1. Freezing Vegetables
Have you ever tried freezing vegetables whole or cutting them up, tossing them in a Baggie, and throwing said Baggie in the freezer? It’s not pretty. I didn’t know that the reason they become slimy and mushy when you use them later is because the veggies’ cell structure explodes from the water expanding from the freezing process. Huh. Makes sense when you think about it! Apparently, in order to freeze vegetables, you need to blanch them first. You can do this with whole veggies if they are small or cut them up. To blanch, submerge veggies (with tongs or mesh strainer) into boiling water for a few seconds. Then remove them and dunk into ice water. When the vegetables are cool enough to touch, gently squeeze out any excess water and dry well. Now they are ready to freeze. This method works for herbs too. FYI, basil turns black when you freeze it without blanching it first, yuck! In order not to end up with a big frozen block of vegetables, use what chefs call the I.Q.F. (Individual Quick Freeze) technique. This means you freeze the veggies on a baking sheet or similar surface in a single layer before putting them in the container or bag for storage.
