fIVE StEPS tO fREEzING
fRUIt & VEGEtaBLES
Get prepared you need to freeze your
1 produce quickly, otherwise large ice
crystals will form and spoil its texture, so
use your fast-freeze compartment if you
have one. Before you start, check that the
freezer temperature is -18C, also that there
is room for the packages to be stored in a
single layer. they can be stacked once
they’ve frozen solid.
2Be selective Freeze only produce in
peak condition, avoiding any that is
damaged. Freeze as soon as possible,
preferably a few hours after picking.
open freeze some produce keeps its
3 shape better and doesn’t stick together
in a solid block if prepared by ‘openfreezing’.
It’s a handy method that allows
you to remove small amounts as you need
them. For vegetables, prepare them ready
for cooking, ie trim, chop or slice, then
blanch (see chart, right) and dry. For fruit,
just lightly wash or wipe, then dry. Next, lay
the fruit or veg in a single layer on a tray
lined with foil or cling film, then put in the
freezer. When frozen hard, you can pack
them without them squashing each other.
pack up Wrapping food securely helps
4 it last longer. It also prevents ‘freezer
burn’ – this isn’t harmful, just unsightly and
affects the texture of the food. Choose rigid
containers or freezer bags, and leave a little
space at the top as food will expand slightly
as it freezes. Remove any excess air as this
oxidises food, causing it to lose flavour and
moisture, then seal the bag very tightly.
5Add a label A boring chore –
but worth it! As the weeks go by,
you’re unlikely to remember what it
is or the use-by date. there’s all sorts of
freezer gadgetry to help you get organised,
such as zip-seal bags with write-on labels
and colour-coded bag ties and boxes
– visit lakeland.co.uk for ideas.
If you’re overrun with runner
beans, have bushes full of berries
or you’ve snapped up bargains at
the market, follow Angela
nilsen’s
freezing and preserving tips – and enjoy the taste
of summer for months to come
PREPPING VEG fOR tHE fREEzER
veGetABLe HoW to prepAre BLAncHınG
tıMe (mins)
Asparagus Not in bunches 2-3 12
Artichoke
(globe)
Remove stalks and tough
outer leaves
5 12
Beans, broad sort by size 1½ 12
Beans, French trim ends 2-3 12
Beans, runner slice thickly 1½-2 6
Beetroot Freeze completely cooked
and skinned
6
Broccoli trim stalks 2½-4 12
carrots Choose small, young
ones. scrape, freeze
whole
3 12
corn on
the cob
Remove husks
and silks
4-6 12
courgettes slice small ones 1 3
Leeks slice thinly, chop
in chunks or
leave whole
1-3 12
onions store unblanched onions,
sliced or chopped, for up
to 3 months. sliced or
chopped onions can be
blanched
in water or oil
1-3 2
Fresh peas Choose young,
very fresh
1 12
spinach Move about to separate
leaves
1 12
l see our video at
showing how to
blanch and freeze
your produce
storAGe
(months)
ıf ı freeze home-grown veg, what’s
the best way to cook them?
Mary Berry, author of Mary Berry’s
Stress-free Kitchen (Headline, £20), says:
I cook most veg from frozen, and how you
cook them depends on the vegetable.
Carrots, broad beans and runner beans can
be briefly cooked in boiling, salted water –
not courgettes though as they are too
watery. the best way is to fry them, from
frozen, in a single layer in a non-stick frying
WHat WE MEaN By...
BLaNcHING
this is a way of cooking some foods quickly so that
they retain their quality, colour and texture – this is
especially good for vegetables prior to freezing. Plunge
them briefly into a large pan of boiling water (see left
for times). timing should start once the water has
returned to the boil. Drain the veg then either plunge
them into a bowl of ice-cold water or rinse in a colander
under cold running water to quickly stop the cooking
process.
pan, using just a little butter and olive oil
until golden. I find cauliflower doesn’t freeze
well and tomatoes only when frozen whole.
As they thaw the skin peels off easily. use
the flesh for soups and sauces.
I cook some veg before I freeze them,
such as beetroot (see table above), then
when thawed, I slice up for salads. Celeriac
is better cooked and puréed before
freezing. When reheating, I stir in some
crème fraîche to improve its consistency.
CHARt ADAPtED FROM leithS teChniqueS bible (BLOOMsBuRy, £35)
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