[Clough]

Hi, All!

The title is my initial question. I also wonder if there are certain types of vegetables where it is preferable for them to be blanched? Also, are there any where it would be preferable not to blanch them prior to freezing them?

One more: Why is it necessary for certain vegetables to be blanched?

Thanks!

[twinkiedooter]

Quite honestly I can't think of any vegetable that needs blanching prior to freezing.

I never blanche anything prior to freezing. Just clean the veggie and freeze in my refrigerator freezer (in a regular baggie) and then use the vacuum sealer machine and then into the deep freeze for a long sleep.

Certain veggies and fruit need to be frozen prior to vacuuming otherwise they'll get squashed.

This summer I bought a load of strawberries, dark sweet cherries, blueberries and watermelon. Froze all fruit after washing thoroughly and cutting up. Cut up the strawberries, depitted the cherries and kept the blueberries whole when placed in small baggies and laid in the freezer of refrigerator to freeze. Then I took a gallon sealer bag and would seal up about 6 or 8 small baggies into the vacuum bag at once. By the way, frozen watermelon is wonderful! I cut the watermelon up into small chunks and again laid inside a small baggie in the freezer section of refrigerator until frozen. Then vacuum sealed into a gallon size seal bag and then into my deep freezer.

The blueberries freeze well with this method and don't clump up.

I froze 30 lbs of strawberries, 20 pints of blueberries, 10 lbs of cherries, and 4 large watermelons for this winter.

I make iced fruit or ice cream with the fruit in a food processor. Can't beat it versus the store bought stuff. Since when do they make watermelon ice? Or blueberry ice? Or cherry ice? Get creative and you'll be pleasantly surprised what you can create. The hard part is finding the fruit on sale to buy in bulk and also the time needed to cut it up. Trust me, it's lots of work cutting up 30 lbs of strawberries and depitting a bunch of cherries by hand.

[artlady]

Blanching , either steaming or boiling the food briefly destroys the enzymes that cause the loss of nutritional value and flavor.

I never blanch but I understand why it is better for the veggie to do so.
My brother was a renowned chef and he always blanched.

Onions, peppers, and herbs do not need to be blanched. Squash, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin should be fully cooked before freezing. All other vegetables should be blanched.

The site referenced below has blanching chart times.

How to Blanch Vegetables for Freezing

[jmjoseph]

Blanching vegetables is submitting them briefly to boiling water or steam. This destroys enzymes, changes the texture and sets the color. There are a number of reasons one might want to do this.

For extended storage, particularly freezing, destroying the enzymes improves the keeping quality of the vegetables. The enzyme that causes fruits and vegetables to ripen also cause them to rot. Though blanching prior to freezing is not necessary, vegetables prepared this way will be fresher looking and tasting for a longer period.

Blanching is sometimes used to prepare vegetable salads. It will brighten the color of some vegetables (green and yellow ones especially), but primarily changes the texture. Again, this step is not necessary, but the slightly softer texture may make the vegetables more palatable.

Blanching for a salad also allows the vegetables to take up the flavors of the dressing or marinade better. This is due to the breakdown of the cells, allowing flavor components and water to flow into the vegetables.

Sometimes vegetables such as green beans may be blanched early in the meal preparation, to be finished off with a saut or other method just before serving.

Blanching can be done in boiling water or steam. The amount of time needed depends on the vegetable and the use. Steaming usually takes one to two minutes longer, but preserves more of the vitamins. Blanching times can range from thirty seconds for asparagus to six minutes or more for something like lima beans (for freezing), but usually is done for just one to two minutes. If using boiling water, blanching time starts from the time that the water returns to a boil after adding the vegetables. The larger the volume of water, the faster it will return to a boil.

As soon as the vegetables are ready, they should be removed from the steam or water and plunged immediately into an ice bath. This is simply a bowl or other container of water and ice. They should sit in this for the same length of time as blanching. Drain well, and dry on a kitchen towel if need be.

Another reason for blanching is to facilitate peeling. This is usually done for tomatoes and peaches, and the boiling water method is used. Immerse the tomato in the water until the skin splits. Transfer to the ice bath. When cool the peel will slip right off, and the tomato can be squeezed to remove the seeds if desired.

Transferring the vegetables from pot to water bath can be facilitated by the use of a wire basket or colander that can be inserted into your pot. A slotted spoon or skimmer can also be used for small quantities of vegetables.

I hope this helps.