How to freeze veggies (raw)?

Jay H · 02-13-2008, 08:28 AM

Is there a good way to freeze raw veggies like say Green beans without destroying it when thawed.

I had a bag of green beans that I couldn't eat before leaving for vacation in Maine a few weeks ago.. In a desperate attempt at saving the beans from inedibility, I read somewhere that they can be frozen so i chucked them in a sealable freezer bag and into the freezer. I didn't either get or read the part about having to be cooked and then frozen......

Is there a way to freeze certain veggies in their raw state? Like green beans?

I thawed them out the other day, and they do become pretty mushy and some of them started to turn white and become pretty icky....

Jay

DougR · 02-13-2008, 08:47 AM

Get yourself one of those Vacuum Sealers !

Vacuum Sealers

Welcome To SealAMeal.com

Brian D H · 02-13-2008, 09:08 AM

Or just par-boil them.

JonZ · 02-13-2008, 09:24 AM

Ill usually steam frozen veggies.

I prefer to steam my veggies anyway, I never cook them in water.

I just put them in a strainer that fits perfectly on a pot.

Sort of like this. The smaller strainer sits at the top and just cover it.

Nice crunchy veggies. They never come out soggy.

Thats what Ill usually do for stuff like broccoli, peas or corn. For stuff like Asparagus or brussel sproats, Ill grill them with a touch of olive oil and garlic. Theyre delicious off the grill. If Im lazy, I might use the toaster oven.

nolesrule · 02-13-2008, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay H

I thawed them out the other day, and they do become pretty mushy and some of them started to turn white and become pretty icky....

As Alton Brown likes to point out on Good Eats, when you freeze fruits and vegetables, the water in the cells turns to ice, perforating the cell walls with sharp ice crystals. Once it thaws, all that water then leaks out through the holes, leaving you with mush.

They need to be frozen fast enough so that sharp ice crystals do not form. The best method is to place them spread out on a metal tray in your freezer. More surface area contacting the metal and the cold air speeds up the freezing process. Once froze, they can then be stored in a container.

**HTF Ads**

JonZ · 02-13-2008, 09:45 AM

"As Alton Brown likes to point out on Good Eats"

My favorite Food Network show.

KevinGress · 02-13-2008, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nolesrule

As Alton Brown likes to point out on Good Eats, when you freeze fruits and vegetables, the water in the cells turns to ice, perforating the cell walls with sharp ice crystals. Once it thaws, all that water then leaks out through the holes, leaving you with mush.

This is why current cryogenics isn't up to the level of movies - people would turn to mush. Figure that issue out, and you could make a ton of money thawing people like Ted Williams out.....

...well, then there's the whole "do a head transplant" issue to work out.

nolesrule · 02-13-2008, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonZ

"As Alton Brown likes to point out on Good Eats"

My favorite Food Network show.

Mine too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinGress

...well, then there's the whole "do a head transplant" issue to work out.

Just store the head in a liquid-filled jar, feeding it FOX Executive Powder daily. Eventually, you'll be able to hire a lobster-like doctor to put it back on a body.

Kevin Hewell · 02-13-2008, 04:21 PM

When Alton Brown froze strawberries on GE he put dry ice in a cooler and froze them solid there first and then transferred them to a freezer bag to put them in the freezer. They came out great when he thawed them out.

nolesrule · 02-13-2008, 06:44 PM

Yes, he did. That would work much better (and faster). But not everyone has immediate access to dry ice.