Freezing vegetables at home is a great way to get a lot of nutrients and vitamins in the winter. Of course, when freezing, some of the vitamins are lost, but the remaining useful substances are much more than, for example, in pickled vegetables or in jam.
Home freezing of vegetables became possible due to the spread of more modern freezers, preventing the transformation of products into a piece of ice covered with hoarfrost.
How to properly freeze vegetables?
Freeze everything: greens, zucchini, pepper, corn, cabbage, peas, raspberries, cherries, etc. Do not freeze only completely watery berries, such as watermelon, and some types of salads. To ensure that vegetables and fruits do not turn into iced porridge, and after defrosting - into a mash, it is necessary to follow the basic rules that describe how to properly freeze vegetables:
- For freezing, only whole vegetables and berries are selected, without damaging the skin.
- Before freezing, the products must be thoroughly washed and dried, all seeds and bones are removed from them. So, the pepper is cut, cleared of seeds and cut into cubes or slices. The exception is berries. For example, the cherry is washed, dried and frozen in an undamaged state. If you remove the bones from the cherry, it will lose its elasticity and after freezing the berries will stick together.
- Some vegetables are blanched, that is, they are boiled for several minutes. Boiling kills microbes and substances that promote oxidation. Vegetables after blanching last longer.
- Frozen vegetables and fruits do not deteriorate for 12 months if stored at a temperature not higher than -18 ° C, and about three months at a higher temperature.
Types of freezing
The main recipes for freezing vegetables suggest two options: dry frost and shock.
Shock freezing of vegetables suggests a quick freeze of washed and dried vegetables: the water contained in the fruit, when frozen quickly does not have time to form large crystals, the lattice of vegetable cells is not damaged, and after defrosting they retain their shape and color, as well as up to 90% of useful vitamins . Dried vegetables are put into bags and placed in a freezer. Shock freezing can be done at home, with the help of an ordinary freezer and the "quick freeze" function, which is found in most modern refrigerators.
Dry freezing of vegetables is a little different: first washed and peeled vegetables have an even thin layer on the board, which is placed in the freezer. Already after the vegetables are frozen, they are poured into small bags. It is especially convenient in this way to freeze berries. Sometimes a dry frost is understood as a function of a refrigerator no frost, because it provides freezing without accumulation of moisture, that is, without the formation of ice. It is not suitable for a shock and dry freezing of a watermelon and a salad: because of the large amount of water, the preservation of these products without marinating is impossible.
Which vegetables are best for winter freezing?
Firstly, tomatoes: they are used to make a favorite borscht for many people.
Secondly, pepper: if it is not cut, in winter you can prepare stuffed peppers from tasty, full of vitamins, foods. Some landladies prefer to stuff the pepper beforehand, and freeze it in ready-made form.
Thirdly, cucumbers are an indispensable attribute of any salad. In the winter, a salad of summer vegetables that have preserved a juicy flavor is especially useful.
The greens, of course, are not a vegetable, but are also great for freezing. Prepare in the winter traditional dishes with cilantro? It is easy, if in advance to prepare coriander for the winter. It is enough to wash and dry the greens, finely chop it and sprinkle it on the bags.