Two years ago Alex and I decided that we were going to start shopping only at the farmers market for meat and produce. When winter came, we were horribly unprepared - kale and potatoes all winter long gets pretty rough. So last year I went nuts canning and freezing everything summer had to offer. Canning was a hugely involved process that didn't produce the best product, I thought. So this year, I've filled our freezer with corn, peppers, huckleberries, raspberries, ginger, broccoli, and chicken stock. Bring it on, La Nina Winter! We're ready:
Does all that stuff really stay frozen all winter long? I mean, I know it stays frozen, but it will be edible? Whenever I freeze stuff it ends up being gross when I un-freeze it. We are heading into our last 2 weeks of farmers market in CO and I would love to stock up...but I don't trust my freezing abilities.
ReplyDeleteYep, it stays good for about a year and starts to get freezer-burned around the year mark - that's when I start making soups or sauces out of everything cause it's all edible, just starting to get funky. Important things about freezing:
ReplyDelete1) Freeze your food item in a single layer on a baking sheet or plate or anything flat-ish. Once it's totally frozen, put it in baggies - this ensures you don't end up with one giant ice cube of whatever your trying to freeze.
2)Put everything in the freezer so it's ready to go when it comes out later. This means, wash everything and remove inedible/unappetizing bits (stems, seeds, etc.) Also, cut things into usable pieces you you aren't constantly freezing and thawing the same item just because you only need part of it. (for example, I pre-slice ginger before freezing it)
3)For things like broccoli, peas, beans, summer squash, corn, etc. Cook it first (just barely cooked - if it's undercooked, it's perfect) and then spread it out flat to freeze. For some reason, especially green things like broccoli keep their green and generally withstand freezing better if you do this.
Oh, and I'm not sure exactly what you were doing, but don't expect to eat things just thawed out of the freezer and "raw" - that usually is disappointing if not down right gross.
Best of luck!
Yeah, I usually just threw things in containers then tossed them in the freezer. And I always tried to eat stuff raw.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, I eat better thanks to Chef Monika!