How to Blanch and Freeze Vegetables

Most vegetables require blanching before you freeze them.

When you have an abundant harvest from your garden, freezing the vegetables is one way of storing them for later consumption. Blanching is usually necessary before freezing. The blanching process helps prevent the vegetables from losing or changing flavor when frozen. Blanching may take from three minutes to over half an hour, depending on the vegetable and its size. Most vegetables only require a few minutes of blanching.

Things You'll Need

• Knife
• Pot with basket
• Colander
• Large bowl
• Plastic freezer storage containers
• Marker

Instructions

1. Wash the vegetables in cool water from your kitchen faucet to remove dirt. Cut off stems, leafy tops and other inedible parts from the vegetables.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the vegetables in a basket fitted for the pot. Lower the vegetables into the boiling water and start timing the process. As soon as the time is up, which will vary depending on the vegetable, remove them from the pot and drain them in a colander.

3. Fill a bowl full of ice water. Place the blanched vegetables in this water to cool them quickly.

4. Drain the vegetables again in a colander and then package them in plastic freezer storage containers. Mark the date on each container so that you will know exactly when the vegetables were placed in the freezer.

Tips & Warnings

• Use one gallon of boiling water per pound of vegetables.

References

• Missourifamilies.org; Blanch Vegetables Before Freezing; Karma Metzgar
• University of Missouri Extension; Quality for Keeps: Freezing Vegetables; Barbara J. Willenberg
• National Center For Home Food Preservation: Freezing