How to Freeze Fruits and Vegetables

I have found the best way to freeze corn is leave it in it's natural state(in the husk) put the ears into a freezer bag and freeze. To use remove ears from the freezer and you can either cook in the microwave(approx. 6min per ear) or just put on the grill turning often. To my family the corn taste much better(closer to fresh) and the silks just fall off clean.

The best way to freeze fruit with skins is to leave it alone. Don't wash, peel, slice or treat with acids. The skin protects the flesh from browning and freezer burn. I put peaches and the like in a paper bag and into the freezer. Bananas go in stacked like logs. Once frozen solid you can put the fruit in plastic bags to keep it from dessicating over time and it will keep practically forever. When ready to use, run briefly under the hot tap and the skin slips right off. Bananas can be peeled with a knife while frozen without any thawing of the skin or run under the water and pull off the skin and strip the leftover fibers off with a paring knife. When bananas have gotten soft and brown I put them right in the freezer for banana bread later. Frozen fruit can be thrown in a blender with a dash of OJ or cream for a lovely dessert. For ginger, galangal, kefir lime leaves and lemon grass, freeze peel on and use without thawing. Ginger type roots can be grated right off the frozen block. Kefir lime leaves can be minced or added whole and suffer almost no loss of flavor.

Has anyone frozen potatoes, successfully? Help

Has anyone successfully frozen green peppers? How about jalepeno's?

Can you freeze Fresh Tomato Salsa? Contains jalepeno and green pepper.

My mom freezes salsa all the time that contains tomatoes, cilantro, jalapenos, and onions.

i have made and frozen twice baked potatos and they came out perfectly. i would think that any type of casserole would freeze well. shephards pie is supposed to freeze great as well.

i have made and frozen twice baked potatos and they came out perfectly. i would think that any type of casserole would freeze well. shephards pie is supposed to freeze great as well.good luck with your pots.

Hey everyone. I have gotten soe great info for freezing on here , an now I'd like to share a bit of info back; Yes you can freeze pepper, I blanded and stuffed mine, I have also frozen salsa with all kinds of goodies in it; Thanks for the great website

I just picked my first ever crop of tomatillas and I want to freeze the 100 or so left. Is blanching after husking, then freezing on cookie sheets, then storing in single layers in freezer bags the best way to keep these?

If you are freezing peppers for use in cooking later, just put them in the freezer in bags or containers, uncut & unwashed. They keep quite well that way, but will become somewhat soggy when thawed because of the moisture in the pepper. But, they are perfect for cooking into soups, stews, casseroles, etc.

I'm soaking up all this info as I just bought a foodsaver system and intend to get my moneys worth out of it. I also got a "Canning and Freezing" book for Christmas and want to start trying to can once the Michigan produce comes in. I'm glad to see that there are other people who care and don't want to eat all those "frozen products" that the grocery stores are pushing full of who knows what!! If you can make the time, I think canning and freezing your own is best.

my mother cooked for cowboys on a ranch way to far to run to a gro. for needs, we always put a couple of bushels of onions and bell peppers and celery in the freezer for stews or gumbos or meatloaf any dish that these would be cooked in liquid we had a way to chop onions with NO tears, peel and wash and let sit on trays on the countertop overnight, next day we would chop away and no tears, no loss of flavor, anything you see in a freezer in the store can be frozen at home if the freezer is cold enough anything you see canned in the store can be canned at home with the right pressure canner, I have canned chicken and I make my own corned beef, we had hungry cowboys to feed so meals were hearty and simple but well seasoned, I have made my own biscuit mix and that will also make pancakes, and have made my own hot chocolate mix, it does take a lot of work, but you don't have to do it all in one day, I have a seal-a-meal and buy in bulk and freeze with no freezer burn, I also use those green bags for fruit and produce made by Debbie Mayers, and they do work if you use them as told It takes no longer to make a double batch of chilli or stew or soup and it is so good on a cold night to open a container of home made chicken noodle soup or beef stew, I freeze biscuits and cornbread, and I have frozen pancakes with parchment paper between each one, if you use a computer you can find all kinds of "mixes" you can make without all of the preservatives and additives, cookie dough can be frozen, cakes and pies can be frozen, when my children were little I had no freezer but I had a big pressure canner and over 30 cases of quart jars that I filled with all kinds of fresh vegies and fruits from the local farmers and the produce fairs, tomatos canned at home are nothing like those you buy in the store, the first thing I ever canned was pie cherries we had picked when we lived in Michigan and I entered a quart in the county fair and won a second place, Michigan had pick your own farms, and we did we picked tomatos and green beans and corn and strawberries, and lima beans and anything that we could and it is work, but everybody in the family helped, even the youngest could dry a dish or help take out the trash our motto was you eat, you help, and they loved it, I come from country stock and remember at Christmas the entire family and a lot of neighbors would all get together to butcher hogs and preserve meats and make sausage and render lard, it was a fun time believe it or not, and we all learned how to make our own meat products and how to preserve them, w had smoke houses for hams and bacon, no food preservatives, and real butter and fresh eggs, well you can find sources to do a lot of this on the internet, I am 74 years old and am a widow now and the kids are all gone from my home to their own, but they did learn too, but I still make my own bread, and cook from scratch as we used to call it, after all there were no mixes back then and believe it or not no fast food lol, it needn't be the work it used to be we now have dishwashers and modern conveniences, no wood stoves or water to draw from a well, but we can still eat healthy and have good tasting food, on a smaller scale maybe, but oh so worth the work and the money saved is a big incentive, so make that huge pot of chili and save some, rerun it as frito pie or nachos for the game, a huge pot of speghetti sauce can be turned into lasagna so easily, make foods that you can use again in an different way, get your imagination going and your creativity going and find those farmers markets and those fruit and vegetable stands, you know my children are in their 50's and late 40's now and they have no cavities in their teeth and they on't get colds and sore throats even today and I haven't had a cold in over 5 years and it all comes from what you nourish your body with all of your life, plus I guess good genes, but for taste and to save all that money yes I have more time than money and

