Freezing vegetables for the winter in the freezer. The best ways to freeze vegetables for the winter

Freezing vegetables at home is one of the most popular ways to harvest for the winter. Its advantages are obvious: the products are not processed high temperatures, does not require the use of salt, sugar, preservatives, the cooking time is reduced, the maximum of useful components is preserved.

General freezing rules

Freezing vegetables, like other types of preparations for future use, has its own technological subtleties:

1. Choose ripe but firm vegetables without warping or signs of disease.
2. Wash and dry fruit thoroughly before freezing.
3. Some vegetables need blanching to prevent microbial growth and stop oxidative processes.
4. To store blanks, use bags (tight plastic bags with special zip fasteners) or plastic containers for.
5. The storage temperature should not exceed -18 °C, otherwise the shelf life of processed products will be reduced from 8-12 to 2-3 months.
6. Do not re-freeze thawed blanks.
7. Choose the cutting method and serving size depending on the future use.
8. For convenience of preparation, the date and type of freezing are signed.

Ways to freeze vegetables at home

Freezing vegetables for the winter at home can be done in several ways:

• whole fruits are harvested fresh or baked (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants);
• cut into pieces (halves, slices, plates, bars, cubes);
• grated vegetables are convenient to use for sautéing, in the filling for pastries and in cereals (carrots, beets, pumpkin, peppers);
• mashed (tomatoes).

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Freezing carrots

This vegetable is used in sautéing for soups and second courses.

1. Cut the peeled root crop into cubes, circles, straws for garnishes.
2. Arrange on a tray and place in the freezer, covered with cling film.
3. Put a scattering of frozen pieces or grated carrots into bags, store according to general instructions.

frozen tomatoes

Tomatoes give the dish a pleasant sourness and a beautiful color.

1. Freeze fleshy fruits whole, cut into slices, circles or pieces.
2. For soups and sauces, puree the tomatoes, removing the thin skin. Put the weight into Silicone forms and freeze. Transfer the frozen blanks to the bag.

Freezing Peppers

This vegetable crop can be frozen whole or sliced large pieces, rings, stripes and cubes.

1. Free whole fruits from the insides, blanch in boiling water for no more than 1 minute. Fold original pyramids of 3-4 peppers in packages (containers) and freeze.
2. Sliced ​​spread on a tray in a single layer. Freeze, put in bags.

Frozen green beans

Delicate green pods are easy to freeze at home. In winter, beans can be cooked appetizing sauté, stew or delicious casserole.

1. Wash the pods, cut off the ends.
2. Divide into 2-3 parts, dry. Freeze on a tray.
3. Or immediately put the blanks in bags, put them in the freezer.
4. Shake the frozen contents so that the beans do not stick together.
5. Store vegetables for no more than 12 months at a temperature of - 18 degrees.

frozen eggplant

Eggplant is used in the preparation of vegetable and mixed side dishes. For freezing, it is better to use small fruits that have a uniform pulp with small seeds.

1. Remove the tough skin before slicing and blanching.
2. Cut into large pieces, circles, slices or cubes. Blanch 2-3 minutes in salted water.
3. Dry, put on a baking sheet and freeze. Remove the blanks in bags or plastic boxes with a lid.
4. Prepare whole (half) eggplants by pre-cooking in the oven. Prick the skin with a fork, brush the fruit with oil and bake until tender. Cool and freeze in bags, releasing the air.

Freezing zucchini

Delicate gourds are often used in the preparation of stews, vegetable puree, soups.

1. Wash young unpeeled fruits thoroughly and wipe dry.
2. Cut into circles large slices, cubes.
3. Spread the slices on trays in an even layer, freeze.
4. Store in tight bags from 3-12 months, observing the temperature regime.

Freezing cabbage

Depending on the type of cabbage, the methods of freezing it change.

1. Broccoli has a delicate structure, so take the washed and dry heads of cabbage into florets and freeze on a tray. Put in bags for storage.
2. Washed, dried colored and Brussels sprouts Arrange on inflorescences, blanch in acidified water. After 2-3 minutes of processing, transfer to ice water.
3. Dry, lay out to freeze on a baking sheet covered with parchment.
4. Transfer to prepared bags, containers.

