Canning and Preserving For Dummies (43 page)

Frozen Wax Beans

Freezing beans is a great way to have them on hand for quick soups and stews. You can add the frozen beans directly to the dish 10 minutes before it is finished cooking. You can use the following recipe for many types of common beans: Green, string, Italian, or wax all work equally well.

Preparation time:
20 minutes

Yield:
1 pint

2/3 to 1 pound fresh wax beans

1
Wash and drain the beans. Remove the ends and strings, and cut them into 1-inch pieces.

2
Blanch the beans for 2 to 3 minutes; cool immediately in an ice bath. (See the earlier section “Blanching perfect vegetables” for complete blanching instructions.) Spread beans on a dry kitchen towel to dry thoroughly before freezing.

3
Place the cooled beans in quart-sized freezer bags, removing all excess air before sealing and placing the bag in the freezer.

Per 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 26 (From fat 0); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 8mg; Carbohydrates 6g (Dietary fiber 3g); Protein 1g.

Frozen Shell Beans

These beans are the base for many hearty dishes. It is always a good idea to have plenty on hand to add sticking power to your winter soups and stews. This recipe works equally well for lime, butter, or other shell beans.

Preparation time:
20 minutes

Yield:
1 pint

2 to 2 1/2 pounds shell beans

1
Wash and drain the beans.

2
Blanch the beans for 2 to 4 minutes; cool immediately in an ice bath. Spread beans on a clean kitchen towel to absorb all excess moisture. (See the earlier section “Blanching perfect vegetables” for complete blanching instructions.)

3
Place the cooled beans in quart-sized freezer bags, removing all excess air before placing the bag in the freezer.

Per 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 158 (From fat 12); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 110mg; Carbohydrates 25g (Dietary fiber 9g); Protein 12 g.

Frozen Bell Peppers

For this recipe you can use green, red, orange, or yellow peppers. Peppers really make an otherwise boring meal sparkle. Try freezing multiple-colored peppers in the same package. Because bell peppers become a little mushy when you defrost them, they’re perfect for use in any cooked recipe.

Preparation time:
15 minutes

Yield:
2 pints

1 to 3 pounds fresh peppers

1
Wash and drain the peppers. Remove the stems and seeds and slice the peppers into uniform pieces. (
Note:
You do not blanch peppers before freezing.)

2
Place the bell peppers into a rigid container, leaving the appropriate amount of headspace (refer to Table 15-2). Seal and freeze.

Per 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 15 (From fat 1); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 1mg; Carbohydrates 4g (Dietary fiber 1g); Protein 1g.

Frozen Broccoli

Broccoli is such an undervalued vegetable. Use these perfectly prepared spears in all your soups and casseroles.

Preparation time:
20 minutes

Yield:
1 pint

1 pound fresh broccoli

1
Wash and drain the broccoli, removing leaves and damaged spots. Cut the broccoli spears into 1/2-inch pieces.

2
Blanch the broccoli for 3 to 4 minutes; cool immediately in an ice bath. (See the earlier section “Blanching perfect vegetables” for complete blanching instructions.)

3
Place the cooled broccoli pieces in freezer bags, removing all excess air before sealing the bag and placing it in the freezer.

Per 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 30 (From fat 0); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 29mg; Carbohydrates 6g (Dietary fiber 3g); Protein 3g.

Frozen Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts can be a delicious treat — if they’re picked at their freshest and processed right away. Try adding these to your roasted vegetable mix, with browned butter and garlic, or doused with balsamic vinegar for a new twist on this tasty vegetable.

Preparation time:
20 minutes

Yield:
1 1/2 pint

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts

1
Wash and drain the Brussels sprouts, removing the leaves and sorting by size for blanching (the smaller-sized sprouts use the shorter blanching time).

2
Blanch the smaller Brussels sprouts for 3 minutes, the larger for 5 minutes; cool immediately in an ice bath. (See the earlier section “Blanching perfect vegetables” for complete blanching instructions.) Spread the blanched Brussels sprouts on a clean kitchen towel to remove all of the excess moisture before freezing.

3
Place the cooled Brussels sprouts in freezer bags, removing all excess air before sealing the bag and placing it in the freezer.

Per 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 32 (From fat 4); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 17mg; Carbohydrates 7g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 2g.

Frozen Carrots

You can freeze carrots whole, sliced, or diced — in whatever form you’ll need them later.

Preparation time:
20 minutes

Yield:
1 pint

1 pound carrots

1
Wash and drain the carrots, removing the tops and peeling the skin. Leave the carrots whole or slice (or dice) them into uniform-sized pieces.

2
Blanch the carrots for 2 minutes (sliced or diced carrots) or 5 minutes (whole carrots); cool immediately in an ice bath. (See the earlier section “Blanching perfect vegetables” for complete blanching instructions.) Dry the blanched carrots on a clean kitchen towel to remove all of the moisture.

3
Place the cooled carrots in freezer bags, removing all excess air before sealing the bag and placing it in the freezer.

Per 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 51 (From fat 0); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 58mg; Carbohydrates 12g (Dietary fiber 3g); Protein 2g.

Frozen Cauliflower

Cauliflower is great for adding to all your winter dishes. Frozen cauliflower also roasts well; just add with your potatoes and onions to the roasting pan. Don’t let this delicious vegetable go unused!

Preparation time:
20 minutes

Yield:
1 quart

1 1/4 pounds cauliflower

Water

White vinegar

1
Wash and drain the cauliflower, removing the leaves and core and breaking the flesh into 1-inch pieces (do not cut).

2
Blanch the cauliflower in a water-vinegar mixture (1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 gallon of water) for 3 minutes; cool immediately in an ice bath. (See the earlier section “Blanching perfect vegetables” for complete blanching instructions.)

3
Place the cauliflower pieces in freezer bags, removing all excess air before sealing the bag and placing it in the freezer.

Per 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 7 (From fat 1); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 8mg; Carbohydrates 2g (Dietary fiber 1g); Protein 1g.