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Preserving
Fresh Produce |
Bottling
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Freezing Fruit |
Freezing Vegetables
Recipes4us is
committed to encouraging people to eat locally grown
seasonal produce. Often imported
products lack flavour and their full compliment of
nutrients due to the fact that they are picked young so they can be shipped
without fear of spoiling before they get to us.
So, it can be
realistically argued that eating produce which has
been properly preserved when it was at its best is
not only nutritionally as good (if not better) than
eating out of season produce, but also
environmentally more friendly. As most of us have
freezers which are running anyway, it's an
obvious first choice.
Below are tables showing various fruit and vegetables
and how to freeze them "as is" but there are
many other ways to freeze fruit and vegetables.
How many recipes can you think of which call for
frying onions until soft and transparent? That
process takes between 5 and 10 minutes - time you
could save by doing a whole load then freezing it in
portion sizes. Or why not add tomatoes and use as a
base for pasta sauces and stews.
Talking of pasta sauces, these open up a veritable
Pandora’s Box when it comes to freezing. All sorts
of vegetables can be used and they are a great way
to get kids (or even adults) to eat vegetables
without them even knowing it! Vegetables such as
carrots, courgettes, aubergines, celery, onions,
tomatoes, capsicums, mushrooms can be grated or
chopped and added to minced meat which not only
makes it go further, but adds extra vitamins and
flavours. And if you have an abundance of fresh
herbs even better.
So next time you’re shopping for fresh vegetables to
make a pasta sauce, casserole or stew, if they are
in season and a good price, buy 4 times as much as
you need and freeze the rest.
IMPORTANT - don't forget to label the bags or
containers - once prepared and frozen, it's often
difficult to recognise exactly what's in the
container.
FREEZING FRUIT
General tip
When using freezer
containers instead of plastic bags, remember to
leave 2.5cm/1 inch of headroom to provide for
expansion.
| Apricots |
Dip in boiling water for 1 minute, place in cold
water then peel, dry, halve and stone. Freeze in freezer
bags or layered rigid freezer containers placing a sheet of
clingfilm or freezer paper between the layers. Can be sweetened with
sugar. |
| Berries (All) |
Rinse and drain well. Spread on a tray and
freeze until solid. Transfer to freezer bags or layer in rigid
freezer containers placing a sheet of clingfilm or freezer paper
between the layers. Can be sweetened with sugar. |
| Cherries |
Rinse, dry remove the stems and stone. Spread
on a tray and freeze until solid. Transfer to freezer bags or layer
in rigid freezer containers placing a sheet of clingfilm or freezer
paper between the layers. Can be sweetened with sugar. |
| Figs |
Rinse, dry halve and remove stems. Freeze in freezer
bags or layered rigid freezer containers placing a sheet of
clingfilm or freezer paper between the layers. Can be sweetened with sugar.
|
| Grapes |
Remove from stems and rinse and dry. Spread on a
tray and freeze until solid. Transfer to freezer bags or layer in
rigid freezer containers placing a sheet of clingfilm or freezer
paper between the layers. |
| Melons |
Cut in half, remove seeds then peel and cube. Place
in freezer bags or rigid freezer containers. |
Peaches,
Nectarines |
Dip in boiling water for 1 minute, place in cold
water then peel. Freeze whole in freezer bags or halve, remove
the stone and slice thickly. Spread on a tray and freeze until
solid. Transfer to freezer bags or layer in rigid freezer containers
placing a sheet of clingfilm or freezer paper between the layers. |
| Pears |
Peel, halve and core. Cook in syrup for 2 minutes.
Add lemon juice then transfer to ridged freezer containers
(with the syrup). |
| Plums |
Rinse, dry, halve and stone. Spread on a tray and
freeze until solid. Transfer to freezer bags or layer in rigid
freezer containers placing a sheet of clingfilm or freezer paper
between the layers. Can be sweetened with sugar. |
| Rhubarb |
Remove all the leaves as they are poisonous. Rinse
then cut the stems into 2.5cm/1 inch pieces. Transfer to
freezer bags or layer in rigid freezer containers placing a sheet of
clingfilm or freezer paper between the layers. Can be sweetened with
sugar. |
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FREEZING
VEGETABLES
| Asparagus |
Cut off tough ends, if any. Blanch in boiling water
for 3-4 minutes. Drain well. Transfer to freezer bags or layer
in rigid freezer containers placing a sheet of clingfilm or freezer
paper between the layers. |
|
Aubergines
(Eggplant) |
Cut into slices, sprinkle with salt and allow to
stand 30 minutes. Drain off the excess liquid, dry on kitchen paper
then fry gently in butter until just just tender. Cool and pack into
plastic containers, placing a sheet of clingfilm or freezer paper
between the layers. |
| Beans - French, green, runner |
Top and tail, cut into two-inch lengths. Blanch for
3 minutes. French beans can be left whole. Drain well.
Transfer to freezer bags.
|
| Beetroot |
Cook whole beetroot until tender. Cool, slice and
layer in plastic freezer containers placing a sheet of clingfilm or
freezer paper between the layers. |
| Broccoli |
Trim ends and rinse. Cut into small pieces (about 2
inches, heads no more than 1 1/2 inches across. Blanch for three
minutes. |
|
Capsicums
(sweet Peppers) |
Wash, halve, remove the seeds and cut slices. Place
on a tray in a single layer. Freeze for 30 minutes then transfer to
freezer bags, removing as much air as possible. |
| Carrots |
Peel and cut into slices or batons or leave baby
ones whole. Blanch for 3 to 5 minutes depending on size. Place on a
tray in a single layer. Freeze for 30 minutes then transfer to
freezer bags. |
| Courgettes |
Wash and dry well. Slice into 2.5cm/1 inch pieces
without peeling. Sauté gently in a little melted butter until just
tender. Cool, pack into plastic containers, placing a sheet of
Clingfilm or freezer paper between the layers. |
| Onions |
Peel and chop or slice. No cooking or blanching is necessary.
Can also be lightly sautéed in vegetable oil before freezing. |
| Peas |
Shell and freeze on a tray in a single layer for 1
hour. Transfer to freezer bags. |
| Spinach |
Wash and remove the stalks. Blanch in boiling water
for 1 minute then immediately plunge into iced water for 1 minute.
Drain very well then place small piles on a tray in a single layer
and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to freezer bags. |
| Squash |
Cut squash into 12mm/½ inch thick slices or
2.5cm/1-inch cubes and blanch for
3 minutes. Drain very well then place on tray in a single layer and
freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to freezer bags, removing as much
air as possible. |
| Sweetcorn |
(1) Clean well and remove all silk. Cut off top of
cob then boil in boiling water for 5-7 minutes, depending on size.
Chill in iced water for 5 minutes, drain on kitchen paper then wrap
each cob in Clingfilm. Transfer to freezer bags removing as much air
as possible (2) As above but cut kernels off the blanched cobs.
Place on a tray in a single layer and freeze for 30 minutes.
Transfer to freezer bags. |
| Tomatoes |
(1) Dip into boiling water 1 minute. Remove and
peel. Place on a tray and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to plastic
bags removing as much air as possible.
(2) Cut away the stem scar. Place the whole tomatoes in a single
layer on a tray and freeze for 1 hour. Tomatoes do not need to be
blanched before freezing. Transfer to freezer bags or containers. |
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