Fruits frozen for the winter at home will be a great help in the kitchen. From a variety of vegetables you can cook yourself various mixtures, significantly saving the budget and time of the hostess.

If the products are properly stored, they only benefit the body. Food can stay in freezer refrigerator, do not lose vitamins and other valuable elements. In the review, we will talk about what can be frozen for the winter by discussing a simple workpiece the most common products at home. Ideal stocks in the freezer are represented by a universal assortment: vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs, mushrooms.

Rules for freezing food in the freezer

Features of storing food in the freezer

The rules for freezing food in the chamber are simple, but they must be strictly observed. Before freezing, it is required to prepare all products in such a way that they do not have to be washed later, but can be consumed immediately. In case of non-observance of the storage periods, food poisoning. Only fresh, whole, undamaged, high quality products for freezing. It is advisable to turn on the maximum cold in the freezer a few hours before laying new products in order to create an optimal atmosphere there and the process of adding food. room temperature did not adversely affect the containers and packages already stored in the chamber. It is better to store food in portions so that you can get them little by little.

The average temperature in the freezer is 20 degrees and below. For some blanks, 18 degrees is enough. It is impossible to freeze already thawed vegetables, fruits, berries or mushrooms again. Every product needs sealed container. Containers are available in abundance in supermarkets. It is necessary to put the washed and dry product on flat surface and freeze slightly so that the pieces do not stick together. Next, send the workpiece to Plastic container or wrapper, remove air from there, close the package, place a label on it indicating the contents and today's date. This approach will provide you with convenience when using frozen foods.

It is better to stock up without sugar and salt. Usually, housewives, subject to all conditions, manage to preserve vitamins and provide for the whole family. healthy nutrition. Preparations for the winter can be whole, cut into pieces. Blanched foods also keep well. This means that the food has been cooked for up to 5 minutes in a small amount of water.

Shelf life of food in the freezer

The duration of keeping food in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator varies. Here are the generally accepted rules:

• vegetables can be stored for 3-12 months;
• fruits are stored in the freezer for 9-12 months;
• greens are stored for 3-4 months;
• store mushrooms for 3-6 months;
• bell peppers stuffed with minced meat are stored for 3-6 months.

Please observe the expiration dates given, do not use expired products, always sign the dates of preparations, especially if you have small children.

Freezer storage packaging

You can dry vegetables and fruits before freezing with a cold hair dryer to speed up the process or lay out washed food on fabric.

You need to know what you can and cannot freeze food in. Next Options packaging is relevant for vegetables, fruits, herbs and mushrooms:

• tight-fitting plastic containers;
• trays made of food-grade plastic;
• plastic film;
• tin products specifically for the freezer;
• extrusion film-polyethylene;
• aluminium foil;
• If we are talking about berries, it is convenient to lay them out in ice molds;
• some products are successfully stored in paper boxes;
• food plastic bags;
• bags with clips.

And these packaging options are not suitable for storing food in the freezer:

• household bags and any fabric products;
• wrapping;
• garbage bags and bags and any non-food plastic bags;
• greaseproof paper.

WITH the best packaging we have decided, now let's talk about how to properly freeze specific foods, so that later we can eat them with pleasure in the winter.

Properly frozen vegetables and fruits do not lose their attractive appearance, taste qualities, a range of vitamins and other useful substances

What vegetables can be frozen for the winter?

How to freeze pumpkin for the winter?

It's easy to cook pumpkin raw. First, remove the skin, then randomly cut the flesh. For example, cubes of 2.5 centimeters. We lay out the chopped vegetables on the tray so that the fragments do not touch. Otherwise, the pieces will stick together. When freezing occurs, the product should be transferred to a plastic container, taking into account that there is some free space left, as this product expands when cooled. It is also convenient to freeze raw or boiled grated pumpkin.

Proper freezing of zucchini

We take the most tender young zucchini or zucchini, in which there are a minimum of seeds and they are small, thin skin. They need to be washed, dried, cut off the tails. To freeze zucchini for soup or stew - cut them into cubes of 1-2 centimeters. For fried zucchini and casseroles - circles a centimeter thick are better. When is preparation for cooking vegetable fritters, then it is advisable to rub the zucchini along with the carrots through a grater.

