Simple and Easy Ways to Freeze Your Garden Harvest

Stock your freezer with your vegetables and fruits you have harvested.  Freezing is a good alternative to canning if time is limited. I have done both. When I had a houseful of kids, freezing was my preferred method of preserving my harvest.

HOW COLD IS FREEZING COLD

Freezer temperatures vary, so they should be below 0 F to assure to inactivate bacteria. You want to retain vitamin content and quality as well.  Careful attention to how frequent the freezer is opened is important. The temperature can rise and be several degrees higher therefore using the back of the freezer is best.  The less the freezer is opened the better.

FREEZER CONTAINERS

When using containers to freeze your food choose those that are labeled good for freezing, easy to seal, will stand up to low temperatures, and are moisture resistant. Use the proper size for whatever you are freezing as to not leave wasted space.  Foods with water expand when frozen so containers must allow for expansion or you will have to leave enough headspace to

allow for that expansion.

Plastic freezer bags are what I most often use.  There are bags designated for freezer use such as resealable bags or vacuum sealed bags. I use both types, but I do prefer my vacuum sealing system. I have used it for all types of produce and vegetables. 

Canning jars approved for freezer use can be used.  I have used jars for some foods however, not as often as plastic freezer bags. 

Plastic rigid containers can be used, and I use them most for things that do not expand.  

POINTERS FOR FREEZING

Selecting vegetables and fruit that are at their peak of ripeness is best.  Garden vegetables should be tender, not wilted, and mature. Fruits should not be over ripe.

Preparing produce includes rinsing produce in cold water, draining, and repeating the process through several changes of cold water.  Do not let them soak. Drain when rinsing process is complete.

Parboiling and blanching vegetables and fruits is done by scalding them in boiling water for a short time (2-4 minutes). I do this with tomatoes and some fruits like peaches and apricots. After blanching them plunge them into a bowl of cold ice water to stop the cooking process.  This does 2 things. It helps for easy pealing of skins and deactivates the process which causes flavor loss, color and texture.

Container packaging is done once the produced is cooled and drained.  Use the container of your choice.

Seal the container by pressing out as much air as you can.  First, however, wipe the rims of which ever container you choose to use. I have actually inserted a straw into the container and tried to suck out the air.  (In a vacuum seal system part of the process is to remove the air.) Once the air has been removed, seal the container.

Label each container with the contents, date, and amount if applicable. (I will for example measure out 2 cups of pumpkin puree per container which is the equivalent of a 15oz. can of pumpkin.)

Freezing your packaged food is done in batches for the best result. The packages need to spaced so that air can move around them for the best freezing process.  Once they are frozen solid they can be stacked or placed closer together in the freezer. If I use freezer bags I will lay them on a cookie sheet single layer and put them in the freezer. Once they are frozen solid I remove them and go to the next batch.

Let us not forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. When tillage begins, other arts will follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization.  –Daniel Webster