them. If you have the vacuum sealing system, all the better in the long run.

[Aya]

I also read up on the blanching, which seems to be the suggested route. I'm not sure now if I should just have fewer plants/vegetables that need freezing or if I should get used to less than perfect texture from freezing

[gumbo2176]

I also read up on the blanching, which seems to be the suggested route. I'm not sure now if I should just have fewer plants/vegetables that need freezing or if I should get used to less than perfect texture from freezing

What I usually do with the frozen veggies I put up is use them to make home made vegetable/beef soup. the only beans I'll eat right out the freezer are the soybean pods I use to make Edamame. They hold up very well in the freezer, but you only eat the beans out of the pod and not the pod.

During the summer I grow a lot of Okra and when in full production it is not unusual for me to pick a couple gallons worth in a weeks time. I'll cut it up and cook it down with onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, some salt and pepper for about 4 hours and freeze it in quart bags for use in soups and gumbos.

Most of what I grow is eaten fresh, some given away when I have excess and a little for the freezer for later use. I do a lot of canning and that is how I save much of what I grow.

[dtlove129]

Gumbo, you mentioned your corn being crisp after freezing. How do you put up your corn? We blanched ours last year and then froze them on the ear, and when we unthawed them they weren't near as good as fresh.

I can tell you right now cut up summer squashes don't freeze well. The only thing we had luck with was whole tomatoes and green beans. I didn't grow okra last year, but will freeze some this year.

[PunkRotten]

What about Bush beans? I have some I am ready to harvest any day now but not ready to eat right away. What are some preservation methods?

[dtlove129]

Bush Beans, I just blanched for 3 minutes and through in ice water for 3 minutes and then bagged them and got all the air I could out of the bag and put them in the freezer. We ate on ours all winter. I mean we cook them down with like potatoes and pork, so they cook down tender anyhow. If you want them real crisp I don't know if that will work or not.

[PunkRotten]

Could you just freeze them and not cook them at all?

[dtlove129]

Don't think they keep as long.

[!potatoes!]

almost everything will turn out better frozen if blanched first.

[gumbo2176]

Gumbo, you mentioned your corn being crisp after freezing. How do you put up your corn? We blanched ours last year and then froze them on the ear, and when we unthawed them they weren't near as good as fresh.

I can tell you right now cut up summer squashes don't freeze well. The only thing we had luck with was whole tomatoes and green beans. I didn't grow okra last year, but will freeze some this year.

I find it keeps better if, after blanching and cold shocking it to stop the cooking process, you cut the kernels off the ear. It also helps save precious freezer space since the cob is not involved.

This is not to say it is crisp like new, just crisper than most other vegetables I freeze.

I find lots of vegetables just don't do well in the freezer. When I make beef stews and such with potato chunks, I generally just make enough to eat and not freeze any. Potatoes don't do well in the freezer and turn mealy.

[Green Mantis]

Don't take the leaves off the corn. You don't need to blanche at all.

Cut the ends a bit to fit in a large freezer bag. Don't expose the kernels.

When you go to cook them either micro-wave them, or better yet, put them on the barbercue, also with leaves on.

Then you don't burn the corn, only the leaves, the corn tastes fantastic barbercued that way.

Stays warm for quite awhile too. Yummy.