Freezing Fresh Veggies

This picture may not look like anything to be proud of, but in a sad, sorry little way, I am! So what are they? Well, the bag on the left is some broccoli and the the bag on the right is a pepper and onion mix I froze a few weeks ago. I've also done carrots and green beans. Is it hard? Nope! Does it take long? Would I be so gung-ho about it if it did? Of course not!

I have only recently tried my hand at freezing and it's so easy I can't believe I didn't begin it years ago. There are two benefits to freezing veggies like this. First, it keeps fresh veggies from being wasted when we just don't get an opportunity to cook them for dinner as planned. Second, it makes food prep time that much quicker and easier. Your veggies have already been washed and cut, and because they've been blanched they don't take as long to cook. And if you are freezing the vegetables that you don't want to waste, then you are saving money as well by not having to buy frozen veggies as the store.

So what is "blanching" anyway? It's what you do to prepare your veggies for freezing. It's basically a 2-step process of boiling your veggies for about 2-3 minutes, then dousing them in ice-cold water for an equal amount of time. What's the big deal about blanching?

When you blanch vegetables, you accomplish 2 things. First, It makes the vegetable look pretty. It brightens the colors and makes them look appetizing - just like when you're steaming them for dinner. For example, this first picture is the raw carrot before blanching.
This second picture is after blanching. See the difference?

The second and more important reason we want to blanch veggies before freezing is that it helps destroy the enzymes that cause the vegetables to rot, therefore helping them to stay fresher longer. This is a good thing.

So, let's get started. First you need to wash and trim your vegetables. As you can see, I was doing green beans.

Next, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the vegetable to the water all at once and start the timer immediately. Green beans and broccoli only need to be boiled for 3 minutes. Diced carrots and peppers were 2 minutes.

Many general cookbooks (such as the Better Homes and Gardens) have a more thorough list of blanching times if you are going to try different vegetables.

While the veggies are boiling, prepare your ice water. Put a cup or two of ice cubes in a large mixing bowl and add water until it is about half full. Set aside.

As soon as the timer goes off, drain the vegetables in a colander in the sink.
Then dump the veggies into the ice water and set the timer for the same amount of time you had the veggies in the boiling water. This stops the cooking process.

Drain the veggies again, then spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet in freezer for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the exterior of the vegetables is frozen.

Once the vegetables are frozen enough that they are no longer wet, use a spatula to loosen them from the cookie sheet and divide into freezer bags. This will yield a loose-pack frozen vegetable similar to what you buy in the freezer section at your grocery store. You can prepare them the same way.