How to Freeze Garden Vegetables

Ahhh… I can hardly wait until my garden is producing! But, until then, I will have to settle with visiting my local fruit stand. Get there early and you can find carts of produce that have been marked down. Buy it in bulk and freeze it. Properly frozen, these will last up to six months unless noted.

PEAS
Shell, wash and blanch 1 minute. Chill in iced water 1 minute. Drain and place on tray in a single layer. Freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to freezer bags, remove air, label and seal.

CORN
Clean well and remove all silk. Cut off top of cob. Wash, blanch a few cobs at a time for 5-7 minutes, depending on size. Chill in iced water 5-7 minutes. Drain and wrap each cob in plastic wrap. Pack in freezer bags, remove air, label and seal.

SPINACH AND COOKING GREENS
Wash well and trim leaves from stalks. Blanch in small quantities of boiling water for 1 minute. Chill in iced water for 1 minute. Drain and place on tray in a single layer. Freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to freezer bags, remove air, label and seal.

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TURNIP ROOTS
Peel and trim young, tender turnips. Cut to required size and blanch 3 minutes. Chill in iced water for 3 minutes. Drain and place on tray in a single layer. Freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to freezer bags, remove air, label and seal.

PEPPERS
Wash, remove seeds and cut into slices or leave whole. Place on a tray in a single layer. Freeze for 30 minutes. Pack in freezer bags, remove air, label and seal.

BROCCOLI or CAULIFLOWER
Choose tender young heads with no flowers and tender stalks. Wash well and divide into sprigs. Blanch 3 minutes in boiling water. Cool in iced water for 3 minutes. Drain. Spread on tray in single layer. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent the smell from permeating the freezer. Freeze 30 minutes. Pack in freezer bags, remove air, seal and label.

Another Method:
Wash well and divide into sprigs. Drain. Pack in freezer bags, remove air, seal and label. Keeps up to 6 months. Great for stir-fry!

POTATOES
Scrub new potatoes. Cook in boiling water until almost done. Drain, cool, pack in freezer bags. Seal, label and freeze.
Slice and deep fry 4 minutes. They should be tender but not browned. Drain and cool on paper towels. Place on a tray in a single layer and freeze 30 minutes. Pack in freezer bags, remove air, label and seal. (Freeze up to 3 months.)
Prepare mashed potatoes. (Freeze up to 3 months.)

CUCUMBER
Peel and chop in food processor. Pack into plastic containers with tight fitting lids. Label and freeze. Great for a fresh garden salsa.

>>Learn how to save money on produce.<<

TOMATOES
Wash thoroughly. Freeze whole and unpeeled on a tray. Transfer to freezer bags once fully frozen.

Another method:
Wash and remove the ends of the tomatoes. Blanch (drop in boiling water until skins wrinkle). Remove the skins. Freeze whole or chopped in bags.

NOTE: Frozen tomatoes should be used in cooked recipes only. Freezing changes the texture and makes them too soft for eating raw.

EGGPLANT
Cut into slices, sprinkle with salt and allow to stand 30 minutes. Drain off excess liquid and fry gently in butter or margarine until just tender. Cool and pack into plastic containers. Seal and label. (Keeps up to 3 months.)

BEANS
Shell and wash. Blanch in boiling water for 1½ minutes. Cool in iced water for 1-2 minutes. Place on tray in a single layer and freeze for 30 minutes. Pack into freezer bags, remove air, seal and label.

ZUCCHINI AND OTHER SQUASH
Wash and chop to desired size. Then, blanch for three minutes; allow to cool; and freeze in an air-tight container.

BEETS
Only freeze young tender beets, not more than 2-3 inches across. Cook until tender and slice. Cool and transfer to plastic containers. Label.

OKRA
Wash and trim off stems. Blanch in boiling water 3-4 minutes. Cool in iced water 3-4 minutes. Drain and pack in freezer bags. Remove air from bags, seal and label.

Thanks to About: Frugal Living and Garden Guides!