Surely, when cooking, I came across surplus fresh vegetables that I do not want to throw out, but there is absolutely nowhere to put it. No less often, it happens that the purchased vegetables are not enough and you have to buy new ones. Avoiding these unpleasant situations is simple - just learn how to freeze vegetables properly to always have enough of them.
Why do you need freezing vegetables
During the period of active consumption of greens and other products from the beds, few people may need to store vegetables in the freezer. Unless the housewives, the most loyal to vegetable dishes, who cannot manage to calculate the right amount for daily cooking, really do not hurt to have several types of the most necessary foods in the freezer.
Important! Harvesting can be useful even for those who do not particularly like to cook. Fresh vegetables are scarce materials for making masks for skin and hair.
But in the winter and autumn periods, when you can’t get fresh vegetables (or buy them at reasonable prices), the habit of freezing healthy food can be useful. What vegetables can be frozen in the freezer? Having a large freezer, you can set aside fresh vegetables or greens for the winter, to save space and time before chopping them. This can be done with cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers - all these products are not stored under normal conditions.
General rules for freezing fruits and vegetables in the freezer
First and foremost, keep an eye on the temperature. The principle "the lower the better" will not work here. The optimum temperature for frozen vegetables in the chamber is from -18 to -23 С. At lower rates (towards the heat), the juiciest vegetables may not have time to freeze immediately and let the juice go, which then turns into unpleasant ice. With large (towards the cold) products will freeze so much that they can lose their useful and taste qualities.
Important! The ideal container for vegetables would be plastic containers. You can use disposable ones like those that sell berries in supermarkets.
Mark containers in which vegetables will be located. After a few months, you will no longer remember where you put it, so it may be difficult to find specific products.
Features of freezing products in packages
What can be frozen in bags in the freezer? Not everyone will have the opportunity to use plastic containers in the form of containers, moreover, it is not very economical in terms of space if you have big plans for procurement.
A good replacement will serve as packages, but not simple cellophane (although for lack of alternatives you can take them too), but more dense, with a fastener in the form of a snap-on tape. Such can be found in the department of household goods or stationery.
Find medium-sized bags, because large ones will accumulate moisture and turn into ice, no matter how carefully you pack them. Try to correctly fill the space inside the package - do not fill up to the stop, but do not leave air. The condition of the bag should be as close as possible to the vacuum.
Seasoning freeze
Contrary to many myths that greens are useless after freezing, freezing it, as well as many seasonings like tarragon, bay leaf, lemon balm, rosemary, etc. can. Nothing will happen, and if you pack the seasonings correctly, you will remove them in exactly the same condition as they were placed in.
How to prepare seasonings for the freezer:
- wash them and leave to dry for several hours - as little moisture as possible should remain on the stems and leaves;
- do not overdo it, do not let the plants wither;
- it is better to fill the container tightly (both a bag and plastic);
- You do not have to worry about the fate of these seasonings throughout the winter season - they will be safe and sound in the cell.
Freezing Vegetable Blends
What foods can be frozen in the freezer? On the shelves of the stores you can often see ready-made vegetable semi-finished products - mixtures of different vegetables combined in one package. You can make such a preparation yourself, and based on your personal preferences in cooking. For example, you can make your own branded vegetable set for borscht, stew, stew.
How to do it:
- Choose all the vegetables you need (take large, high-quality specimens without scuffs and rot, this is important), rinse and dry them well;
- Dice the vegetables (auxiliary products that do not play a big role in the future dish can be grated to save space);
- Stir, remove the juice, if any;
- Dry a little more and in this form cover it tightly in a bag (but not so that it literally bursts - remember that cold expands objects).
Important! For vegetable mixes, dense bags are better than containers. The clasp on the bag will be very handy if the workpiece is designed for many servings.
How to freeze to keep vegetables fresh
The whole secret here is the proper chopping. For example, to get fresh tomatoes after several months in the freezer, you need to cut it into slices or circles. Thin slices quickly seize with frost and do not have time to turn into tomato porridge, losing all the juice. To prevent the tomatoes from sticking together in one lump, slightly freeze them on a board or plate before pouring them into a bag.
Cucumbers cannot be frozen in thin circles - the vegetable is too watery and will necessarily stick together from the cold. It needs to be cut into cubes, this form is great for salads, you should not be biased if you have never tried it.
Carrots can be cut into long “quarters” if needed for salads and stews, or grated with a coarse / fine grater if you freeze it for first courses or stews.
Do not throw vegetables into the chamber immediately, this will cause a sharp temperature drop. Prepare them for several hours in the refrigerator so that the food cools properly.
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