How to freeze vegetables correctly
Although each type of vegetable has its peculiarities, at the time of freezing them there are general guidelines that are used for any case:- Acquire good quality products. The success of the freezing process depends largely on the quality of the food, which is defined as follows: ideal maturation point, freshness, healthy appearance and without abuse, among other characteristics.
– Wash your hands. Before starting to work and every time it is necessary, ASse your hands. Do it in detail and for 20 minutes.
– Wash the vegetables scrupulously. Lip them very well and disinfect them before preparing them for freezing (an almost essential step in any conservation process). Do it according to its characteristics: tubers, crucifers, green leafy vegetables, soft leather vegetables, etc. Use a special brush for each type of vegetable and a natural antiseptic. You must do this without mistreating the vegetable, just eliminates any other land or other dirt. Check our article on how to disinfect vegetables.
– Scald or whitish. Although you can freeze a wide variety of vegetables without any previous treatment, these two techniques protect the essential characteristics of food and its nutrients. In addition, they prolong their freshness and soften their flavor.
– The vegetables drain and dry very well. Any surplus humidity forms crystals in food, causing the loss of its organoleptic characteristics (flavor, aroma, texture, etc.) and its nutrients. That is, it accelerates the degeneration or aging process.
– Acquire special plastic containers or plastic bags. Use products that endure low temperatures, so you will have a good packaging and a successful final result: you will isolate the direct air product of the freezer and any external agent.
– Create a void. This is the best way to store frozen vegetables and other foods in a homemade way. To achieve this, it is best to use special closing plans for freezing. The procedure is simple: take out all the air from the bag crushing it where there is no food and closes tightly (something very vacuum similar). The effect will never be as effective as the employee at the industrial level, but it serves quite well (later we will show you another more precise and also homemade).
– Label the bags or containers. Once the food is saved correctly, place your data: name and packaging date. Thus you will carry a control and you will know how long you can consume it.
– Distribute vegetables in several portions. Distribute the food in several parts, each part in a bag. Calculate the portion of each person at home or the portion of a meal for everyone. Thus you avoid defrosting more vegetables, since freezing them again is not a recommended option.
How to freeze cooked vegetables
When we refer to freezing cooked vegetables we talk about precooked or treated vegetables with a previous process called scalding (they can also be bleached). This culinary technique consists of cooking food for a very short minutes, in boiling or steam water. Its purpose is to stop the action of enzymes causing degeneration or aging of food (those that alter their color, taste, texture and nutrients). Freezing cooked vegetables is very easy, you just need to guide the following recommendations:- Acquire good quality vegetables.
– Wash vegetables very well. As you know, conservation techniques demand a lot of neatness. Clean your hands first and then proceed to disinfect the vegetables.
– Once clean, cut them as you prefer. The style will depend on your taste and culinary needs: paintings or cubes, Brunoise, long strips (to the julienne), sliced, grated, tlyly chopped, among others.
– Scald the vegetables. There are many ways to scald food, but at home we are interested in two: in boiling water (in casserole, water bath or in the express pot) or steamed (using steamer or a strainer). The grated pieces are steamed for 2-3 minutes (depending on the thickness) and covering the pot. Instead, pieces cut into cubes, slices and others immerse themselves in boiling water and cooked without covering. In this case, time depends on the texture of the vegetable and the dimension of the cut (that is, its thickness and size). For example, large and/or thick zucchini pieces need 3-4 minutes and carrot 4-5 minutes. But small pieces, in any case, need only 2 minutes. This guide is a referential, since there is a more precise vegetable table.
– Promerge vegetables cooked in cold water. To stop the scalded process, just the necessary time, you must quickly drain the pieces of vegetables, empty them in a bowl with a lot of ice and abundant cold water. Leave them there for 1-3 minutes. Another method would be an inverse maria.
– Drain again and dry very well. Pass the vegetables through a strainer and dry them with absorbent paper towels. There should be no trace of visible humidity.
– Divide them into portions. These portions distribute them in several bags or containers, equivalent to your daily consumption needs (per person or by food).
– If you use a bag, take the air. Plastics bags designed for freezing are the best option to perform something similar to a vacuum and freeze cooked vegetables correctly. Some people use two bags, putting one inside. Step followed, introduce the pieces of vegetables into the bag. Finally, they take out all the contained air, close it and put it to freeze.
– Label the packaging or containers.
– Accommodates the bags in the freezer leaving space between them.
– To defrost the cooked vegetables, leave the bag in the fridge until, gradually, they leave. You never use hot water or leave them at room temperature, since if you accelerate the defrosting process, the food will lose its crispy texture.
How long the frozen vegetables last
Most freezing vegetables remain in good condition for a time period of between 8-12 months. However, this will also depend on two factors: a good process prior to frozen and adequate storage. In summary mode, we recommend freezing cooked vegetables, in special bags to freeze and empty, as we have explained to you in previous sections . Without a doubt, this is the best method to conserve vegetables at home. Likewise, this method and all of the above serve any type of vegetable, so you can freeze peppers, freeze zucchini, freeze carrots, freeze green beans or freeze cabbage.
Recipes with frozen vegetables
Less salads with raw products, you can prepare any recipe with frozen vegetables. However, the most appropriate recipes for these foods once defrosted are creams, purés and stews. Therefore, we recommend these recipes, ideal to do with frozen vegetables:- Calabacin cream
– Broccoli and carrot cream
– Russian salad
– Caldose rice with vegetables
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