Preserving food by freezing vegetables

BY CALLIE N. NELSON 

Preserving foods for later use is as old as mankind. From the beginning people looked for ways to preserve fresh foods (produce and meats) at home for later use; thus the term “Putting Food By” was coined and drying is one of the oldest methods of home food preservation.  

Fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful in Dallas County at this time of the year and many of you will make your favorites dishes – peach pie, cream style corn, fried okra, etc. Now is also the time to preserve some for upcoming winter months by freezing or canning – or “putting food by” for later use. 

You can purchase home grown produce from local growers by shopping at the Selma-Dallas County Farmers Market, located on Dallas Avenue at Bloch Park. The market is open each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 6 a.m. – 2 p.m. or until the farmers sellout for the day, so get there early for the best selections. 

Home food preservation is divided into various categories – drying, canning, freezing, jams and jellies, and pickling. This is the first of a series of articles on home food preservation. 

Freezing – is a quick, convenient, and easy method of preserving foods at home. In many cases, frozen foods are ready to serve on short notice because most of the preparation is done before freezing. Freezing preserves nutritive quality as near to that of fresh foods as any food preservation method used. The key to a good home frozen product is using the correct freezing supplies (bags and containers), high quality produce, and following recommended processes. 

More from this section

Last Ebola Patient in Congo Discharged, No New Cases Reported

Blind can see again thanks to revolutionary new eye implant

Discovery may lead to male birth control pill

Below are directions for freezing some of summer’s favorites: 

Cream Style Corn – Use tender, freshly picked corn in the milk stage. Remove husks and silks and trim off bad spots. Wash well and sort by size. Cut off tips of kernels and scrape the corn from the cob. Add ½ to 1 pint of water for each pint of corn and boil for 4 minutes. Cool by placing corn into a cold pan and placing the pan in a larger pan of ice water. Pack corn into freezer safe containers, leaving 1/2 –inch headspace. Fasten lids or seal securely and freeze. 

Southern Peas (black-eyed, Crowder, or field) – Use well-filled pods that were picked when peas were tender. Wash pods well (for food safety purposes). Shell peas and discard any immature or tough ones. Blanch peas 2 minutes in boiling water. Cool and drain. Pack peas into containers, leaving ½-inch headspace. Fasten lids or seals securely and freeze. 

Mealed Okra Slices – Use tender pods. The smooth varieties do not split as easily as the ridged varieties. Wash okra well and separate pods that are 4 inches longer or under from large pods. Remove the stems at the end of the seed cells, being careful not to expose the cells. Blanch the smaller pods 3 minutes in boiling water, larger pods, 4 minutes. Cool and drain. Slice blanched okra crosswise and coat with corn meal or flour. Spread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet or tray. Place it in the freezer just long enough for okra slices to freeze firm. Pack okra in containers quickly, leaving ½ -inch headspace. Fasten lids or seals securely and return to freezer (tray freezing also works well for squash and eggplant). 

For more information on food preservation, contact the Dallas County Extension Office at 334-875-3200 for publication HE-16A: “Summer the Year Round with Frozen Vegetables and HE-16B: Summer the Year Round with Frozen Fruits.” 

Callie N. Nelson is Dallas County Extension Coordinator.