I know people, including myself, who freeze their vegetables which they would cook before serving.
I like to freeze peas, carrots, and tomatoes, and I have heard that salad vegetables lose crispness when unfrozen; however, cabbage, celery, and peppers may be frozen for use in cooking.
Health experts say that frozen foods offer a number of advantages that are not found in foods prepared by other methods of preservation; that the frozen product resembles fresh food in colour, flavour, and texture.
According to wikiHow, below is how you can freeze vegetables.
Frozen foods offer a number of advantages that are not found in foods prepared by other methods of preservation. Picture: Supplied
Freezing leafy greens
Chop your vegetables into 1.3 cm pieces
Use a sharp knife and a cutting board to cut up your leafy greens into small pieces. Cutting your vegetables mimics the effects of blanching and stops the enzyme reaction in the vegetable that causes flavour and colour loss.
Place your vegetable bits into a plastic bag that can be sealed
Lay a resealable plastic bag on its side. Portion out the number of vegetables that you think you'll use in one serving. Spread your vegetable pieces in a thin, even layer inside of the bag, making sure they don’t clump up at the bottom.
Roll the bag upwards to remove all of the air and then seal it
Leave the plastic bag unsealed and slowly start rolling it from the bottom upward. Keep it tight so that all of the air can escape from the bag. Seal the bag once you reach the top and all the air is gone.
Label your bag and place it in the freezer for up to three months
Use a permanent marker to write the date and the contents of your bag. Keep it in the freezer for up to three months and use it in sauces, casseroles, and stir-fries. Do not open up your bag unless you are going to use your vegetables since exposure to air will make them spoil faster.
Frozen foods offer a number of advantages that are not found in foods prepared by other methods of preservation. Picture: Supplied
Storing large vegetables
Trim any pieces that you don’t need
Cut the ends off of zucchinis, peel onions, and cut the stems off of peppers using a knife and a cutting board. Cut off any part of the vegetable you don’t want to use and dispose of it.
Slice large vegetables in half lengthwise
Your food will freeze better in smaller pieces, so cut larger vegetables like corn, bell peppers, zucchinis, and onions in half. This will also make them easier to fit into your bag since they will be flatter.
Place each vegetable in its own plastic bag that can be sealed
Each vegetable needs its own plastic bag so that it can freeze thoroughly. Set each vegetable in its own bag in one layer. The thinner the layer, the better the vegetable will freeze.
Suck the air out of the plastic bag with a straw
Seal the plastic bag until there is a 1.3 cm hole in the seal. Place a straw through that hole into the plastic bag. Suck the air out of the plastic bag until there is little to no air left.
Seal the plastic bag, label it with a marker, and put it in the freezer
Take the straw out and quickly seal the rest of the plastic bag. Put a label with the vegetable name and the date frozen. Use your frozen vegetables within three months of freezing them.