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Topic: How and What to freeze from my garden?

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Froggie avatar
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Subject: How and What to freeze from my garden?
Date Posted: 5/27/2011 12:30 PM ET
Member Since: 10/27/2007
Posts: 2,296
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Last year we had such a great year with our veggies but had too much that I couldn't even give the stuff away.  I am hopeful that this year will be the same.  Can anyone tell me what veggies/herbs freeze well and which ones don't.  Also, any suggestions or tips would be great.  I do have a Foodsaver machine but we just got it so I haven't had much chance to try it out. 

We have planted the following:

Carrots, Parsnips, Lettuce, Spinach, Lettuce, Sweet Peas, Zucchini Squash, Yellow Squash, Banana Peppers, and Tomatoes.  For herbs I have Rosemary, Parsley, Cilantro, and Oregeno.

Thank you :)

Wildhog3 avatar
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Date Posted: 5/27/2011 11:30 PM ET
Member Since: 4/4/2009
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I count on filling half a large chest-type freezer plus the freezer top of a refridgerator with frozen fruits and vegetables. Fruits are cherries, strawberries, peaches, blackberries. Vegetables are green beans, lima beans, crowder and black-eye peas, green peas, corn.

PM me and I will be happy to give you instructions/techniques for any of these.

cyndij avatar
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Date Posted: 6/4/2011 7:43 PM ET
Member Since: 3/15/2008
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You can freeze herbs by chopping them finely, spooning the chopped herbs into an ice cube tray and adding a little water. After it's frozen pop out the "herb cubes" and store them in a plastic bag. They're ready to use in most cooked dishes or salsa, the water is minimal and won't affect your dish. You can freeze peas (you are growing peas to eat, right, and not the "sweet pea" flowers?) by blanching in boiling water for a few minutes first; same with spinach if you press out most of the water. You can freeze shredded zucchini for use in zucchini bread later, but that's about all it's good for; eat it fresh or give away what you can't use. Peppers can be frozen without blanching for use in cooked dishes later. Tomatoes may be made into sauce then frozen, or you can freeze them whole if you're going to use them pretty quickly (in cooked dishes). The skins will slip right off as they thaw. You can't freeze lettuce.

Textures on anything frozen will not be as good as fresh, but the flavors are still there. Have fun...

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Subject: What I freeze
Date Posted: 2/10/2012 6:33 PM ET
Member Since: 3/6/2006
Posts: 1,076
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I make tomato sauce and freeze that. Also freeze diced peppers, onions. beans .  Zucchini  & tomatoes come out mushy but it is ok for use in soups.. I have not tried carrots but the ones you buy frozen from the store cook ok.  I make fruit pie fillings and freeze them then all you have to do to make a pie is the crust and cook it. I am going to try a mixture of winter squash and store it in a cool place in the basment. I also pick green tomatoes that have almost matured right before it freezes and store them. The ripen slowly and i have tomatoes till december.

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Date Posted: 2/11/2012 11:31 AM ET
Member Since: 7/10/2011
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I freeze my herbs dry in zip lock bags, and use them just like dried herbs in recipes.  I make tomato sauce too.  Frozen chopped onion comes in handy, good to cook with but not to put on a burger.  Same for peppers.  Eat your lettuce fresh, don't even try to freeze it.