No one wants to waste food. And in the summer months, sometimes you just can’t eat everything from the garden, or the prices are just so great you can’t resist buying extra. But then what?

A great way to preserve vegetables for an extended time is to freeze them. You can also can them, but that’s another story.

So if you’re going to freeze some produce, there’s more to it than just tossing things into a store-bought freezer bag. You need some time to prepare and think things through.

While you can technically freeze just about anything, some vegetables freeze better than others. Potatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and celery have a tendency to turn soft and mushy when they thaw after being frozen. Others, such as onions, peppers and tomatoes work well if you plan to use them for things like soup or casseroles. Vegetables like green beans, lima beans, corn, peas and others will maintain their original shape and texture. When prepared properly for the freezer you can cook and serve them and they’ll still be nice and fresh.

When you plan to freeze vegetables, start with produce that is in good condition. You’ll want to avoid items that are bruised, soft or overly-ripe. The best time to freeze produce to preserve the flavor is just when it has reached ripeness.

Start by washing each item using cool tap water. Prepare the vegetables by removing peas from the pod, remove strings and ends from green beans, cut the tops and bottoms from beets, etc. Some you’ll want to go ahead and cut up into bite sized pieces.

The next important step is blanching vegetables. This helps get rid of dirt and bacteria, keeps the vegetables from continuing to ripen and slows vitamin and mineral loss. Blanching also helps keep the natural flavor intact.

There are two basic ways to blanch vegetables. The first is the boiling water method. Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When the water is boiling, put washed, prepared vegetables into the water using cheesecloth, a large strainer or a basket. Generally you need a gallon of water for each pound of vegetables you plan to freeze. Use these times for blanching vegetables.

– Green Beans, 3 minutes

– Broccoli, chopped or stalks, 3 minutes

– Beets, small, 25-30 minutes; medium, 45-50 minutes

– Brussels Sprouts, small, 3 minutes; medium, 4 minutes; large, 5 minutes

– Carrots, tiny, whole, 5 minutes; diced or strips, 2 minutes

– Cauliflower, 3 minutes

– Corn on the cob to freeze on the ear, small ears, 7 minutes; medium ears 9 minutes; large ears 11 minutes

– Corn on the cob to cut for whole kernel corn, 4 minutes-cool and cut from ear

– Corn on the cob to cut for cream style corn, 4 minutes-cool and cut from ear, scraping the cobs

– Greens like spinach, 2 minutes

– Shelled Peas, 11/2 minutes

– Snow or Sugar Snap Peas, 2-3 minutes

– Summer Squash like zucchini, slices or chunks, 3 minutes; grated, 1-2 minutes

While the water is heating, prepare a large bowl with cold water. The colder, the better. Iced water is best. When the vegetables have been in the boiling water for the recommended time, remove them and cool them in the cold water. When they are thoroughly cooled, remove them, drain them and pat them dry. If you’re not packing them immediately, you can keep them chilled in the refrigerator.

Another method of blanching is to use steam. Using a large kettle with a rack or basket that will hold the vegetables about an inch or two above the water bring the water to boil and put the vegetables in a single layer over the water for the above specified amount of time. Then follow the same procedure to cool them as the blanching method.

Once the vegetables are cool and dry, pack them in freezer bags or plastic freezer containers. Pack the vegetables firmly into each bag or container. Squeeze out excess air before sealing. Mark them with the contents and the date frozen and place them in the freezer until you’re ready to use them.

Lawrence Reaves writes for Hamilton Beach, a kitchen appliance company that offers a great selection of products ranging from slow cookers to toasters and blenders. For more information about these products and others visit this site.

Lawrence Reaves writes for Hamilton Beach, a kitchen appliance company that offers a great selection of products ranging from slow cookers to toasters and blenders. For more information about these products and others visit http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/products/kitchen-appliances.html

Author Bio: Lawrence Reaves writes for Hamilton Beach, a kitchen appliance company that offers a great selection of products ranging from slow cookers to toasters and blenders. For more information about these products and others visit this site.

Category: Food and Drinks
Keywords: Produce, Fresh produce, freezer, frozen vegetables