Freezing excess vegetables

To store food successfully in your freezer you need to blanch it, essential with most vegetables. Below is a guide showing how to treat different vegetables. You’ll find more useful information by clicking here.

Blanching
Ensure water reaches a rolling boil within 1 minute then blanch for recommended time.Remove and plunge into ice cold water.

Vegetable Preparation Blanching Time

Artichokes, Globe
Remove all outer coarse leaves and stalks, and trim tops and stems. Wash well in cold water, add a little lemon juice to the blanching water. Cool, and drain upside down on absorbent paper. Pack in rigid boxes Blanch a few at a time, in a large container for 7-10
min.

Asparagus
Grade into thick and thin stems but don't tie into bunches yet. Wash in cold water, blanch, cool and drain. Tie into small bundles, packed tips to stalks, separated by non stick paper. Thin stems 2 min. Thick stems 4 min.

Aubergines
Peel and cut roughly into 1 in (2.5 cm) slices. Blanch, chill and dry on absorbent paper. Pack in layers, separated by non stick paper
4 min.

Beans, Runner & French
Select young, tender beans; wash thoroughly trim ends and blanch Runner slice thickly and blanch 2 - 3 min.

Beans,Broad
Shell & Blanch 3 min.

Beetroot
Choose small beets. Wash well and rub skin off after scalding. Beetroot under 1in (2.5 cm) in diameter may be frozen whole; large ones should be sliced or diced. Pack in cartons. Note: Short blanching and long storage can make beetroot rubbery. Small whole 5 - 10 min. Large cook until tender 45- 50 min.

Broccoli
Trim off any woody parts and large leaves. Wash in salted water, and cut into small sprigs. Blanch, cool and drain well. Pack in boxes in 1 - 2 layers, tips to stalks. Thin stems 3 min. Medium stems 4 min. Thick stems 5 min.

Brussels sprouts
Use small compact heads. Remove outer leaves and wash thoroughly. Blanch, cool and drain well before packing Small 3 min.
Medium 4 min.

Cabbage Green & Red
Use only young, crisp cabbage. Wash thoroughly, shred finely. Blanch, cool and drain. Pack in small quantities in polythene bags
1½ min.

Carrots
Scrape, then slice or cut into small dice. Blanch, cool, drain and pack 3 - 5 min.

Cauliflower
Heads should be firm, compact and white. Wash, break into small sprigs, about 2 in (5 cm) in diameter. Add the juice of a lemon to the blanching water to keep them white; blanch, cool, drain and pack. 3 min.

Celeriac
Wash and trim. Cook until almost tender, peel and slice.

Celery
Trim, removing any strings, and scrub well. Cut into 1 in (2.5 cm) lengths. Suitable only for cooked dishes. 3 min.

Courgettes
Choose young ones. Wash and cut into ½ to 1in (1 cm) slices. Either blanch, or saute in a little butter. 1 min.

Fennel
Trim and cut into short lengths. Blanch, cool, drain and pack 3 min.

Kohlrabi
Use small roots, 2 3 in (5 7 cm) in diameter. Cut off tops, peel and dice. Blanch, cool, drain and pack. 1½ min.

Fennel
Trim and cut into short lengths. Blanch, cool, drain and pack 3 min.

Marrow
Young marrows can be peeled, cut into ½-1 in (1 - 2.5 cm) slices and blanched before packing. Leave ½ in (1 cm) headspace
3 min.

Leeks
Cut off tops and roots; remove coarse outside leaves. Slice into ½in (1 cm) slices and wash well. Sauté in butter or oil, drain, cool, pack and freeze. Only suitable for casseroles or as a base to vichyssoise. Sauté 4 min.

Mushrooms
Choose small button mushrooms and leave whole, wipe clean but don't peel. Sauté in butter. Mushrooms larger than 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter are suitable only for slicing and using in cooked dishes. Sauté 1 min.

Onions
Can be peeled, finely chopped and packed in small plastic containers for cooking later; packages should be over wrapped, to prevent the smell filtering out. Note: Small onions may be blanched whole and used later in casseroles. 2 min. Small whole 4 min.

Parsnips
Trim and peel young parsnips and cut into narrow strips. Blanch, cool and dry. 2 min.

Peas
Use young, sweet green peas, not old or starchy. Shell and blanch, then shake the blanching basket from time to time to distribute
the heat evenly. Cool, drain and pack in polythene bags or rigid containers. 1 - 2 min.

Peas,Mange-tout
Trim the ends. Blanch, cool, drain and pack 2-3 min.

Peppers
Wash well, remove stems and all traces of seeds and membranes. Can be blanched as halves for stuffed peppers, or in thin slices for stews and casseroles. 3 min.

Potatoes
Best frozen in the cooked form, as partially cooked chips (fully cooked ones are not satisfactory), croquettes or duchesse potatoes.
New: choose small even sized potatoes. Scrape, cook fully with mint and cool. Appearance similar to that of canned potatoes. Chipped: part fry in deep fat for 2 min., cool and freeze for final frying.

Sweet Corn
Select young yellow kernels, not starchy, over ripe or shrunken. Remove husks and 'silks'. Blanch, cool and dry. Pack individually in freezer paper or foil. You can also remove the kernels after blanching and store in bags. Note: There may be loss of flavour and tenderness after freezing. Thaw before cooking. Small 4 min. Medium 6 min. Large 8 min.

Spinach
Select young leaves. Wash very thoroughly under running water; drain. Blanch in small quantities, cool quickly and press out excess moisture. Pack in rigid containers or polythene bags, leaving ½in (1 cm) headspace. 2 min.

Tomatoes
Whole, placed whole in bags the skins are easily removed on defrosting for use in cooking.

Tomatoes Purée
Skin and core tomatoes, simmer in their own juice for 5 min. until soft. Pass them through a nylon sieve or liquidise, cool and pack in small containers.

Tomato Juice
Trim, quarter and simmer for 5 to 10 min. Press through a nylon sieve and season with salt 1 level tsp (5 mi) salt to every 2 pints (1 litre). Cool, and pack in small containers.

Turnips
Use small, young turnips. Trim and peel. Cut into small dice. Blanch, cool, drain and pack in rigid containers. Note: Turnips may be fully cooked and mashed before freezing leave ½in (1 cm) headspace.