Yield: Depends on how many vegetables you have.
Materials/Ingredients:
· Freezer
· Cold-stable food containers and/or freezer bags
· Kitchen utensils
· Cookware
· Homegrown produce
Preparation:
Apples: slices
Peel, core, slice. Freeze slices on try, then place in bags. May brown a bit in freezer.
In pies, tarts, cobblers, smoothies; placed on ham while baking.
Asparagus
Wash spears, cut off woody bottoms. Blanch two minutes, freeze on tray. Separate and store in freezer-safe containers.
Sauteed, cut into pieces and cooked into soups or dishes with sauce (to hide mushy texture when cooked)
Beets
Remove all but ½ inch of stem, parboil until fully cooked. Peel, trim, cut into chunks or slices, freeze in tubs or bags.
As is, warmed and seasoned, mixed with other cooked root vegetables, made into borscht.
Berries
Rinse gently, dry thoroughly. Freeze on tray with berries not touching each other and then store in freezer bags.
As is or in smoothies, pies, jams, dessert sauces, toppings.
Broccoli
Wash thoroughly. Cut florets off main stems, cut stems into 1-inch chunks and florets into 2-inch pieces. Blanch two to three minutes. Store in tubs or bags.
Chopped in stir-fries; creamed for broccoli soup; hidden in casseroles, stews, or other soups (previously frozen broccoli can look unappealing)
Carrots
Wash, peel, cut into chunks or slices. Blanch two minutes. Freeze in tubs or bags.
Heated and served with butter and ginger or garlic; chopped in stir-fries, soups, or stews; pureed for carrot soup
Cauliflower
Trim stems, cut heads into 2-inch pieces, blanch three minutes. Freeze on tray, store in bags.
Heated and served with butter; in soups and stews; as a thickener for creamy soups
Cherries
Wash, pit, dry. Freeze on trays (not touching each other), stow in freezer bags.
In pies, ice cream, sorbet, fruit compotes, smoothies
Corn
Husk, remove silk, wash. Blanch four minutes, dry on cloth. Kernels: remove with knife or tool, store in tubs or bags. Whole ears: cut off tips, freeze on trays, store in freezer bags.
Kernels: use plain or in casseroles, soups, stews, salsa, chowders, or salads; whole ears: drop in boiling water and eat or remove kernels for use
Green beans
Wash, snap off stem ends. Leave whole or cut into 1-inch lengths. Blanch two to three minutes, freeze on trays, store in bags or containers.
Sauteed alone or with other vegetables, steamed, in soups or stews, fried with garlic or onions and slivered almonds
Greens (e.g., kale, chard, spinach, beet/turnip greens, Asian greens)
Wash, remove stems. Blanch two minutes, chop into strips. Store in freezer bags in individual batches.
In soups and stews, in meat loaf, steamed with broth and seasonings.
Melon
Peel, cut into chunks. Freeze on trays (pieces not touching), store in freezer bags.
In smoothies, ice cream, sorbet
Onions
Peel, dice or slice. Store in freezer bags.
Sauteed or in soups and stews as if fresh
Peaches
Peel and freeze in slices or halves on trays. Store in freezer bags. Will brown.
In pies, smoothies, ice cream, sorbet, dessert toppings, cobblers
Peas
Shell, blanch two minutes. For looser packing, freeze on tray and then break apart, store in freezer bags. For big chunks of peas, freeze in tubs or bags straight after blanching.
As is, steamed/cooked with onions and butter, in casseroles, soups, stews, meat loaf
Peas: snow/snap
Rinse, remove strings and stems, blanch one minute. Leave whole or cut into 1-inch pieces. Freeze on trays (not touching), store in freezer bags.
Steamed or in stir-fries, soups, stews, salads
Plums
Wash, pit, cut in half. Freeze on trays, store in freezer bags.
As is, with light sugar syrup, or in cobblers, fruit compotes, jams, ice cream, sorbet
Pumpkin and winter squashes
Cut in halves or quarters, bake until soft. Scoop out and drain flesh, freeze in tubs or bags (flatten bags for easy storage).
As is or in pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread
Rhubarb
Remove and discard leaves, wash stems, slice into 1-inch pieces. Freeze on trays, store in freezer bags.
In pies (alone or with strawberries), meat sauces, or jams; over desserts as a sauce or in cooked pieces
Summer squash
Wash, slice or cube into 1/2 inch pieces. Blanch two to three minutes, drain. Freeze in tubs.
In ratatouille, soups, stews (loses flavor and gets mushy when frozen)
Tomatoes
Rinse, freeze on trays, store in freezer bags.
Cook into sauce, use in stews or ratatouille, chop and drain for salsa
This article was excerpted with permission from the book Urban Farm Projects: Making the Most of Your Money, Space, and Stuff, copyright 2014, I-5 Publishing, LLC. For more budget-friendly and environmentally conscience projects and recipes, pick up a copy today!
