Freezing is a very gentle method of preserving food for a long time. Appearance, taste and even the content of vitamins and nutrients hardly change as a result of the cold sleep. However, it is important that you proceed correctly when freezing.
Vegetables should be blanched before freezing
prepare food
Only freeze food that is in good condition. Fruit and vegetables must be washed thoroughly beforehand, carefully cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Blanch vegetables
Blanching deactivates the cell's own enzymes and also kills germs adhering to the food. Therefore, all vegetables, with the exception of asparagus, should be blanched briefly before freezing:
- Prepare the vegetables as instructed.
- Boil water in a large saucepan.
- Add the vegetables, they should be completely covered by the liquid.
- Blanch for two to four minutes.
- Then quench in ice cold.
To ensure that light-colored vegetables such as cauliflower retain their beautiful white color, add a few dashes of lemon juice to the cooking water. Do not season the blanched vegetables as the flavor of herbs may be lost or intensified.
packaging
Freezer containers and bags must meet certain conditions, otherwise quality losses can occur due to freezer burn. Special plastic containers are easy to clean and can be recycled over and over again. This avoids unnecessary waste.
Yoghurt and quark pots or the packaging in which the vegetables are sold in the supermarket do not meet these requirements and are unsuitable for freezing.
Also note these tips:
- Leave a rim at least three centimeters high for liquid foods. These expand when they freeze. This could lift the lid off.
- Fill in solid food as high as possible. The less air in the container, the lower the loss of quality.
- Use bags, squeeze out the air well and close the bag with a clip.
- Pre-freeze fruit and [ölink u=gemuese-einfrozen]vegetables that you want to freeze[/link] on a tray for three to four hours. Place the pieces on the plate so they don't touch. This keeps the food from freezing together. Then decant and freeze again.
- Label the frozen food clearly with a permanent marker. In addition to the date and the contents, also write the quantity on the packaging. This helps to keep track.
tips
The maximum storage time for vegetables is six to twelve months. You should have used up frozen fruit after eight to twelve months. Meat and fish stay in cold sleep for between three and twelve months.