How to Freeze Vegetables to Enjoy Them Year-Round

Image: Gibby's Garden

I don’t know about you, but I love cracking open the freezer and pulling out a bag of organic vegetables from my garden as Maine dips into freezing temperatures and our beautiful state gets blanketed in snow. Freezing vegetables, whether from your own garden or those bought at the local farmers market, allows you to enjoy their fresh taste year-round. The good news, even for those without a green thumb; vegetables are easy to freeze in a matter of minutes.

3 Rules for Choosing the Best Vegetables to Freeze

When choosing which vegetables to freeze, always abide by these 3 rules:

• Fully Ripened
• Unblemished
• Undamaged

Blanch those Vegetables

Blanching vegetables is fast and easy. Frankly, it takes longer for the water to boil than it does to blanch a batch of veggies. What is blanching? It’s placing vegetables into boiling water for a set amount of time, removing them and immediately dunking them into a sink or bowlful of iced water. The heat only begins to cook the vegetables so they remain crisp and retain their fresh taste. The iced-water stops the cooking process so vegetables don’t become mushy.

Before blanching, remove any dirt and debris from your vegetables. Trim and peel as needed and cut, slice and dice into desired pieces. Think about how you use the vegetables the most. Are they for soups and stews, casseroles or side dishes? Think and prep ahead.

Vegetable Blanching Times

Vegetable	Blanch Time
Asparagus *	2–4 mins
Beans	2-3 mins
Broccoli *	3-5 mins
Cabbage	1 ½ mins
Carrots	3-5 mins
Cauliflower	3 mins
Corn *	4-8 mins
Onions *	2-4 mins
Parsnips	2 mins
Peas *	1 ½ -3 mins
Potatoes	Fully Cook
Squash	1 ½ mins
Tomatoes	15 seconds
Turnips	2 ½ mins

Asparagus: Thin Stems: 2 Mins - Thick Stems: 4 Mins

Broccoli: Thin Stems: 3 Mins - Med. Stems: 4 Mins - Thick Stems: 5 Mins

Corn: Small: 4 Mins - Med: 6 Mins - Large: 8 Mins (Ears) Kernels: 3-4 Mins

Onions: Chopped: 2 Mins - Whole: 4 Mins (small)

Peas: Edible Pods: 1 ½-3 Mins - Shelled: 1 1/2 Mins

Choose a Freezing Method

Tray Pack Method: Spread vegetables on a cookie sheet so they aren’t touching. Pop the sheet into the freezer. When vegetables are frozen solid, remove from the cookie sheet and place in freezer-safe storage bags or containers. The tray pack method freezes vegetables individually, so a precise amount can be removed from the containers and used at any time.

Dry Pack Method: Pack vegetables into containers or freezer bags. Amounts can be measured ahead of time, i.e. 1 cup or 2. Seal and freeze.

Additional Freezing Tips

• Some vegetables will change color when blanched, in most cases, it’s a slight change. Sometimes, a more dramatic color change happens; for instance, when burgundy beans are blanched, they change from purple to dark green in color.

• Before popping vegetables into the freezer, pat them dry to remove excess moisture. This helps to prevent freezer burn.

• When using containers to freeze vegetables, leave a ½ inch of head space between the veggies and the lid.

• When using freezer bags, remove as much air as possible before sealing to help prevent freezer burn.

Freezing vegetables, the same can be applied to fruit, is a sure way to enjoy them year-round. When it comes to certain vegetables like carrots and beans, I freeze them in different sizes to eat as a healthy side dish or add to a stew simmering away in the crock pot all day. Either way, using either freezing method, vegetables hold on to that fresh from the garden taste. If you don’t believe me, try it for yourself and you’ll see.

How to Freeze Rhubarb in 4 Steps

Rhubarb at Farmers Market

Rhubarb is a staple in many Maine gardens; I know it is in mine. In the right soil and under the proper growing conditions, it comes back every year with a vengeance. As a kid I often picked and peeled rhubarb and dipped it in a little sugar before eating. As an adult, my tastes have changed but I still love rhubarb in a warm crisp or in cookies. *

During the summer there’s an abundant supply of rhubarb but when winter rolls around, it’s now where to be seen. So how can we enjoy rhubarb in all its glory during the winter months? By blanching and freezing it. Here’s how:

Step 1: Select the Best Rhubarb

Only select undamaged stalks of rhubarb with no signs of spoilage. If the majority of the stalk is split, toss it. If only a small portion of the stalk is damaged, cut that part off and keep the rest. Choose stalks that are at the thickness you prefer.

Step 2: Prepare for Blanching

I wait until I’m ready to blanch the rhubarb before I pick and peel it. This way the stalks stay fresh and keep their color and texture.

Trim & Peel: Trim the ends of the rhubarb and peel. I use my cutting knife to quickly and easily whisk away all peelings.

Cut: Cut rhubarb into chunks ½ inch to an inch in size. I prefer my chunks a little smaller so I cut them to ½ an inch. Size yours to your preference.

Step 3: Blanching

Bring Water to Boil: Fill a pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Select the size of pot according to how much rhubarb you’ll be blanching.

Prepare Iced-Water: While waiting for the water to boil, fill a large bowl or clean kitchen sink with iced-water.

Blanch: When water boils, add rhubarb either directly to water or place a strainer full in the pot. Remove after one minute. **

Bathe in Iced-Water: Immediately submerge the rhubarb in a bath of iced-water after removing from the boiling water. Leave in water until cool to the touch. This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. An ice bath is needed to stop the cooking process.

Step 4: Freezing

There are two ways to freeze rhubarb or any other fruits and vegetables: dry pack or tray pack.

Dry Pack: To dry pack, simply blot away excess moisture from rhubarb and place in air tight freezer bags or containers. Always leave a half inch of head space between the rhubarb and top of the container. Label and freeze.

This method freezes rhubarb as one block. If using this method, add precise measurements to your baggies such as 1 to 2 cups and label.

Tray Pack: Again, blot away excess moisture and place rhubarb on a cookie sheet. Separate the pieces so they are not touching and pop into the freezer until firm. Once firm, empty tray into freezer bags or container.

I prefer to use the tray pack method when freezing rhubarb because each piece freezes individually. I can shake out the amount I need and pop the rest back into the freezer.

When you blanch rhubarb before you freeze it, you’re helping to retain its flavor, nutrients, color and texture. What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy rhubarb?

* I follow the oatmeal raisin cookie recipe on the inside of the Quaker Oats canister and substitute diced rhubarb for raisins.

** If I’m going to blanch several batches of rhubarb I strain it into an empty bowl after blanching and save the hot water. When I’m ready for the next batch I return the water to the pot and start the process all over again.

Image: LaGrande Farmers' Market, on Flickr