Storing beets in the freezer

Rinse the beets, remove the skin, chop it in any way. For example, cut, pass through a blender or rub through a grater. Divide into small portions by placing the product in containers, bags or ice trays. Use the quick freeze function. Boiled beets are frozen in the same way.

How to freeze eggplant for the winter?

Soak the eggplants in water for a while, then chop them randomly. Arrange in the selected packages and send to the freezer. You can freeze raw or oven-roasted eggplant. The product is prepared by conventional blanching for up to 5 minutes, heating in a microwave at a power of 800-900 W for 4 minutes. In addition, before freezing, eggplants are blanched in a double boiler, also up to 4 minutes.

Proper freezing of onions

Free the onion from the husk, make slices of 0.5-1 cm, arrange in packages, leaving some free space. If possible, remove the air from the bag, close it and send the product to the freezer. You can pre-blanch or fry the onion. Leek, chives, and green onions can also be stored in the freezer. ice cream product not used raw, it is added when cooking.

Storing broccoli in the freezer

Separate the cabbage inflorescences, rinse them. Take small portions and process separately. Put the product in boiling water, keep it in the cooking mode for 2-3 minutes, then place the cabbage in ice water for a couple of minutes. Put the product in a colander to drain the water. Place the cabbage in portions in bags, squeeze out the air and close them, put in the freezer.

How to freeze tomatoes for the winter?

To make pizza, French meat or scrambled eggs, you can cut the tomatoes into circles and arrange them in the freezer on food paper. Frozen rings can be folded into any convenient container. It is convenient to store whole tomatoes - they are washed, dried and put in the freezer. To prepare only the pulp of tomatoes, you need to lower them into hot water, remove the skin and use the insides. You can also cook tomato juice and freeze it, apply to different homemade dishes.

Proper freezing of carrots

Cut the carrot into pieces of any shape. For beauty, you can use figured devices for cutting vegetables. If this is not the case, then you can make circles, cubes or thin straws. Freeze absolutely dry carrot slices so that they do not stick together into a single mass. Put the carrot on a cutting board, wait a couple of hours, then place it in any package. In addition, vegetables can be blanched - boil in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes, then remove and immediately put in cold water, dry on a towel and similarly freeze.

Storing peppers in the freezer

Whole and even-skinned peppers, freed from stalks and seeds, wash and dry well. Place the product freely on the substrate, when it freezes after a few minutes, fold it tightly into any storage container. For example, in plastic bags. And they also prepare peppers like this: they are dipped in boiling water for half a minute, then dried and frozen, folding them one into the other. Such a product is suitable for preparing stuffed peppers or adding to various dishes.

How to freeze potatoes for the winter?

Peel potatoes and immediately put in water, otherwise they will darken. If desired, small tubers are frozen whole: boil the product in boiling water for five minutes, then put it in ice water, remove it, dry it thoroughly and place it in a freezer in ziplock bags or ordinary plastic bags. Two-stage freezing - first spread the tubers on a horizontal surface freely, wait for freezing, then lay them more tightly in any container. When cooking, potatoes do not need to be thawed, immediately put in dishes. Similarly, you can prepare potatoes in strips, only blanching is 3 minutes and raw product needs to be rinsed more thoroughly. Pack the frozen slices in bags. Such a product is the basis for french fries or a component of soups. If potato slices are being prepared specifically for deep-frying, then it is advisable not to blanch them, but to steam them in a colander over boiling water in a saucepan and drizzle with oil before freezing. Some people freeze cooked french fries.

Freezing celery rules

Rinse celery and remove large fibers. Freezing the product whole or in pieces allows you to add it to sauces, stews, soups. You can prepare celery without blanching or with it. The fact is that 3-minute blanching extends the shelf life. Arrange dry pieces on foil or parchment, freeze, then pack convenient way and store in the freezer. Without blanching, store the product for 2 months, and with blanching for up to a year.

How to freeze fruits and berries in the freezer?

