freezing veggies

[RoyalHillsLLC]

I am looking for ideas on how to best freeze or otherwise putup fresh vegetables. Example: I love fresh squash, but don't like them soggy. How can you freeze squash from the garden and have them later in the season?
I like zucchini and yellow crooknecks or straightnecks, but haven't been able to freeze them and have them prepared tasting crisp and fresh.

 

[NRacine]

I usually cut them to into bite size pieces (1.5-2 inches) and parboil them for about 30 seconds so they are still squeaky on the teeth, but not totally cooked. I rinse in cold water and drain in a colander, then on towels to get as much water out as possible. Then I freeze them in a vacuum sealed bag with a Reynolds Handi-Vac. After thawing they don't need to really be cooked, just warmed through. Then they won't be mushy.

 

[Momma_Cluck]

yup-- it's called "blanching" and works well for most veggies before freezing--- and so it freezes evenly, and you don't get a frozen lump of squash...
lay them on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper, and freeze overnight... then bag em up-- I LOVE my vacuum sealer! not only no freezer burn, but smaller packages!

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I blanch mine too. I think if you cut them too small or thin they will be mushy. Cut them in bigger pieces. I grate and freeze mine also for bread making in the future.

 

[AngieChick]

I blanch mine as well. It works pretty well. They aren't perfectly crisp as they are when they are fresh, but they definitely aren't mushy either.

 

[RoyalHillsLLC]

Thanks. So I need to slice them thicker, blanch them, freeze them overnight on waxpaper, and then bag them and vacuum seal the bags?

 

[AngieChick]

That's what I would do.

 

[JennsPeeps]

I freeze things in thin layers on cookie sheets, then transfer to baggies.

 

[RoyalHillsLLC]

Is the vacuum packer necessary? or does it work pretty good without it?