putting up
I've started putting up veggies for the winter! Every year I manage to grow a little more of our food and last year we were eating our own green beans out of the freezer until march or april. The broccoli ran out in January and the corn in february or march.
This year I'd say the green beans are trying to out do themselves!* I always blanch beans (and other veggies) first. Blanching destroys the enzymes that would cause them to break down slowly in the freezer and is supposed to help preserve vitamins too. Mostly I blanch because I find the texture is all weird if I don't. Then I freeze them on cookie sheets so I can pick just as many as I need later on, and not be faced with a giant cube of frozen beans.
These four containers are a grocery bag full of beans. And I have TWO more bags full in my fridge.**
I love these plastic freezer boxes, they're hand-me-downs from my mom, but I'm sure you can find something similar new. Freezing veggies in re-useable boxes makes me so much happier than having to go out and buy more zip up bags every year.
*Except they won't get the chance, because once I have enough fresh beans frozen I'll just let the remaining pods dry and harvest the dry beans for soups and chillis.
**Note, all I have in my fridge crisper drawers are beans. Beans, beans, BEANS!
This post is originally from BeckyinVT. Feel free to comment and follow here or there.
This year I'd say the green beans are trying to out do themselves!* I always blanch beans (and other veggies) first. Blanching destroys the enzymes that would cause them to break down slowly in the freezer and is supposed to help preserve vitamins too. Mostly I blanch because I find the texture is all weird if I don't. Then I freeze them on cookie sheets so I can pick just as many as I need later on, and not be faced with a giant cube of frozen beans.
These four containers are a grocery bag full of beans. And I have TWO more bags full in my fridge.**
I love these plastic freezer boxes, they're hand-me-downs from my mom, but I'm sure you can find something similar new. Freezing veggies in re-useable boxes makes me so much happier than having to go out and buy more zip up bags every year.
*Except they won't get the chance, because once I have enough fresh beans frozen I'll just let the remaining pods dry and harvest the dry beans for soups and chillis.
**Note, all I have in my fridge crisper drawers are beans. Beans, beans, BEANS!
This post is originally from BeckyinVT. Feel free to comment and follow here or there.