Easy Freeze: 4 local veggies to freeze now for year-round savings
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Easy Freeze: 4 local veggies to freeze now for year-round savings
Is it just us, or is this year’s local sweet corn EXTRA sweet and crunchy? The sad part is, local sweet corn season will be over in a couple of weeks. Then it’s back to same old, same old canned or frozen corn shipped in from who knows where. But wait – did you know it doesn’t have to be over?
You can enjoy peak season flavor year-round, because quite a few locally grown vegetables, including sweet corn, are easily frozen and thawed without losing their flavor! What's even better is that you don't need fancy equipment or a lot of time. The veggies below can be prepped in 15 minutes or less!
Vegetables maintain a good majority of their nutrition frozen, as long as you freeze them while they are at their peak. Please note that freezing overripe food does not improve flavor/texture/quality. It can be an effective way to prevent waste, by stopping the ripening process, but for maximum flavor you should plan to freeze local vegetables right after you buy them when they are still fresh-picked.
The third best part is, you’re likely to save a LOT by stocking up and freezing during local season. Literally dollars on the pound (and even more if you shop during the Produce Monday Sale at your local food co-op)(shameless plug, haha!).
Let’s say your family goes through 2 pounds per week of each of the following local organic vegetables. At even $1 per pound savings (it's likely way more), that’s over $400!
Local organic Onions
Prep time: 1 1/2 minutes
Just peel & chop!
If you like to cook with larger pieces, you can also freeze onions quartered, or very small onions can be frozen whole.
Local organic Bell Peppers
Prep time: 2-3 minutes
Wash, remove stems and seeds.
Chop into halves, slices or small pieces.
Local organic Carrots
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Remove tops, wash and peel.
Cut into 1/4 inch thick slices.
Drop into boiling water and cook (blanch) for 3 1/2 minutes, then immediately drop into ice water for the same amount of time. .
Local Sweet Corn
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Husk, remove silk, trim ends.
Cut corn from cob.
Drop into boiling water and cook (blanch) for 4 1/2 minutes, then immediately drop into ice water for the same amount of time.