The Cheap Vegetable Gardener

How to freeze strawberries

13.9 years ago freezing, strawberries

One thing I realized halfway through the winter was that I did not nearly save enough berries to make it through.  With local strawberries showing up in my garden and in the farmers market this seemed like a perfect time to get an early start this year.

Freezing strawberries is much like freezing other berries strawberries are just as easy with just a few simple steps:

1.  Quickly wash and gently dry strawberries with a towel

2.  Cut of crowns (optional but much easier to do now than when frozen)

3.  Place strawberries upside-down on wax paper on cookie sheet

4.  Put strawberries in freezer for 24 hours

5.  Dump frozen strawberries into freezer bag and use Poor Man’s Vacuum Pack*

With these simple steps you can have plenty of strawberries for making smoothies or strawberry shortcake this summer/winter.  This process can scale from many flats of berries or just a handful extra from your garden.  Eat what you want fresh, freeze the rest.

1. * Poor Man’s Vacuum Pack: Close ZipLoc bag with only enough space to fit in a drinking straw.  Suck out air with drinking straw and quickly close the bag.

Tags: preserving, strawberry plant

How to freeze herbs

14.8 years ago cilantro, freezing, herbs, mint, peppermint

One of my goals in my garden is to make salsa entirely from ingredients from my own garden.  In the past I have come close only requiring the purchase of a couple jalapeño peppers from the grocery store but this year with much effort and a strangely hot summer for the Pacific Northwest I have all the ingredients growing in my garden.  Though unfortunately the ingredient cilantro could be my elusive ingredient since hot weather means great growth then subsequent bolting.  My solution to this problem is successive planting and freezing herbs.

Now drying is also a viable option though I prefer freezing since many moist herbs can lead to mildew without the right equipment to dry efficiently.  Frozen herbs also maintain the same potency for several months in the freezer as fresh so no guessing on measurements of your frozen herbs.

There are actually a few different methods for freezing herbs, each of which depends on how you plan on using them later.

The first method is great for keeping the herbs texture and flavor intact.  The process is nearly identical to that of freezing berries.

Flash freezing herbs

1. Pick the best freshest herbs you can find
2. Wash and pat herbs dry
3. Lay on layer of wax/parchment paper on cookie sheet
4. Freeze overnight
5. Place leaves in freezer bag(s), using a straw to suck out excess air

If you are planning on using your herbs in soups or stews, I would definitely recommend the ice cube method.

Ice cube tray method

1. Pick the best freshest herbs you can find
2. Wash and pat herbs dry
3. Hand chop (or use food processor) leaves
4. Put chopped pieces into ice cube trays and fill with water of stock
5. Freeze overnight
6. Place cubes in freezer bag(s), using a straw to suck out excess air.  You may also put the trays right into the freezer bag sucking out the air if you wish.

Note: Also try mint with a little extra water to add to drinks during the summer (or winter)

Now if you are planning on using your herbs for dishes that require oil such as Pesto with your Basil.  This is a great time to do a little up front preparation.

Ice cube tray method (with oil)

1. Pick the best freshest herbs you can find
2. Wash and pat herbs dry
3. Add 1/3 cup of oil for each 2 cubs of herbs to food processor or blender
4. Put chopped pieces into ice cube trays
5. Freeze overnight
6. Place cubes in freezer bag(s), using a straw to suck out excess air.  You may also put the trays right into the freezer bag sucking out the air if you wish.

Now in a few months you can add some parmesan and have some previously frozen pesto in the middle of winter.

Tags: cilantro, herb garden, outdoor plants, pepper plants, salsa garden

How to freeze berries

14.8 years ago blackberries, freezing, raspberries, strawberries

A well proven way to save money on your food budget is to stock up on produce while they are in season.  Not only do they taste better but they also can be significantly cheaper.  Now these “purchases” can be from your local grocery store, U-Pick farm, fruit stand, farmers market, free roadside berries, or even from your own garden.

Given the attractive prices of these fruits it may be tempting to buy more than you need.  Which I would say go ahead and buy to your hearts content.  After you have made all the jam you can eat in a year (don’t make 15 jars of jam when you only consume 4 per year) one effective and easy way to store your extra berries for winter is freezing.

For the impatient one you can simply dump the berries into a Tupperware or freezer bag and toss them in the freezer.  Though in the end this will give a solid clump of berries which you would need to pull out an ice pick to separate the berries if you only require a few.

The more preferred technique is the following:

1. Wash your berries: Give your berries a quick rinse and let them dry in a colander for about 10-15 minutes
2. Spread your berries: Lay down some wax or parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spread your berries on a single layer just ensuring that the berries are not touching.  If a couple touch it is not the end of the world they will just be close friends in the freezer.
3. Freeze your berries: Carefully put the berries in the coldest part of your freezer overnight.
4. Pack your berries for the winter: When it comes to freezer storage and fruit air is always the enemy.  If you have a vacuum sealer that would be your best option but if you are like me and don’t here is a cheap alternative.  Take a regular old Ziploc freezer bag and insert a straw on one end, close the bag as tight as possible around the straw, suck air until you get dizzy, and quickly seal the bag.  Just to be extra cautious I will then throw that bag in another bag for an extra layer of protection.  Note: You have a little time to complete this step but don’t want to allow enough time for your berries to begin to defrost and refreeze stuck together.
   
5. Label the bag(s) and throw them in the freezer
   

Now to avoid getting too scientific (size/speed of water molecule formation) the faster you can get your berries frozen the better the quality your berries will be when you pull them out.  If you have enough berries (or not enough cookie sheets) you can also add your berries and some broken up dry ice to a metal bowl (be sure to wear gloves) and stir to replace step 3.  This will get you the fastest freeze and best quality though unless you are freezing many flats of berries I would recommend the cookie sheet method.

Following these steps you should have some tasty berries you can pull out individually from the freezer all winter long.

Tags: cheap, vegetables