Properly freezing veggies! HELP!!!

[silkiechicken]

Ok, so I tried with peas again today and took out of the freezer... crunchy but still rubbery! I guess that's an improvement. I did half with a quick 30 sec boil and half steamed for 1 min...Oh yeah, these are snow peas... maybe I just wasn't ment to freeze them...

 

[bobbieguyette]

Thanks for the tip I will try that!!

 

[jackiedon]

My step daughter's mother had always just taken purple hull peas as soon as she shells them and places them in a pillow case and put them in the freezer. She doesn't wash them or anything and when she needs them she just reaches in and gets what she needs washes them and cooks them. I know several old timers that have done it too.

jackie

 

[silkiechicken]

Ok, tomorrow I will try NO blanching! Just freeze and see what I get. Sheesh, I never thought this frozen veggie thing was so hard!

 

[jackiedon]

I know. My mother filled a large freezer every summer. She would slice her yellow squash shake it in flour and put into bags to freeze. I am going to try that Saturday.

I did put some stewed tomatoes in the freezer Thursday. It's just so much fun to know I grew these veggies and this winter I can say don't need to buy veggies.

Growing up I despised having to help with the garden stuff. Swore I would marry a city boy and not have to worry about this gardening stuff. Country runs deep in the veins.

DH never had a garden, chicks or animals growing up. The first time he ate homegrown corn on the cob was to die for!!! He couldn't believe the difference. He is the one that got started with chickens.

Love the Country!!!

jackie

 

[silkiechicken]

I'm not so country either but I love the idea of sustainable living... well... at least in the food wise sense and efficient water/electricity usage... My inefficient non practical car is an exception to this rule Gotta enjoy some luxury in life! I can't wait till I get to control how things are run here or wherever I may end up. (I live at home) It feels good to know that you can have the ability and skill to raise half the veggies you eat in one year. Keeping tomatoes is no problem as it gets into frozen tomato soup and sauces... just how to save those green veggies is my problem.

I've been slowly converting my suburbia boyfriend to liking the chickens and thinking about his first home as being a farm like fixer upper! He will eat veggies from the garden now... just still afraid to eat the strawberries off the ground from the patch if he saw them come from it.

 

[wegotchickens]

My mom always froze and canned fresh veggies. I never thought I would, but things change when you get out on your own! The fresh corn is in at the farmer's market. I really want to freeze it on the cob for winter dining. Guess I'll call Mom and see how she did it... She's always happy to tell me what to do!

 

[psimek]

We shell our peas, don't wash them & freeze them in baggies. The are delicious.
I like to make zucchini bread & freeze the loaf wrapped in saran wrap then aluminum foil. It takes a few hours to thaw.
My neighbor shreds their zucchini & then freezes it to use later in bread.

 

[ozark hen]

Quote:
I was taught by an older woman many years ago, shuck and put the corn on the cob directly into zip lock bags and freeze the same day picked. NO WATER, NO BLANCHING. You try it..it tastes like you just picked it even if you wait to serve it for Thanksgiving! It is the only way I will ever do corn on the cob ever again. I hate mushy corn. Try this and see what I mean.
Just this evening I grated two large zucchinis. I measured them into 2 cup portions and put them directly into zip lock bags and into the freezer for zucchini bread for this winter. Yielded me six bags. Yummy!

 

[SeaChick]

Silkiechicken-
I have an old 70's copy of "Putting Food By" that was my mom's. You should get one if you're serious about canning/freezing. It's very thorough. You could probably get a paperback version for about 25 cents on line.
Stacey