Freezing strawberries

Berries lose their taste a little, so many people freeze it in sugar. First, lay out the product in a thin layer, after freezing, put it in bags or plastic containers. If you need to make strawberries not in bulk, but with sugar, we take 350 grams of sand per kilogram of product or powdered sugar. We put clean berries in plastic utensils sprinkling each layer with sugar. After keeping a couple of hours at a positive temperature in the refrigerator, the berries will give juice, then tightly fold the berries into any container and pour the juice, they will be tasty and sweet, as they are in syrup. Also, strawberries are perfectly stored in the form of mashed potatoes. To do this, the berries need to be mashed or passed through a blender. When the puree-like contents of the container are defrosted, then sugar is added.

Freezing plums in the freezer

For freezing, the tightest are selected. ripe fruit. When you prepare the filling, the bones will have to be removed. First, you need to keep the fruits laid out on a horizontal surface for several hours, then you can put them away for storage in any container. Plums do not need to be thawed before use. For example, put frozen pieces in compote or pie filling.

Harvesting and storing apples in the freezer

To prepare apple slices, you need to cut the stalk and seeds, although this is not necessary. Put the cut fruits on a cutting board in one layer, put them in the freezer for 2 hours, then put them in a plastic tightly closed container or bags for further storage. You can also prepare fruits in sweet syrup, their shelf life will be longer. First, we cook a syrup consisting of 1500 mg of ascorbic acid, 750 g of water, 450 g of sugar. Soak in cold syrup for a day, then pour boiling water or blanch, and then freeze. In addition, you can make a puree mass, for this chopped apples boil without sugar for up to 20 minutes, then pass through a blender, freeze. If you want, send the apples to the freezer whole. Before this, it is advisable to soak the fruits for several minutes in a solution consisting of 50 g of water and 1500 g of ascorbic acid.

Storing grapes in the freezer

Rinse and dry the grape tassels with a towel, it does not give juice, which is different from raspberries, strawberries. First, freeze each brush separately, then they can be connected and stored in containers, bags. You can also prepare individual berries, they are also laid out on the surface, you can put them on plates when they freeze a little, put them in bags and tie them tightly.

Harvesting cherries for the winter in the refrigerator

Freeze pitted cherries if you need to cook jelly, compote, desserts, jelly from it. If you need pitted berries, for example, for filling pies, you will have to take them out before freezing. Cherries are not thawed, they are immediately put into pies. For harvesting in the freezer, freshly picked berries are used, one serving of berries is 500 grams. The fruits must be washed and dried. Berries are stored in plastic boxes or sealed bags. First, the cherry is frozen in one layer, then the hard berries are transferred to the container, otherwise they may stick together. It is good to have berry assorted cherries, blackberries, currants and raspberries in the freezer, but all berries should be barely ripe, so they are better stored.

Storing food in the freezer: properly prepared vegetables, fruits, berries, mushrooms, herbs are useful reserves for the winter

Harvesting and storing mushrooms at home

How to freeze oyster mushrooms correctly?

Oyster mushrooms are harvested similarly to vegetables. The main thing is to take the product of the first freshness, rinse it clean, dry it well and pre-freeze it unfolded. Small mushrooms can remain whole, large ones need to be cut. In principle, it is permissible to freeze oyster mushrooms not in two stages, but immediately put them in containers or bags at the most low temperatures. In addition, mushrooms can be boiled in salt water for a quarter of an hour, then dried and sent to the freezer. Try freezing and fragrant mushroom broth.

Features of freezing saffron mushrooms

mushroom mushrooms - useful product, it is ideal for freezing. Do not mix them with other mushrooms or immediately pack them into bags. It is necessary to withstand the mushrooms at maximum freezing up to 12 hours, then transfer them to containers or bags and already set the temperature to about 18 degrees.

Features of freezing greens

Take note of our tips for storing greens in the freezer and using blanks:

• use frozen herbs to make teas;
• put greens in soups all year round;
• try to freeze the greens in a bunch, it is wrapped in cling film, while it will be possible to cut off the required amount from the resulting solid sausage;
• along with greens, do not forget to freeze milk corn with coarse grains;
• make an assortment of several types of greens (sorrel, parsley, dill, tarragon, sage and any other types), chopping it finely and filling it with water, as a result you will get convenient ice cubes in any container;
• it is convenient to freeze greens, chopped with a mixer, in trays for making ice.

