A leek rarely comes alone. In the supermarket, there are often several of them shrink-wrapped in a bag waiting for their buyer. Don't worry, whenever there are leftover leeks that you can't use up early, you can put the sticks in the freezer.

Frozen leeks are always available for seasoning

Clean leeks

Before the leeks are deep-frozen, they must first be thoroughly cleaned of impurities.

  1. First cut off the two ends with a sharp knife. How much you cut off the top of the stick depends on the condition of the leaves. You should remove anything that is not in perfect condition.
  2. Remove the outer layers of leaves.
  3. Thoroughly clean each rod under running water. A lot of sand can still be hidden in the leaf axils in particular.
  4. Allow the leeks to dry thoroughly before processing them further. You can also pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel to make it quicker.

Cut the leeks into small pieces

Cutting the leeks into smaller pieces is handy both when storing them in the freezer and later when cooking. You can cut the leek into very fine pieces or into whole rings. The ideal size of the rings is between 3 and 10 mm.

Freeze raw leeks

If you don't have time to blanch the leeks, you can put them in the freezer now. All of the leeks are either frozen together in one large freezer bag, or divided into smaller portions and placed in separate containers. After labeling the containers with the contents and the date, the leeks go straight into the chest.

Blanching is recommended

Blanching largely preserves the ingredients and color of the leek. The heat kills harmful germs so the sticks will last even longer in the freezer. Even the taste is said to be better after thawing if the leeks have been blanched beforehand.

  1. Fill a large pot of water and add some ascorbic acid, which preserves the color and enhances the flavor.
  2. Bring the water to a boil and meanwhile prepare a large bowl of ice water.
  3. Add the leeks to the boiling water, but never too many at once. You can blanch larger quantities in portions.
  4. Depending on the size of the pieces, let the leeks cook for 1-3 minutes.
  5. Scoop out the leeks with a ladle and immediately add them to the ice water.
  6. After the blanched leeks have cooled, they must be immediately removed from the ice water and placed in a colander to drain.

Prefreeze and freeze

The drained leeks are ready for the freezer. You can divide the total into suitable portions and place in labeled freezer containers. If there is enough space in the freezer, you can also spread the leek pieces in a single layer on a large tray and pre-freeze in the freezer for about an hour.

Frozen pieces no longer stick together when transferred to freezer containers. This makes it easier to remove partial quantities later.

tips

You can also freeze leeks together with carrots and celery, then you always have soup greens at hand.

shelf life of leeks

Leeks can be stored in the freezer for at least six months. If blanched before freezing, it will keep even longer.

thawing and use

Frozen leeks are rarely used in their raw state. As an ingredient in cooking, it can also be used directly from the freezer without having to defrost it first. If for any reason it needs to be thawed, it can be done gently overnight in the fridge.

Conclusion for fast readers:

  • Clean: remove outer leaves; cut off ends; clean under water
  • Cutting: Into fine pieces or rings of 3-10mm in size
  • Blanching: 1- 3 minutes depending on size; quench in ice water; let cool down
  • Freeze raw: Is possible; only recommended if it has to be done quickly
  • Pre Freeze: About 1 hour; spread out in a single layer on a tray; prevents sticking
  • Tip: Freeze together with the carrots and celery as soup greens.
  • Shelf life: at least six months
  • Usage: Frozen while cooking; Alternatively, thaw in the refrigerator

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