Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
these items. However, if you will be eating them over the winter,
take the time to scald your vegetables as they will look and taste
better when you get around to eating them.
To blanch your harvested vegetables, fill a pot with water and
bring it to a fast boil. You can add a few teaspoons of lemon juice or
salt to your boiling water to help with discoloration. Use a wire rack
to hold the vegetables and lower them into the boiling water. Start
timing immediately and closely watch the time, as just one minute
over will give you mushy vegetables. Most vegetables will take one
to four minutes (check the list just given for timing). You then need
to plunge the vegetables into ice-cold water for the same amount of
time as you blanched them to stop the cooking process. Continue the
process with each batch of vegetables, making sure the water is at a
fast boil and adding more ice to the water for cooling. Drain the
vegetables and then place them on a tray or cookie sheet and put
them in the freezer for an hour or so. After that time you can portion
them into bags or containers and return them to the freezer. This
method prevents any water crystals from forming in your bags or
containers.
Smoothie Garden Solution
Your vegetables will not improve in quality when frozen, so if you
are freezing produce that has been sitting around for a few days,
or was on the old side when it was harvested, the quality will not
magically change. Choose the freshest vegetables to freeze!
Labeling is an essential part of freezing your vegetables unless you
like the mystery of what is in the package! You can use whatever
labeling system works for you. Use a felt pen and write on the bag or
container, purchase peel-and-stick labels, or get really creative and
