If there was an emergency situation tomorrow would you be ready for it? Would you be able to prepare and preserve food for long periods of time if you needed to? This guide will help you to enjoy bright crisp garden green beans all year long, as well as ripe juicy raspberries. Freezing fruits and vegetables can be an easy way to enjoy the bounty of your garden and orchard all year round. Follow these guidelines for safe preparation and preservation of peak of the season fruits and vegetables.
Compared with other preservations methods freezing fruits and vegetables saves time and nutrients and keeps fruits and vegetables fresh tasting and colorful. The ease of using frozen food in family meals adds to their appeal.
To ensure high-quality products, carefully complete each step in the freezing process. All fruits and vegetables contain enzymes that can destroy nutrients and change the color, flavor and texture of food during frozen storage.
Natural acids in most fruits, plus antioxidants and sugars, help block enzyme action in fruits. To stop enzyme action, most vegetables need a brief heat treatment – blanching in boiling water or steam – before freezing. Freezing fruits and vegetables stops the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria yeast and molds, but does not destroy them. Therefore, cleanliness and sanitary methods of handling foods for freezing are important.
This 15 page booklet with illustrations is an easy to follow guide that will lead you through all the steps you need to know for successfully freezing fruits and vegetables.
Topics Covered
- Packing materials
- Filling containers and freezing
- If the power fails
- Refreezing
- Removing freezer odor
- Freezing fruits
- Freezing vegetable
- Cooking frozen vegetables
- Fruit freezing guide
- Vegetable freezing guide