It's great if your whole family gets used to eating greens in all seasons.

What can not be frozen in the freezer?

• watery foods such as cucumbers, potatoes, apples, watermelons - can be frozen, but it is possible that after thawing they will lose their shape;
• herbs - it is also, in principle, permissible to freeze, then they can change color and turn into porridge after thawing;
• horseradish, cheese - can behave unexpectedly when frozen-thawed;
• do not freeze thawed meat;
• boiled pasta cannot be frozen;
• coffee beans are lost beneficial features in the cold;
• canned food is not intended for storage in the freezer;
• do not freeze eggs in the shell, only in molds;
• sour cream, yogurt, custard and other creamy products are stored in the refrigerator, not in the freezer;
• cheeses should not be frozen;
• sauces based on starch or flour cannot be frozen;
• ice cream that has melted should not be put in the freezer, otherwise it will become sticky;
• many are interested in whether it is possible to freeze cabbage, we believe that this should not be done for salads, since the product loses its natural crispy structure, becomes sluggish and soft (although for the preparation of cabbage rolls, borscht and stews white cabbage can be frozen as a head or chopped)
• some housewives do not recommend freezing quince, melons, pears, hawthorn and wild rose, but we believe that quince, melon and pear are easily and permanently frozen in the same way as other fruits - in cubes or slices by the dry method, and hawthorn with rose hips are frozen with whole dry berries, also in a two-stage way (first, the products laid out in a thin layer are frozen, then they are transferred to a container for storage).

Our article discussed actual question preparation of food in the freezer. By adhering to simple rules, you can significantly make your life easier, diversify home cooking and continuously receive vitamins.

With the advent of modern spacious freezers in almost every home, the issue of proper freezing vegetables. Everyone wants frozen foods to retain their appearance, taste and priceless vitamins for as long as possible. This article will tell the reader how to properly freeze vegetables, as well as give some tips on preparing preparations for future delicious dishes.

The benefits of fresh food

It is not necessary to focus on the advantages of frozen vegetables over canned foods. Vegetables prepared for the winter in jars with the help of preservatives will not retain all the vitamins and minerals inherent in their fresh counterparts. Besides canned food cannot be considered useful from a nutritional point of view. And the last point that speaks in favor of the product stored for the winter is in fresh. much easier and simpler than preserving them. The only obstacle is the lack of a freezer.

General freezing rules

So, we have a great desire to save as much as possible fresh vegetables, fruits and berries for the winter, an impressive harvest and a freezer of a certain size. The dimensions of this chamber hint to us that vegetables need to be stored prepared, and not containing any unnecessary elements. In order to freeze vegetables, it is not enough to sort and wash the source material, it is necessary to remove all unnecessary elements in the form of a core, seeds, and, if possible, chop the product.

We form briquettes

If there is a global freezing of vegetables and fruits, and we run the risk of not fitting into the freezer volumes, we should first form small rectangular briquettes from the vegetable mixture. To do this, until completely frozen, we send the vegetables to the freezer in plastic containers, laying the pieces as tightly as possible to each other, without filling the space a little to the edge. Small or too large containers for a temporary shelter for the vegetable mixture will not work. Freezing vegetables at home involves the formation of such portions so that later, when defrosting, you can use the entire briquette at once for cooking. Re-freezing of food is not allowed. The optimal volume of one frozen serving is 300 grams.

As soon as the vegetables in the container are completely frozen, you need to remove the container from the freezer, briefly place the contents under a stream of warm running water. Now, by turning the container over, you can easily shake the vegetables out and pack them in a tight plastic bag. Remember that during long-term storage, even at temperatures below -18 degrees, the worst enemy of products is air that has got inside the package.

What should be considered when selecting material for storage?

Sometimes people freeze slightly underripe vegetables. It's not a problem. But it is better not to put overripe vegetables in the freezer. After you take out the package and place the contents in a cooking pot, overripe vegetables will lose their appearance and burst.