Can anyone tell me how to freeze chicken and dumplins every time i try the dumplins just crumble when i thaw them

Can i freeze anykind of pancakes

I have frozen many fruits before but I have never frozen pineapple and I don't think I have seen any frozen in stores. I would like to know if it possible to freeze pineapple and watermelon?

is there any way to freeze zucchini?

Is there a way to freeze or preserve eggplant ?

I have made both pancakes and french toast and froze, and just popped in the toaster when I wanted them. I just put them in a ziplock and gently squeeze out air

I have frozen zucchini by shredding it & then putting into bags for use in soups or bread/cakes. I would think it would get mushy if sliced & frozen.

I had way too many Delicata squash last year. The young ones I sliced in 1/4 wide chunks, sauteed with onions and garlic and seasoning, and froze. The older squash I peeled (potato peeler), cut in big chunks, steamed, pureed, and made squash soup. Some became squash bread. These yielded the best looking and tasting frozen results for a gigantic crop.

We grill corn on the cob (shucked, but naked...no butter or anything), then cool and freeze them in gallon ziploc freezer bags (squeeze out all the air). When we want fresh corn for soups and salsas, I let the corn partially thaw (run under tap for a few seconds works), then cut off the cob with my chef's knife. Great taste of summer in December!

What is the best way to freeze corn on the cob? I heard that you blanch it but not sure how long?

I have frozen pineapple with no problems. Cut in chunks or slices. Freeze spread out on a cookie sheet. When frozen transfer to freezer bags and squeeze out as much air as possible. Return bags to freezer.

I always put my left over chili, or vegetable soup, or any other kind of stews and soups in a canning jar, but I leave about 2 inches or so below the top for expansion. And use the lid it came with. I also use glass mayo jars, pickle jars, anything that is glass with good lid works great to freeze with. But their is one exception to this rule never put pasta in the jars because it comes out very very mushy. Hope this helps for those who might of ran out of freezer bags or if you dont have proper containers to freeze your favorite soups and all with.

I want to freeze apples so I can have fried apples later on this fall/winter. What's the best way to accomplish this?

When canning pickled beets are the skins left on? Help please:)

I was wondering if anyone has froze fresh potatoes, without blanching them first? I'm aware of freezing casseroles and soups, but curious about the potatoes....thanks.

Killowat- with the rising prices of everything, especially Food, & today's non taught grown kids, you should try to put your recipies/directions for all that canning on here, so they will be able to feed their families with a little work. I have forgotten more than I care to list, tho' I used to do all that, as well. Thanks for great ideas.

Green peppers freeze well and when used in cooking just slice while still partially frozen and add to recipes.I have been doing this for years and save a fortune.

Does anyone know the best way to freeze fresh apple pie......baked or unbaked????

What's the best way to freeze a Quiche? What should it be wrapped in? What's the process to thaw and reheat? How long can it be stored for? Thanks in advance!! :-)

I freeze green peppers and onions, just put them in your food processer and pulse two or three times, only pulse for about a second, check & see if it`s the way you like it. Then put in freezer bags, flatten out & freeze. When you need a few just break off or up with a heavy spoon or side of a meat tenderizer & wa-la you have what you need to cook with.

killowat , enoyed your post!! I freeze eggplant, turnips, carrots, peppers (all kinds) tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, tayberries, blackberries, grapes, peaches, etc. and I have found that you can slice them before freezing, but for peppers, peaches and tomatoes, I leave them whole. The peppers: chop off what I need and throw rest back into the bag. The skins on the tomatoes slide off after a few minutes of thawing. I also make my own pancakes, waffles, biscuits, pies and cakes and freeze them. Deep fry tons of chicken, & make up cookie mix, freeze it. I can pickles, relish, (will never go back to store bought!) salsa, spaghetti sauce, ketcup, and more. This year, I will have an even bigger garden and plan to rarely buy at the store. You can "can" and freeze meats, vege's and fruits. I can chili, chicken noodle soup, we even grill carrots right out of the garden. Wash them, leave a little of the green top on and turn them on the grill until soft, the flavor

This is great! I freeze everything everyone has mentioned and also do a lot of canning, pickling, etc. My next thing on the list is to get a pressure canner. I am a bit scared of them, but, hear the new ones aren't near as dangerous as the old. Killowat, I really enjoyed your post! I do many of the things you mentioned and my kids are all gone. It's a great feeling to see all the rewards of your labors lined up in their jars, or a freezer full of yummy goodness!