To preserve the color of vegetables, it makes sense to blanch vegetables before freezing. To do this, the washed and cut vegetables are placed in boiling water for a short time and boiled once.
It is important that it is then quickly cooled down in ice water. This preserves the color, taste, and structure of the vegetables. Blanching in steam is even more vitamin-friendly.
Heat a large pot of salted water until bubbly. Prepare a large bowl of cold water and ice cubes. Now put the vegetables in small portions into the boiling water and after a few seconds or minutes (see table) lift them into the ice water with the slotted spoon.
How long do you have to blanch vegetables?
| time | vegetables |
| 1 minute max | spinach, chard |
| 1-2 minutes | Apples, pears, peas, cabbage leaves, savoy cabbage |
| 3 minutes | Cauliflower and broccoli florets, beans, kohlrabi, leeks, zucchini |
| 5 minutes | Celery, swedes, salsify, corn on the cob |
| 8 minutes | whole cauliflower |
Which vegetables need to be blanched?
Blanching is useful for cauliflower, beans, peas, carrots, spinach, chard and fennel, for example. Mushrooms, zucchini, and kitchen herbs, on the other hand, are best frozen raw.
How long does blanching take?
Bring a pot of plenty of water to a boil on the stove, then add the vegetables to the simmering water. Leave in the water for a few minutes, depending on the type of vegetable. Sturdy vegetables such as cabbage are blanched a little longer (5 – 8 minutes) than “tender” vegetables such as carrots or kohlrabi (3 – 5 minutes).
How do you blanch carrots?
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add the prepared carrots to the bubbling water. Boil briefly for 2 minutes. Then remove the carrots with a slotted spoon or drain them in a colander and place in a bowl of very cold water, preferably with a few ice cubes in it.
Can you freeze raw carrots?
The carrots should have as little air contact as possible to avoid freezer burn. Raw frozen carrots are usually a bit limp after thawing, and the distinctive color is often lost. The carrots can be frozen raw for three months.



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