What vegetables can be frozen? We use blanching

You can freeze almost any vegetables, the only condition is to blanch them in boiling water so that the fruits stop their development during storage. After all, even critical sub-zero temperatures cannot prevent the ripening of fruits and a characteristic change in color and taste. In addition, frozen vegetables can become undesirably hard over time without blanching. Among all vegetables without a short heat treatment only onions and sweet bell peppers can do. Leafy vegetables are also blanched before being sent to long-term storage.

Blanching steps before freezing

For the procedure, we use a colander, which can fit about half a kilogram prepared vegetables. We take a five-liter pan, fill it with water, bring to a boil. We turn off the gas and immediately put a colander with a vegetable mixture into the pan, cover the lid and wait. The blanching time for each type of vegetable is different.

Before freezing vegetables, after blanching them, they must be cooled in ice water. If the water in the pan can safely withstand up to 6 tabs of vegetables, then cold water must be changed after each batch. Now it remains for us to dry the vegetables and pack them for long-term storage.

Blanching time for vegetables

• Color and cabbage- 3 minutes.
• Cabbage, chopped into strips - 1.5 minutes.
• Eggplant - 4 minutes.
• Whole carrots - 5 minutes.
• Carrots, chopped - 2 minutes
• Mushrooms - 5 minutes.
• Zucchini - 2 minutes.
• Leafy vegetables - 1.5 minutes.

So that the leaves do not stick together during blanching, it is necessary to double the volume of water in the pan.

Frozen vegetables: recipes for cold soups and okroshka

Both for the cold soup "Tarator" and for the okroshka, you will need such a blank. We take finely chopped cucumbers, onion, dill and parsley. Place the chopped vegetable mixture in a plastic container and fill it with kefir. We tightly close the package and send it to storage. Instead of kefir, you can use sour milk.

mexican mix

For this blank, equal proportions you will need chopped carrots, green beans, sweet pepper (preferably red), as well as milky corn and green peas. Frozen vegetables recipes recommend not defrosting before cooking, which is very convenient. After taking out the package from the freezer, feel free to send it to the soup, to the pan or to the slow cooker.

Preparations for making yogurt

We talked a lot about vegetables, but actually bypassed the freezing of berries, mentioning it only in passing. But berries can be stored not only in whole, but also in the form fruit puree. This puree is ideal for making desserts, drinks, and yogurt at home.

First, wash and sort the cooked berries, then grind them with a blender. Pour the puree into ice cube trays and set the timer to quick freezing. Then we pour the resulting cubes into a bag, get rid of excess air and put them in long-term storage. It is a pleasure to use such cubes for making desserts.

Freezing vegetables for the winter is simple and affordable way enrich your diet for the period of cold weather with all the vitamins and microelements necessary for the body. In addition, vegetables taken out of the freezer will remind you of a warm, gentle summer.

Freeze sweet bell pepper

Pepper in for frozen- tasty and very useful. This vegetable can be prepared whole, after cutting out the seeds and core. To make pizza, I chop it in rings, for stews or soups - in the form of cubes.

The only negative in freezing peppers is a sharp and corrosive smell. So that all other products in the freezer are not saturated with its aroma, I recommend storing the vegetable in plastic containers with lids, or in special freezer bags with zippers. For harvesting for the winter, fleshy varieties are best suited: Asti, California miracle, Atlant, Anastasia.

Freezing tomatoes for the winter

I freeze tomatoes different ways. Overripe and soft tomatoes I process in a blender or a meat grinder, lay out the resulting pulp in molds for muffins or ice, made of silicone, and freeze in them. You can immediately add neutral spices and salt. I use frozen pulp instead tomato paste, adding to ready meals icicles that have turned out.

For pizza preparations, I use a different freezing method. I take fleshy tomatoes: I remove the skin, cut it crosswise, douse it with boiling water, chop it in half rings or rings, put it on a flat plate and freeze it. I put the hardened rings in a pile in bags. You can use them for cooking without defrosting.

For the stew, I cut the tomatoes into cubes and freeze them. Or I use a pizza blank, previously thawed and cut into pieces.

Freezing grated beets

This vegetable is perfectly preserved in the cellar, and is also sold inexpensively in winter period. But in order to save time when preparing a roast for borscht, I freeze grated beets, and I advise you. After rubbing, I lay it out in a thin layer in polyethylene or silicone ice molds.

