Freeze vegetables when your garden is overflowing or the farmers’ market is bursting with fresh produce. It’s the perfect time to stock your freezer for the months ahead. Freezing vegetables fast — without blanching — means you can capture all that fresh flavor with less fuss, and still have perfectly prepped veggies ready for soups, stews, and casseroles. These veggies would be perfect for my Better Than Olive Garden Minestrone or Cozy Hamburger Vegetable Soup!
Most vegetables can be quick-frozen without blanching and stored safely until you’re ready to use them. This method is a lifesaver if you’re short on time, planning meals for the week, or simply don’t want to waste a single carrot. The USDA Freezing Guide has more great tips if you want to dig into the science.
When my crisper gets full or when I’m going to be away, I use this process to freeze vegetables and keep my precious produce from going to waste. Today, I cleaned and chopped celery, onions, and cabbage, and peeled and sliced carrots. I prepared everything just as though I was going to use it for soup.
I covered a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper and spread out the veggies, ready to pop in the freezer. Yes, I could just have piled everything on the pan, but I love pretty food, and I couldn’t resist a little artistry on the way to the freezer. Can you blame me?
I popped the pan into the freezer for about four hours, and since the veggies were not piled too thickly, everything was frozen solid. Then, it simply scooped them off the pan into a freezer bag. Everything remained separate, and when some pieces were stuck together, they could be easily separated.
Next, I squeezed out as much air as possible and used a straw to suck out all the air I could without a food sealing system. These veggies can be scooped out in any amount I need for soup, a casserole, or stir-fry. Update: I got a similar compact vacuum sealer, and it is a fast and fabulous way to do this!
Stored this way, the vegetables will keep well in my deep freeze at a temperature below zero for about three months. They will be safe to use longer, but the vegetables will lose some quality.
Please note there is no actual “recipe”, just guidelines, because all you need to freeze vegetables are the veggies and good quality freezer bags or containers. You can do up a small batch when the produce gets ahead of you! “Waste not, want not” never went out of style!
If you are a person who cans or freezes food, it’s a good chance you are thrifty, and that’s a very good thing! Many of us grew up with people who had survived the Depression and saved every margarine tub, Cool Whip bowl, and cottage cheese container.
I do a lot of that myself, and I use them to send food home with kids or grandkids, knowing they will never be “re-reused.” However, none of those are good choices for freezing your valuable food.
Here is a wonderful article about the best freezer containers from The Spruce Eats, one of my favorite sources of food knowledge. As usual, it is in-depth and extremely informative. Please invest in actual freezer containers and spend a little extra to get genuine freezer bags, not sandwich bags or food storage bags.
Some foods, like cabbage and carrots, will last longer in the freezer if you blanch them briefly in boiling water. After that, you simply drain them, place them on the sheet pan to quick-freeze, and then transfer them to high-quality freezer bags or storage containers.
Here’s a good article from the University of Minnesota Extension office that gives you loads of information about how long to blanch each type of veggie. I have had excellent success freezing spinach and onions without blanching them, and they have held up well in my deep freeze for the entire winter.
Are you a gardener, or are you like me, a frequent flyer at your local farmers’ market? Do you freeze, can, dry, or otherwise “put up” produce for the winter? We love it! Here are some of our most popular posts about freezing food. How To Freeze Peppers Without Blanching, How To Freeze Sweet Corn, How To Freeze Asparagus. Watch next week for how to freeze peaches without sugar!
Learn how to freeze vegetables so they stay fresh, colorful, and flavorful — perfect for soups, casseroles, stir-fries, and quick weeknight meals all year long. No special equipment needed! This is meant for short-term freezing, such as three or four months.
There is considerable debate on the best way to freeze zucchini. Oh boy — ask ten cooks, get ten answers. Here’s mine:
Grated: Squeeze it like it owes you money, spread it to dry a bit, then freeze. Perfect for muffins and quick breads. Use frozen.
Cubed: Freezes fine for soup or casseroles, but forget it for stir fry — you’ll get mush.
Remember, beautiful, fresh zucchini is available year-round in the produce department.
**Remember to date your bags- I always think I will remember, but guess what, I often don't.
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