John Myers
Almost any vegetable can be frozen raw. Nutrients and vitamins are preserved longer than with vegetables that are left to dry for hours in a vegetable display or forgotten in the vegetable compartment of a refrigerator.
Vegetables suitable for freezing
You can almost always freeze vegetables raw. This is a simple way of preserving vitamins and nutrients. However, you should note that the more water the vegetables contain, the poorer the freezing result. Frozen lettuce or a frozen tomato will become unsightly and mushy after thawing. Lettuce and cucumbers should therefore not be frozen at all and tomatoes and onions should only be frozen in a processed state.
The following types of vegetables are suitable for freezing:
- White cabbage can be stored for 10 months
- Brussels sprouts can be stored for 10 to 12 months
- Beans, storable for 3 to 12 months
- Fennel can be stored for 4 to 8 months
- Leeks can be stored for 6 to 8 months
- Broccoli can be stored for 9 to 12 months
Vegetables unsuitable for raw freezing include:
- salad
- tomatoes
- potatoes
- cucumbers
How are the vegetables frozen raw?
Wash the fresh vegetables carefully and remove any unsightly spots. Then cut the vegetables into pieces, rings, or strips, depending on the variety. The subsequent blanching process slows down the natural decomposition process of the plant. Blanched and frozen, each vegetable stays fresh for a long time.
Frozen vegetables from the supermarket are shock-frozen industrially, blanching is not necessary.
Blanching step by step
- Clean the vegetables to be processed
- Cut the vegetables into the desired shape
- Prepare to boil salted water in a large saucepan
- Dip the vegetable pieces in boiling salted water for a few minutes, preferably in a sieve or cloth bag
- Take the vegetables out of the water and shock them in ice-cold water
After blanching, pat the vegetables dry with a kitchen towel or drain them in a colander. Then pack it in portions in freezer containers. Freezer bags that can be vacuumed are very suitable. The less air there is in the bag, the fewer ice crystals can form on the vegetables.
