Freeze fresh fruit/veg?

Jo4

Can you freeze fresh fruit/vegetables, if so what ones and is there anything you have to do to them first?

cathy_3

you can but you need to blanch them first or they go mushy

http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~vista/html_pubs/PREPVEG/freezing.html

Jo4

cathy Thanks for your very prompt response!

Chris25

......don't bother with strawberries unless you want to use them as sauce but raspberries freeze beautifully. Just lay them on a tray put in freezer til frozen and then you can put all together into a box.

Grapes are really good frozen and you can take them wiith you on a journey on a hot day - tip for next year, I'm afraid! ;D Eating them frozen is very much like eating sorbet.

You can freeze slices of pineapple and if you have teething babies (another great one for a long car journey), give them one of these frozen slices (leave in the core) and they'll suck away happily on it and as the flesh doesn't completely freeze, it sooths baby's gums. they get very sticky but a wetwipe or two cures that!

Regarding veg - I always seem to have a problem freezing sprouts, although I blanch them, they never taste nice, so if I have a glut of them, I give them away!

And you can mash or duchesse your potatoes before freezing.

16011996

whats duchesse??

aussielle

Duchesse potatoes

Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
User Rating: No Rating




4 pounds large red potatoes
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/4 cups milk
3 large egg yolks

Peel and quarter potatoes and in a large saucepan cover with salted cold water by 2 inches. Bring water to a boil and simmer potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes.
While potatoes are simmering, in a small saucepan heat butter with milk over moderately low heat until melted and keep warm.

Drain potatoes in a colander and force through a ricer or food mill into a bowl. With an electric mixer beat in milk mixture, yolks, and salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 400F. Spread about one third potatoes in a buttered 1-quart gratin dish and transfer remaining potatoes to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch star tip. On potatoes in dish pipe potatoes in the bag. Potatoes may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered loosely. Bake potatoes until heated through and tops of "ghosts" are golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

16011996

too complicated, think i'll stick to mash. do nothing that involves piping bag if i can help it, but thanks.

jaybee

I agree - too messy. Told you I was a lazy cook!

Jo4

Thanks for all the responses! Carrots, cabbage and brocolli don't seem to freeze too well, but maybe they will if I try to blanch them?! :-/

Chris25

Jo4.... carrots are great frozen - so easy but yes, you do have to blanch them and you can mix them with swede too. Never tried cabbage - not sure i want to and my efforts with brocolli aren't consistent. :-/ Parsnips are another easy veg to freeze.

Jaybee & 16011996.............. no they're easy, not much more than just mashing the potatoes anyway, just add the egg and pipe little shapes - traditional little stacks or for kids, you could do a fish shape, or letters or the best - mounds with dents in the middle and then when you've taken them out of the freezer and heated them through, fill them with veg or cocktail sausages or tomato ketchup

16011996

think you mean cocktail sausages??