Stocked Up on Fresh Veggies? Here's How to Freeze It All
Talks of a possible lockdown have led many among us to stock up on some essentials such as fresh vegetables, however what happens if there is no lockdown and you’re left with a fridge full of food you'll be unlikely to use before it goes bad? Well, there's one very easy solution: freeze it!
But knowing how to actually freeze your veggies so they still remain fresh and full of flavor and also avoid that dreaded freezer burn is vital. That’s why we’ve put together this guide on how to properly freeze some of the most common.
Some of you may be put off from the idea of freezing vegetables thinking it’ll be a lot of faff because you need to blanch them first, however you can actually freeze most vegetables raw.
Chop the greens down to a desired size.
Wash and thoroughly dry.
Place in a Ziploc bag, then try to get as much air out of the bag as possible.
Put the bag in freezer.
Wash, then for large peppers such as bell peppers, deseed them and chop them into smaller pieces. For smaller chillies like jalapenos, they can be kept whole.
Pat the pepper dry .
Place in a Ziploc bag, try to get as much air out of the bag as possible.
Put the bag in freezer.
Peel and chop carrots down to a desired size.
Place in a Ziploc bag, try to get as much air out of the bag as possible.
Put the bag in freezer.
Cut root section off celery and thoroughly wash.
Trim any leaves and discolored parts then cut into desired size.
Place in a Ziploc bag, try to get as much air out of the bag as possible.
Put the bag in freezer.
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Trim the ends of both sides of the green beans, then cut in half.
Wash the green beans and pat them dry.
Place in a Ziploc bag, try to get as much air out of the bag as possible.
Put the bag in freezer.
Wash the eggplant.
You can peel it if you want. Otherwise, cut eggplant down to a desired size.
Blanch the eggplant in boiling water for four minutes, then place in ice bath and let sit until cool.
Dry completely, place in Ziploc bag and place in the freezer.
Remove leaves and stem.
Cut into florets and wash.
Dry completely then place in a Ziploc bag, try to get as much air out of the bag as possible.
Put the bag in freezer.
Note: When frozen, veggies like peppers and celery will lose their crispness, so they're better used after freezing in cooked dishes rather than in salads or as crudités.
Make sure your veggies are as dry as possible before placing in the Ziploc bag, as this means there will be less chance of freezer burn.
To get as much air as possible out of the bag, mostly seal the bag then push the remaining air out through a small opening.
If you want to avoid the possibility of the veggies getting clumped together in the bag, you can flash freeze first by arranging on a baking sheet and placing in the freezer for one to two hours, removing them, and then placing in a Ziploc bag.
You can find Ziplock bags in most western stores like April Gourmet, Jenny Lou's or BHG. You can also search for them on your favorite waimai app by typing in 装密实袋 zhuāng mìshí dài.
Although this article mainly focuses on freezing from raw, if you would prefer to blanch your vegetables before freezing to help maintain the color more, here's a quick guide:
Prepare a pot of boiling water and an ice bath (a large bowl full of ice and water).
Place the chopped vegetables into boiling water, cook for specified time (see below).
Remove and place into the ice bath until cool then drain and dry.
Greens: two to three minutes
Peppers and chillies: two to three minutes
Carrots: two minutes
Celery: three minutes
Green beans: three minutes
Broccoli and cauliflower: three minutes
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Images: Unsplash Nick Fewings, Joe Prodagio, Esperanza Doronila, Randy Fath
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