For a leek soup or a casserole, several sticks are needed at once. Otherwise, the intensive leek aroma is used in a rather dosed manner when cooking. It's not always practical to buy new sticks, but rather to get leftovers from the freezer.

Leeks are cut into rings before freezing

Thorough cleaning is mandatory

The inner layers of the leek are well protected and therefore free from contamination. In the leaf axils, on the other hand, there are often remains of earth. However, this upper end of the sticks is edible and also tastes great. Thorough cleaning is the order of the day instead of throwing it away.

  • remove only the outer leaves
  • Cut off unusable ends
  • clean the rest thoroughly under running water

Cut whole stalks into bite-sized pieces

Small pieces of leek are ready to eat, bite-sized and freeze faster in the freezer. A fresh leek can also be easily cut up with a sharp knife, which is impossible to do with a frozen one.

  • Cut sticks into rings
  • thickness as required
  • cutting into very fine pieces is also possible

Working with the blanching

Blanching is hard work that most cooks do not enjoy and that also takes up a lot of time. The temptation is therefore great to simply skip this step. For this reason, freezing raw leeks is often recommended in various Internet forums. But there are also convincing arguments for the hot bath:

  • Color and ingredients are largely retained
  • harmful germs are killed
  • Leeks keep longer in the chest
  • any pesticides and nitrate are flushed out
  • the taste is better preserved

Decide for yourself whether you need the time savings or would rather use the advantages listed above.

Freeze raw leeks

If you opt for the raw version, there is hardly anything left to do. The leek pieces are simply filled into suitable freezer containers and frozen immediately after labeling them with the contents and date. For better portability, you can also spread the leeks on a tray and pre-freeze them beforehand.

How to blanch leeks

The process of blanching consists of two important steps:

  • short cooking in boiling water
  • immediate quenching in ice water

The duration of the blanching depends on the size of the pieces, but more than 3 minutes is not necessary. The leek should never remain in the ice water longer than it takes to cool down. Then it can dry in a sieve or spread on kitchen paper.

  • prefreeze dried leeks
  • Or just put it in the freezer
  • label and freeze immediately

tips

Professional chefs recommend adding some ascorbic acid to the water when blanching. It preserves the color and improves the taste. It is available in pharmacies for a few euros.

durability

Frozen leeks that are filled into well-sealed freezer containers immediately after cooling down and frozen immediately can be kept in the freezer for at least six months.

Gentle defrosting

Pre-frozen pieces of leek can be removed very easily and can therefore be used for cooking while they are still frozen. Keep in mind that blanched pieces require significantly shorter cooking times.

It is possible to gently defrost leeks overnight in the refrigerator.

Conclusion for fast readers:

  • Preparation: Remove outer layers; Cut off unusable ends
  • Cleaning: Thoroughly clean leaf axils under running water; let dry
  • Cutting: cut into rings; size according to need; Fine cut possible
  • Freeze raw: saves time; fill into containers and label;
  • Blanching: Approx. 3 minutes; quench in ice water; Drain
  • Pros: Longer shelf life; Color and taste remain unchanged
  • Tip: Add some ascorbic acid to the boiling water
  • Pre-freezing: Useful intermediate step that prevents sticking
  • Shelf life: At least six months
  • Thawing: Frozen into cooking foods or refrigerated overnight

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden