Best Vegetables to Freeze
Believe it or not, some vegetables are most suitable for freezing over others. In this article, you’ll learn about the 14 best vegetables to freeze, how to freeze vegetables to maintain nutrition and taste, and best tips on how to store vegetables in your freezer.
I am always looking for the best way to preserve the summer harvest, which happens to give us the best vegetables to freeze. These vegetables that can remain fresh and flavorful for up to a year in the freezer.
Freezing vegetables is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to ensure you have a steady supply of nutritious foods in your kitchen.
This post is all about the best vegetables that will freeze and thaw well.
What is blanching?
In this article, you will read the term “blanch” and “cold water plunge”. To learn more about blanching, check out our other post:
How to Blanch Vegetables for Freezing
What does dry pack mean?
Dry pack means that you do not need to freeze the vegetables in any added liquid. The vegetables move from prep to bags/containers without any added liquids.
What vegetables freeze well?
Freezing vegetables is a great way to make sure your produce lasts longer and you save time and energy. Not all vegetables are suitable for freezing, however, and it’s important to know which ones freeze best so that you can get the most out of your efforts.
The 14 Best Vegetables to Freeze
Artichokes
Artichokes freeze well, but small artichokes and artichoke hearts are best. To prepare artichokes for freezing, first wash and remove the outer leaves. Cut off the bottom end at the stem and trim off the top quarter inch of the bud to remove the thorns. Steam blanch for 8 to 10 minutes, then plunge into ice water. Drain thoroughly and dry pack in a plastic freezer bag.
Asparagus
To prepare asparagus spears for freezing, wash and trim the ends if the spears. If the ends are large and woody, use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outside. Sort asparagus into sizes small, medium, and large. Water blanch or steam blanch small spears for two minutes, medium spears for three minutes, and large spears for four minutes. After blanching, plunge the asparagus into ice water, drain well and pack into a freezer safe container.
Beans, snap
Snap beans includes green and wax beans also. To prepare for freezing, wash the beans and snap off or trim the ends with a knife. Leave the beans whole or cut them into the desired length. Steam blanch whole beans for 4 minutes, cut beans for three minutes, or julienne for two minutes. Plunge into ice water, drain thoroughly and pack in a freezer safe container or bag. You can also tray freeze the beans after blanching steps, and when frozen solid, transfer them into a freezer bag.
Broccoli
Trim away all the leaves and the tough woody parts of the broccoli stem. Wash the head thoroughly to remove any insects or worms–the best way to do this is to soak the broccoli in a bowl of clean water and then rinse. Cut the stocks lengthwise into uniform sizes about one to two inches across, or section the head into florets and peel and slice the stems. Water blanch the larger pieces for four minutes, medium sized to small pieces for two to three minutes. For steam blanching: large pieces for 5 minutes, and smaller to medium sized pieces for three to four minutes. Plunge into ice water, drain thoroughly and transfer to a freezer safe container.
Brussels sprouts
Prepare Brussels sprouts for their freezer by washing them and trimming off any outer leaves and stems that remain. Sort them into small, medium, and large sizes. Water blanch small sprouts for three minutes, medium sized sprouts for four minutes, and large sprouts for 5 minutes. For steam blanching: small sprouts for four minutes, medium sprouts for five minutes, and large sprouts for six minutes. Plunge into ice water, drain thoroughly and transfer into freezer safe bag or container.
Carrots
Wash carrots and peel, if desired. Cut the carrots into julienne strips, large chunks, or slices. If the carrots are small (3-4 inches), you can leave them whole. Water blanch slices or strips for two minutes, chunks or small whole carrots for three minutes. For steam blanching: slices or strips for four minutes, and large chunks or small whole carrots for five minutes. Plunge into ice water, drain well and pack in a freezer safe container.
Cauliflower
Discard leaves and stem and wash the head carefully. Break the cauliflower into florets that measure approximately 2 inches across the top. For small heads, about four inches across, leave whole. Water or steam blanch the florets for four minutes, whole small heads for six minutes. Plunge into ice water, drain well and pack in a freezer safe container.
Corn
Here are three different methods you can use to freeze corn.
- For corn-on-the-cob: Remove the husks and silk from the ears. Cut out any insect damaged areas. Sort the ears according to size. Water blanch small ears for five minutes, medium sized corn for six minutes, and large corn for eight minutes. Remove from the water with tongs and plunge the ears into ice water. Drain thoroughly, wrap each ear individually and pack them in groups in freezer bags. To thaw: place frozen corn-on-the-cob in the refrigerator for 9 to 10 hours before reheating in water or steamer.
- For whole kernel corn: Blanch the ears (same method as for corn-on-the cob), then cut the kernels off the cob as close to the cob as possible but without including any of the tough underlying cob. To hold the corn steady, set it in the cone of a tube cake pan. As you cut the kernels, they will fall into the pan. Pack in bags or container.
- For cream style corn: Blanch the ears (same method as for corn-on-the cob), run a knife down the middle of the kernels, then cut off the kernel hearts. This should create a fair amount of juice. When you do this, pack in containers along with the juice leaving some headspace in the container (for liquid expansion).
