How to Store Frozen Vegetables

Fresh vegetables and fruits are an essential part of a healthy diet. Local farmer's markets and even your own garden are a great source of fresh produce for your daily meals. After the harvest, storing frozen vegetables can make your winter meal preparation a snap. Just reach inside your freezer to grab a bag of flavorful, nutritional vegetables. The quality of your frozen vegetables depends heavily on getting them from the garden or the market into your freezer as quickly as possible.

Things You'll Need

• Fresh vegetables
• Boiling water
• Ice water
• Freezer containers
• Freezer bags

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Instructions

• 1

  Gather freshly harvested vegetables to retain the best flavor and nutritional value. Once they are harvested, vegetables can lose nutrients quickly according to the University of Minnesota Extension. If you are not growing your own vegetables, purchase them from the freshest possible source. Plan to freeze them the same day they are harvested or purchased.

• 2

  Prepare vegetables for freezing by washing and trimming them to fit your freezer container. For example, trim the fibrous ends off asparagus. Freeze the stalks whole or cut them into smaller pieces.

• 3

  Blanche the vegetables by immersing them in boiling water for a short time. Some people debate the value of blanching, but the University of Minnesota Extension says this step is critical to maintaining the highest quality in frozen vegetables. Blanching will destroy some of the micro-organisms in your vegetables that could continue causing deterioration while frozen. Times vary depending on the vegetable, but a good general rule is to cook them until they are barely cooked but tender.

• 4

  Remove the vegetables from the boiling water and stop the cooking process rapidly by putting them in an ice-water bath. Once cooled, drain the vegetables well.

• 5

  Pack the vegetables in small quantities and in high-quality materials for best results, advises the Colorado State Extension. Place them on your freezer shelves without stacking them until after they have frozen. Alternatively, place the vegetables on a flat tray in a single layer and place the tray in the freezer until the vegetables are firm. Quickly pack them in freezer bags or containers and return them to the freezer.

• 6

  Limit your volume of produce to 3 lbs. of vegetables or less per cubic square foot of freezer space in a 24-hour period for the fastest freeze time. Fast freezing prevents cellular damage that breaks down your vegetables and could cause freezer burn.

• 7

  Maintain a freezer temperature of 0 degrees F or less to preserve the nutritional values of your vegetables and enhance their shelf life. You can store most vegetables up to 18 months if you maintain optimal conditions.