Outback Kitchen - Easy Freezing Veggies
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| Freezing vegetables is easy when you know how! |
With food prices soaring due to the drought in Australia the backyard veggie garden is becoming more of a necessity than a hobby. Growing your own is relatively easy but what happens if you want to enjoy your winter produce all through summer? Years ago people either stored produce in cellars or preserved them in jars. Today we have the advantage of freezers. If you are lucky enough to have a cellar then use it as it cuts down on electricity useage. Remember though that root veggies store longer if you leave some of the dirt on them. You can also utilize the cellar for drying your herbs too. For those of us who have no cellar the next easiest alternative is freezing. Most veggies and some fruits are easy to store this way. Most will require blanching, but some can be frozen as is or with some simple preparation such as skinning. Tomatoes and Capsicum Vegetables I have frozen without blanching are - Tomatoes and capsicum. For easy of use I usually skin the tomatoes and rough chop so they can be quickly added to dishes when thawed. The capsicum I usually just chop and freeze. I freeze it first on baking paper in a single layer on a tray and when frozen I put it in bags. This makes it easy to just grab a handful when required, as they don't form one solid lump. Frozen capsicum can be used in stews, soups and on pizzas. |
| Blanching method for Vegetables |
| Most veggies require blanching before freezing. Blanching is just immersing the veggies in boiling water for a short period of time, then quickly refreshing them in ice-cold water to stop the cooking process. You refresh in the ice-cold water for not less than the same amount of time you heated them. I usually just check them to see if they feel cool. Drain the veggies well, shake off excess water, the drier they are the better before freezing. All veggies for freezing are easier to handle if you first freeze them on trays in a single layer. This gives them 'free flow' which means you can just grab a handful when you need them. The fresher veggies are the less cooking time they usually need and this too applies with freezing veggies. Produce picked on the day will require the suggested times in table on the right. But produce that has been stored for a few days like th e veggies you get from the shop may require 30 secs to 1 minute longer. Always remember to wash your vegetables before blanching. If you have some bugs on them you can soak them in salty water for 20 mins before hand and then rinse well. If you think that you have not blanched the veggies long enough don't worry it just means a little more cooking time when you go to use them. |
| Blanching Times for veggies |
| Beans - fresh. Cut into pieces - 2 mins. Older, fatter beans 21/2 mins Boccoli/ Cauliflower Cut into florets - 3 mins Brussels Small heads - 3 mins, large up to 5 mins Carrots cut 3 mins, Whole baby carrots 4 mins Sweetcorn Medium ears 11/4 inch diam - 8 mins Peas 11/2 mins Greens/ spinach etc 2 mins |
Storing Herbs
Herbs are really easy to store. Herbs can be dried or frozen. When drying you can use a dehydrator or you can hang upside down in bunches in a cool dark space. I have also dried small amounts in a paper bag - remember to shake it every now and then. This works best for herbs that don't hold much water and I usually let the leaves dry for a day or two on a rack before I put them in a bag.
Freezing herbs is easy too! You just chop them up and freeze in ice-cube trays with a little water. Bag up the frozen blocks. You can just add a block or two to your soup or stew.
Garlic can be dried but I find it too fussy. The easiest way to store your excess garlic is to peel the cloves and then put in a jar and cover with olive oil. The oil is also great to use for cooking.
Herbs are really easy to store. Herbs can be dried or frozen. When drying you can use a dehydrator or you can hang upside down in bunches in a cool dark space. I have also dried small amounts in a paper bag - remember to shake it every now and then. This works best for herbs that don't hold much water and I usually let the leaves dry for a day or two on a rack before I put them in a bag.
Freezing herbs is easy too! You just chop them up and freeze in ice-cube trays with a little water. Bag up the frozen blocks. You can just add a block or two to your soup or stew.
Garlic can be dried but I find it too fussy. The easiest way to store your excess garlic is to peel the cloves and then put in a jar and cover with olive oil. The oil is also great to use for cooking.
Content and images © Jacqueline Hancock