Dried beans
Beans are one of the easiest vegetables to freeze. Freezing dried beans is a great way to keep them for long periods of time, especially if you have a large quantity and do not have access to cool storage during the warm weather months. You can freeze dried beans just as they are, or you can soak dried beans before freezing. Soaking the beans first will cut down on cooking time later.
Try some of our favorite recipes using these vegetables:
Broccoli-Cauliflower and Cheese Casserole
Leeks
Like dried beans, leeks freeze well and you don’t need to blanch them. To prepare leeks for freezing, wash them thoroughly and cut either into chunks or long thin slices. Place immediately into a freezer bag. To separate the pieces, when they are frozen, just tap the bag then remove the amount you want.
Onions
Onions also freeze well without blanching. I find this to be very convenient as I rarely need a whole onion for my recipes. Even when the recipe calls for a whole onion, my taste prefers a less amount. Rather than waste the leftover onion, freezing is a great option.
To prepare whole onions for freezing, wash, peel and trim off any stem or root. Chop them or cut into slices or large pieces. Collect in a freezer bag and freeze. After freezing, the pieces will separate easily when the bag is tapped enabling you to remove only what you need.
NOTE: If you plan to store onions for more than three months, steam blanch for two minutes before freezing. For very small pearl onions: Steam blanch whole onions for three to four minutes, then cool quickly in ice water, drain thoroughly and pack in freezer safe bag or container.
Peas
Depending on the type of P you want to freeze you can either wash the pods and shall the peas or trim the ends of the snow peas and snap peas that you will freeze in the pods water or steam blanche the shelled peas for one and 1 1/2 to 2 minutes plunge into ice water drain thoroughly and pack or tray freeze then transfer to freezer bags water blanche edible potted peas for one minute or steam blanch for two minutes plunge into ice water drain thoroughly and pack or tray freeze then transfer to a freezer bag.
Peppers
Both sweet and hot peppers will freeze well either whole sliced or in chunks there are a couple of ways you can prepare peppers for freezing.
- For sweet peppers: Wash sweet peppers well and cut out the stems of the sweet peppers . You can leave sweet peppers whole or slice, dice or quarter them. If you plan to freeze the sweet peppers whole, steam blanch whole sweet peppers for two minutes to keep the skins from getting tough. Peppers can be tray frozen then transferred to a plastic freezer bag.
- For hot peppers: Wash peppers and them whole or chop them. There is no need to blanch Peppers before freezing. One option is, you can broil hot peppers turning them until the skins are split and charred on all sides (about 5 to 10 minutes). Cool the peppers in a damp towel covering them. The steam created will loosen the skin so you can easily pull it off. Remove the cores and seeds and collect them together with juice that falls off peppers to use in packing the peppers for the freezer.
Soybeans
Soybeans should be blanched before shelling. It will make it easier to shell. Water blanch or steam blanch for five minutes. Cool and then shell the soybean. There is no need for any further blanching. Rinse the beans thoroughly in cold water, drain and freeze in a freezer safe bag or container.
The Best Way to Thaw and Cook Frozen Vegetables
The best method to cook frozen vegetables is to go straight from the freezer to a steamer, with the exception of corn-on-the-cob, leafy greens, and tomatoes.
Steam frozen vegetables: use a minimum amount of water (for example half cup is sufficient for an average sized pot).
Stir fry frozen vegetables: works for especially well for thicker, slower cooking vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower which are often blanched expressly to be ready for them to be stir fried.
Adding frozen vegetables to soups or stews: No need for any extra steps. Just add it near the end of the cooking process. The heat from the liquid soup or stew will cook the vegetables and they keep the best texture without the risk of overcooking.
Bonus tip: How to Freeze Potatoes
Raw potatoes are going to turn soft and will darken or lose texture in the freezer. The best way to freeze potatoes is to bake or steam. An all-purpose potato, like a russet or a white potato should be baked or steamed until they are almost cooked. Check by slipping in a paring knife. When the knife still meets a little resistance in the center it is ready to stop the cooking process. Cut the potatoes in half to allow steam to escape as they cool. When they are cooled down, cut them into quarter inch cubes and freeze in a freezer safe container or bag. The potatoes can be frozen for up to four months.
These potatoes are best to use to make hash browns. To make hash browns, just heat some oil or butter in a frying pan and brown the potatoes loosely covered. The heat should be enough to cause the oil to sizzle, while allowing the potatoes to cook slowly. Flip and brown the potatoes on each side.
Sweet potatoes should be baked than peeled and frozen in either a puree or in slice. Glazed sweet potatoes will also freeze well, as do sweet potatoes combined with one part orange juice for every four parts of mashed sweet potato.
Check out our recipes for a sweet potato casserole or garlic mashed potatoes. Both can be made ahead of time and frozen for a Thanksgiving or Sunday dinner prep.
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Freezing is a great way to preserve vegetables, allowing you to enjoy them all year round. This post was all about freezing the best vegetables to ensure you always have a healthy and delicious option on hand!
By investing in some quality containers and following best practices, you can reap the many benefits of frozen vegetables. Enjoy!
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