Freezing cabbage

I often freeze Brussels sprouts and cauliflower for the winter. I thoroughly wash the first, dry it and put it in bags. Having defrosted, it is easy to cook it, frying it with butter in a pan - it turns out very healthy and tasty dish.

I sort the cauliflower into inflorescences, freeze it on a plate and put it into bags. To cook in winter time, it is not necessary to defrost it. Can be boiled and fried in batter.

Frozen green peas

for sale green pea in frozen form in almost all stores, but having grown in your own garden, you must definitely freeze a tasty and healthy vegetable. You can prepare peas in pods, but this way they will take up more space in the freezer. Therefore, beforehand, I clean it from the pods, put it in small packages in portions, and freeze it. From peas, I cook mashed potatoes or soups by adding them frozen to boiling water.

Zucchini and eggplant

sliced thin plates Eggplants freeze well. After defrosting, I fry them and cook them in the form of stuffed rolls. Zucchini has to be pre-cleaned of seeds and skin, after which I chop them into small cubes. I use frozen zucchini for cooking vegetable stews and soups.

Carrot

I freeze sweet young carrots. I freeze the small ones whole, so that later they can be caramelized with sugar in a pan and served as a separate dish, or added to stew. I grate medium carrots and add them to the frying without defrosting. And to prepare the soup, I freeze the large one, chopping it in circles.

Freeze boiled and fresh mushrooms

I thoroughly wash oyster mushrooms and champignons, cut them into slices and freeze them. They keep pretty well. for a long time, all year round I cook pies, juliennes, as well as meat sauce from them. Honey mushrooms collected with your own hands can also be frozen without pre-treatment. For their preparation, a short roasting is sufficient, so they can be added raw during the cooking process.

All other mushrooms are best cooked before freezing. Cooked, they will become smaller and take up little space in the freezer. In addition, you can cook something very quickly from boiled mushrooms.

frozen greens

I freeze greens in order to later decorate borscht, omelettes, soups, and other dishes with it. But for freezing I use only sorrel and parsley (after washing and chopping). green onion after freezing, it smells unpleasant, and dill, on the contrary, completely loses its aroma, so I prefer to dry it.

For several years in a row, I prefer freezing for the winter in the form of vegetables, fruits, berries and other delicacies to seamings: the freezer helps to preserve maximum amount nutrients, and cooking technology at home - to save the family budget. Let's talk about how to properly freeze food for the winter, and what can be put in the freezer to enjoy delicious bright food on cold evenings.

What can be frozen in the freezer

The list of blanks for the winter in the freezer can be endless. However, not all housewives are happy owners of a freezer, limiting themselves to four drawers in the refrigerator.

Before deciding what to freeze for the winter, decide:

• what is in high demand in your family (maybe you can't live without broccoli or mushrooms);
• what foods are available during the winter season (for example, I do not recommend freezing carrots or beets);
• how much you are willing to allocate space for vegetables and fruits.

Buy for harvesting seasonal products, prices for which are lower than ready-to-freeze. For example, frozen sea buckthorn and blackberries in our region are cheaper than fresh ones, which means that it makes no sense to freeze these berries yourself.

Freezing rules and technology

Main cooking requirements frozen vegetables, herbs and berries:

Freezing vegetables for the winter will be better if you plan them before going to the freezer. To do this, place a colander with pieces in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, and then dry.

Try to pack products in portions so as not to break the tightness of the package and not defrost an extra portion of the fruit.

Shelf life

By observing the freezing periods, you preserve your health.

You can store frozen fruits and vegetables for no more than a year at a temperature below - 18 C, up to - 8 C no more than three months.

Re-freezing is excluded: if you have thawed a bag of mushrooms, use the entire volume of the product.

What is frozen for the winter

Almost any fresh food can be stored in the freezer without loss of vitamins and taste.

Vegetables

You can freeze any vegetables for the winter. It is not recommended to store in the freezer only:

• cucumbers;
• swede, turnip;
• lettuce leaves;
• raw potatoes.

What vegetables can be frozen?

