Vegetable

Preparation

Blanching Time

(in boiling water unless stated)

Asparagus

Wash thoroughly, sort by size. Cut in 2-inch lengths or leave in spears. Blanch, cool and drain. Package, seal and freeze.

Small stalks — 2 min

Medium stalks — 3 min

Large stalks — 4 min

Beans: green or wax

Select young tender beans. Wash and remove ends. Leave whole, slice or cut into 1-inch to 2-inch lengths. Blanch, cool and drain. Package, seal and freeze.

3 minutes

Beans: lima or fava

Select beans ready for table use with slightly rounded, bright green pods. Wash, shell and sort according to size. Blanch, cool and drain. Package, seal and freeze.

Small beans — 2 min

Medium beans — 3 min

Large beans — 4 min

Beets

Wash and sort according to size. Leave tap root; trim tops leaving 1/2-inch of stem. Cook in boiling water until tender. Cool, peel (removing stem and tap root) and cut into slices or cubes. Package, seal and freeze.

Cook:

Small beets — 25-30 min

Medium beets — 45-50 min

Broccoli

Wash and trim. If insects are present soak 1/2 hour in solution of 4 teaspoons salt to 1 gallon of cold water. Split lengthwise into pieces no more than 1-1/2 inches across. Blanch, cool and drain. Package, seal and freeze.

In water — 3 minutes

In steam — 5 minutes

Brussels Sprouts

Select green, firm, compact heads. Make sure no insects are present. Trim, removing coarse outer leaves. Wash and sort. Blanch, cool and drain. Package, seal and freeze.

Small — 3 min

Medium — 4 min

Large — 5 min

Cabbage

(for cooked dishes)

Select fresh, compact heads. Remove coarse outer leaves. Cut into medium to coarse shreds, or thin wedges, or separate head into leaves. Blanch, cool and drain. Package, seal and freeze.

1-1/2 min

Carrots

Select tender, mild-flavored carrots. Remove tops. Wash and peel. Leave small carrots whole. Cut others in 1/4-inch cubes, thin slices or lengthwise strips. Blanch, cool and drain. Package, seal and freeze.

Small, whole — 5 min

Diced, sliced or strips — 2 min

Cauliflower

Choose tender, firm, snow-white heads. Break into pieces about 1 inch across. Drain. Blanch, cool and drain. Package, seal and freeze.

3 min

Corn: whole kernel and creamed

Blanch, cool and drain. For whole kernel corn, cut corn off cob about 2/3 the depth of kernels. For cream style corn, cut at 1/2 the depth of kernels and scrape cob with back of knife to remove juice. Package, seal and freeze.

4 min

Fresh Herbs

(for cooked dishes)

Wash, drain and pat dry with paper towels. Wrap a few sprigs or leaves in freezer wrap and place in a freezer bag. Seal and freeze.

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Greens: beet greens, collards, chard, kale, mustard greens, spinach or turnip greens

Select tender leaves. Wash and remove stems. Blanch, cool and drain. Package, seal and freeze.

Note: freezing without blanching works well.

Collards — 3 minutes

Other greens — 2 minutes

Kohlrabi

Select stems when fully grown but tender. Cut off tops and roots. Wash and peel off the tough bark. Leave whole or dice in 1/2 inch cubes. Blanch, cool promptly, and drain. Package, seal and freeze.

Whole — 3 minutes

Cubes — 1 minute

Okra

Wash pods and separate into small pods (4 inches or less) and large pods. Remove the stems at the end of the seed cells, being careful not to expose the seed cells. Blanch, cool, and drain. Leave whole or slice crosswise. Package, seal and freeze.

For Frying — Slice blanched pods crosswise and dredge with flour or meal. Spread in a single layer on a shallow pan. Freeze just until firm. Package, seal, and freeze.

Small pods — 3 minutes

Large pods — 4 minutes

Onions

(for cooked dishes only)

Choose mature bulbs and clean as for eating. Blanch, cool promptly, and drain. Package, seal and freeze.

3 to 7 minutes or until center is heated

Green Onions

Young green onions may be chopped for salads and sandwiches and frozen without blanching, but they will not be crisp. They will be highly flavored but may be slightly tough.

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Peas: edible pod

Choose table-ready, tender pods. Wash, remove blossom ends and strings. Leave whole. Blanch, cool and drain. Package, seal and freeze.

Small pods — 1-1/2 minutes

Medium pods– 2 minutes

Peas: green

Pick sweet and tender table-ready peas. Shell, blanch, cool and drain. Package, seal and freeze.

1-1/2 minutes

Peppers: hot

Wash and remove stems. Package, seal and freeze.

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Peppers: sweet

Wash, cut in half, remove stems and seeds. If desired, cut into 1/2-inch strips or rings.

For Use in Cooked Dishes — Blanch, cool and drain. Package, seal and freeze.

For Use in Uncooked or Cooked Foods — Do not blanch. Package, seal and freeze.

Halves — 3 minutes

Strips or rings — 2 minutes

Rutabagas

Select young, medium-sized rutabagas. Cut off tops, wash and peel.

Cubed — Cut into cubes, blanch, cool, and drain. Pack, seal and freeze.

Mashed — Cut into chunks and cook until tender in boiling water. Drain, mash, and cool. Pack into containers, seal and freeze.

Cubed — 3 minutes

Summer Squash

(including Zucchini)

Place sliced Zucchini on a lightly-oiled pan and bake at 350�C until cooked.  Cool, pack, and freeze.

Tomatoes

Freeze whole without peeling and remove skins after freezing by running warm water over them.

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Green Tomatoes

Select firm, sound green tomatoes. Wash, core, and slice 1/4-inch thick.

For Frying — Pack the slices into containers with freezer wrap between the slices. Seal and freeze.

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