How to Freeze Fruits and Vegetables

Dear Mark,

Your web site impressed me to hitch a CSA this previous yr, and I’m wanting ahead to frequenting my native farmers’ market once more this summer time. I completely love all of the produce choices, however this has opened my eyes to how restricted I’m within the late fall/winter by what’s normally accessible (and reasonably priced) within the grocery retailer. (I dwell within the Northern Plains.) I’d like to start eager about freezing some objects to get pleasure from them post-season. What suggestions do you may have for doing this? Thank you!

Thanks for the query! You’re appropriate—as unbelievable as it’s to get pleasure from recent veggies and fruits when they’re in season, it’s sensible to stay up for the “scarcer” months. One of the perfect methods to hold over the season’s finest, in fact, is freezing. (Grok would’ve traded a whole lot of hides for a deep freeze chest….) This yr, as you load up on seasonal produce within the spring, summer time, and early fall, listed below are a couple of options and assets for the perfect freezer prep and storage strategies.

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Set Up

Select your freezer area

First off, I’d extremely suggest investing in a deep freezer. You can actually make use of the freezer compartment of your fridge, but it surely’s usually a restricted area and doesn’t keep as constantly chilly as a deep freezer chest. (For finest outcomes, freezers must be stored at 0° Fahrenheit or much less. A easy freezer gauge can provide you an correct studying.) Although objects ought to nonetheless final a lot of months, you aren’t going to get the identical longevity utilizing your fridge freezer (8-12 months for many produce when correctly prepped and packaged).

If you’re apprehensive about preliminary value, remember the fact that there are many good used deep freezers on the market. Check scratch and dent gross sales, classifieds, and Craigslist for starters. And additionally remember the fact that you may have the potential to recoup a lot of that cash throughout the first yr alone, relying on how a lot you select to freeze (produce, meats, and so on.). It’s inexpensive to purchase good high quality produce in season and make it final by means of a lot of the winter than it’s to purchase your full produce wants within the low season. When you add the financial savings of cowpooling or different bulk meat/poultry/recreation storage, it gained’t be lengthy earlier than your freezer can pay for itself.

Storage options for produce

As for wraps, baggage, and such, don’t skimp. You’ll want high-quality storage to maintain out moisture. Lined freezer paper and freezer tape can work for “dry” packing produce. Another possibility, significantly for purees or fruits that will probably be saved with juice, is freezer-appropriate canning jars. Many folks discover it extra handy to make use of plastic freezer baggage (both the Ziploc type or the self-cut type that requires a warmth sealer).

In any case, the freezer wrap or baggage must be freezer-designated and vapor proof in addition to pliant. The concept right here is to mould the packaging as near the define of the meals as attainable to take away trapped air and to stop the alternate of moisture. If the merchandise is allowed to present off its personal moisture, freezer burn will set in—these brownish, powerful, odd-tasting areas on thawed veggies. Spare your produce the calamity and your self the frustration (and misplaced cash) by investing a bit of additional change in good storage options.

Prep the Produce

Selecting recent produce

For the sake of style and vitamins, you’ll need the freshest produce you will get your palms on. If you’re not a gardener your self, the following neatest thing might be present in CSA packages or farmers’ markets, as you’ve found. Items are typically picked inside a day or perhaps a few hours of sale/distribution.

Washing and getting ready the product to freeze

Wash, lower, peel and prep as wanted. (The smaller the items, the extra tightly you possibly can pack your produce.)

Nearly all greens will should be blanched earlier than freezing. (Just a few like candy potatoes and pumpkin must be completely cooked earlier than freezing.) The fast shot in boiling water or steam will halt the enzyme motion chargeable for pure decomposition. Too little, and also you run the danger of not shutting down the enzyme exercise (perhaps even accelerating it). Too a lot, and also you is likely to be sacrificing vitamins in addition to texture and style. A short “shock” in ice water instantly after blanching will maintain the objects from cooking additional.

The timing on blanching, nonetheless, is a fragile dance. Check out this useful resource for particular blanching instances for various greens. If you select to “steam blanch,” the instances are typically 1.5 instances the size of conventional blanching.

Tips for freezing produce

Just a few different notes to bear in mind:

• You gained’t want a whole lot of difficult gear, just a few massive pots, bowls, tongs, towels, and perhaps wire baskets.
• Although microwave blanching may match for small batches that will probably be eaten in a brief time period, many specialists suggest towards it for long-term freezing. There’s doubt that it halts all enzyme exercise.
• Certain fruits like apples, peaches, avocado, and pears must be saved with ascorbic acid to stop discoloration. You may also contemplate it for greens like artichokes and candy potato to take care of peak colour.

Package Well and Freeze Fast

How to freeze vegetables and fruit

Once the greens and fruits are appropriately prepped, cooked/blanched, and cooled, enable them to completely drain and dry. Kitchen towels or paper towels can velocity up the method, particularly for sure intact objects like inexperienced beans or complete berries.

Some fruits like apples and nectarines are likely to freeze higher with juice, however most greens and lots of fruits might be packed with none juice. After draining, you possibly can tightly pack them in freezer baggage or wrap and frozen of their bulk packaging. (Sugar or syrup packing is usually advisable for fruit, however a small quantity of juice and ascorbic acid can work simply as properly.)

If you may have area, it’s a good suggestion to freeze vegetables and fruit in a single layer on a tray first, then instantly pack them in baggage or wrap. This retains them from clumping collectively and makes it simpler to take away parts.

Cooked purees might be saved in massive containers, but it surely’s even higher to make use of silicone ice dice trays or containers designed particularly for freezing single servings. This works particularly properly for child meals, the place you solely wish to thaw a small quantity at one time.

Organizing frozen produce within the freezer

Once you may have your packages loaded and prepared for storage, stack up already frozen objects and transfer them to at least one aspect of your freezer. Spread the brand new packages throughout the open areas to encourage speedier freezing, which can discourage freezer burn and assist protect style.

Have your personal suggestions for freezing spring and summer time’s harvest? Prefer canning or fermenting to freezing? Favorite makes use of to your frozen shops? As all the time, thanks to your questions and feedback, and maintain ‘em coming!

About the Author

Mark Sisson is the founding father of Mark’s Daily Apple, godfather to the Primal meals and way of life motion, and the New York Times bestselling writer of The Keto Reset Diet. His newest e-book is Keto for Life, the place he discusses how he combines the keto food plan with a Primal way of life for optimum well being and longevity. Mark is the writer of quite a few different books as properly, together with The Primal Blueprint, which was credited with turbocharging the expansion of the primal/paleo motion again in 2009. After spending three many years researching and educating of us on why meals is the important thing element to attaining and sustaining optimum wellness, Mark launched Primal Kitchen, a real-food firm that creates Primal/paleo, keto, and Whole30-friendly kitchen staples.

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