Tomatoes. It is better to take fleshy, non-watery fruits (for example, Lady fingers) or cherry. Small tomatoes are frozen whole, after removing the skin from them. Can do tomato puree(useful for cooking pasta, soups, sauces).

frozen tomatoes

If you prefer to freeze sliced ​​tomatoes, place them on a sieve to drain excess liquid into a drip pan.

how to freeze tomatoes

Broccoli and cauliflower. Disassemble heads of cabbage into small inflorescences, rinse, blanch for 1 minute. Divide into bags and put in the freezer.

Pepper. Cut into slices and freeze in small portions(useful for soups, vegetable stew).

Zucchini, eggplant. Cut into slices or cubes, removing the skin. You can blanch vegetables, freeze them in trays, and then carefully arrange them in containers or bags.

frozen eggplant

vegetable mixes. We take peas, corn, cut peppers, zucchini, tomatoes and eggplants - pack them in portions and freeze them.

frozen pumpkin

Berries and fruits

According to research, frozen berries contain only ten percent less vitamins than fresh ones, which means that delicacies collected in the summer can benefit the body in the winter.

Freezing berries is easy, observing simple rules, which I already talked about in an article about how you can store in the freezer:

• blueberries;
• blueberries;
• strawberries and wild strawberries;
• apricots and peaches;
• melon;
• plums;
• sweet cherry;
• black and red currants;
• gooseberry;
• pears;
• grape;
• blackberry;
• chokeberry.

In the list of preparations for the winter in the freezer, you can include any seasonal berries and fruits, the main thing is that they are fresh, without mold and rotten fruits. However, I would not advise freezing:

1. Watermelon - when frozen, it becomes watery and tasteless.
2. Bananas: in the summer they are, according to my observations, more expensive, and a yellow treat is available all year round. However, frozen bananas cut into pieces can be turned into ice cream with a blender (mixing them with berries or chocolate), and for this purpose it is worth freeing up space in the freezer.
3. Kiwi and apples. Just like bananas, they are affordable all year round, and it’s not worth spending the freezer on green fruits.
4. Citrus. When defrosted, they lose their taste, becoming sour and watery. An exception is a frozen lemon, which is easier to grate when cold, for example, if you need zest or pulp for a lemon pie.

Milk products

I love to freeze butter(usually I don’t use a whole pack at once) and fresh rustic cottage cheese. It is recommended to store dairy products in the freezer for no more than two months.

Mushrooms

Greenery

The technology for freezing greens in the freezer is simple - parsley, dill, basil, cilantro should be washed and finely chopped.

I use special scissors for cutting greens. These can be bought with three blades and five. The tool allows you to accurately and quickly prepare seasonings for the winter.

Herb scissors are easy to clean, do not damage the skin of the hands and are safe to use.

greenery scissors

greenery scissors

Greens should be frozen in small portions so as not to open the bags, violating their tightness: dill and parsley quickly absorb odors and begin to exude an unpleasant aroma.

Blank ideas

Experienced housewives know that you can save time and not harm the health of the family with the help of home-cooked semi-finished products:

1. Preparation for borscht or cabbage soup. Finely chop onions, carrots, peppers, beets, potatoes, blanch and freeze in small bags. We store no more than a month.
2. stuffed peppers. We clean the peppers, wash them, stuff them with minced meat and put them in containers. It remains only to put out the almost finished dish.
3. Meat and fish products. We form cutlets, meatballs from minced meat, cut into pieces for goulash and freeze first on trays, and then put them in freezer bags.
4. Casserole
5. In my family cottage cheese casserole I'm the only one who eats, so I usually freeze half of it and cut it into portions. Warm up for 2 minutes microwave oven and get a delicious dish for breakfast or afternoon snack.
6. Pancakes and dumplings
7. We bake pancakes, wrap the filling in them (it is better to take ready-made chopped meat or cottage cheese), freeze on a tray, and then put in freezer bags.

Semi-finished products at home may also look like:

• cooked rice;
• boiled vegetables;
• barley;
• frozen meat or vegetable stew;
• boiled buckwheat.

When there is no time for cooking, such blanks for a month in the freezer help out the hostess. Have time to stock up healthy vegetables and fruits: frozen food in supermarkets is several times more expensive than home-made products.