Choose fresh, tender vegetables. The fresher the vegetables, the more satisfactory the final product.
Preparation
Wash thoroughly in cold water. Peel trim and cut into pieces according to the directions for each vegetable below.
Blanching
Heating or blanching is an important step in preparing vegetables for freezing. The heat is needed to inactivate enzymes. This prevents loss of flavor and color during storage. The heating also wilts or softens vegetables and makes them easier to pack. Vegetables may be heated in the following ways:
In boiling water
This is the recommended heating method for most vegetables. Put vegetables in a basket then place in kettle of boiling water, cover with a lid and begin timing immediately.
Steaming
Put a single layer of vegetables in rack or basket above 1–2 inches of boiling water in a kettle. Place tight fitting lid on kettle and begin timing.
Microwave
Recent information has been published for use of the microwave to blanch small amounts of vegetables prior to freezing. You can expect good results if you follow the recommendations; however, uneven heating is the primary concern in using a microwave for blanching.
Altitude Adjustment
in blanching. Allow 1 minute longer at 5,000 or more feet above sea level. Following the heat treatment, cool or chill the product rapidly and completely by immersing the vegetables in ice water to chill. Drain thoroughly before packaging.
Packaging
Pack cold foods into waterproof containers or bags. Pack tightly, press air out before sealing. Allow ½ inch headspace in rigid containers for expansion.
Asparagus
Use tender tips. Wash, discard tough parts of stalk. Leave whole or cut in preferred lengths. Small stalks—2 minutes; medium stalks—3 minutes; large stalks—4 minutes.
Beans
Snap. Use young, tender, stringless. Wash, remove green or wax ends and stems. Cut crosswise or French Julienne style. Blanch 3 minutes.
Beets
Use young, tender, not more than 3 inches across. Wash and sort as to size. Trim tops leaving ½ inch. Cook until tender, 25–30 minutes. Cool. Skin, slice or dice.
Broccoli
Use compact, dark green heads. If necessary to remove insects, soak ½ hour in a solution of 4 teaspoons salt to 1 gallon water. Split lengthwise so that flowerettes are not more than 1½ inches across. Blanch approximately 3 minutes depending on thickness, or steam for 5 minutes.
Brussels Sprouts
Use green, firm heads. Cut from stems. Remove coarse outer leaves. Wash thoroughly. Blanch small heads—3 minutes; medium heads—4 minutes; large heads—5 minutes.
Carrots
Use small, young carrots. Wash, remove tops, scrape or peel, if desired. Small carrots may be left whole, diced or sliced. Blanch whole carrots, small—5 minutes; diced or sliced—2 minutes; lengthwise strips—2 minutes.
Cauliflower
Use compact, tender, white heads. Break into 1-inch pieces. Wash well. If necessary to remove insects, soak ½ hour in a solution of 4 teaspoons salt to 1 gallon of water. Blanch 3 minutes in boiling water containing 4 teaspoons salt per gallon of water.
Corn
Sweet. Use young, tender ears, thin sweet milk. On cob. Husk, remove silk. Wash and trim. Blanch small ears 7 minutes; medium ears—9 minutes; large thick ears—11 minutes.
Corn
Sweet. Use young, tender ears, thin sweet milk. Whole kernel. Husk, remove silk. Wash and trim. Heat ears 4 minutes. Cool, drain. Cut kernels from cob.
Mushrooms
Use small to medium mushrooms, free from spots, white, tight caps. Wash, remove base of stem. If larger than 1 inch across, slice or cut into quarters. To prevent darkening, soak for 5 minutes in a solution of 1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1½ teaspoons citric acid to 1 pint water. Steam whole mushrooms—5 minutes; buttons or quarters—3½ minutes; slices—3 minutes; or saute in butter—4 minutes.
Peas
Use young, fresh, tender, sweet peas. Wash, then shell. Blanch 1½ minutes.
Peppers, Hot
Use firm, crisp, thick walled. Wash and stem. No blanching necessary.
Peppers, Sweet
Use crisp, green, or red. Wash, remove seeds; cut in half, slice or dice. No blanching necessary. For easier packaging, may blanch halves 3 minutes, slices 2 minutes.
Pumpkin
Use mature, not coarse or stringy. Wash, cut in pieces. Remove seeds. Cook until soft. Put through a sieve or in blender.
Rutabaga, Turnips
Use young, tender. Wash, peel, cut into ½-inch cubes. Blanch 2 minutes.
Spinach, Chard, Beet, Greens, Kale, Mustart or Turnip Greens
Use young, tender, green leaves. Wash thoroughly. Cut away thick woody stems. Blanch for 2 minutes.
Squash, Summer Zucchini, Yellow Crookneck
Use tender, before rind hardens. Wash, slice or dice into ½-inch pieces. Blanch 3 minutes.
Squash, Winter
Use well-ripened, with hard rind. Wash, cut into pieces. Remove seeds and membrane. Cook until tender. May be baked or steamed. Remove pulp from rind and mash. Cool.
Authors
Georgia C. Lauritzen and Charlotte P. Brennand, Nutrition and Food Science
Avoid these ten potentially deadly canning mistakes, as well as other food-specific mistakes that you'll want to avoid. This will keep your food fresh, healthy, and safe to eat.
Freeze-dried foods are extremely popular among backpackers and culinary masters, and now freeze-dryers are available for home use. But is a home freeze-dryer the appliance for you? Here is some information designed to cut through the advertising hype and
Since 2000, Extension has been warning consumers about canning cakes and breads. While this process has much appeal, it does not destroy the organism that causes botulism.
Learn how to the traditional British dessert of lemon curd. Canned, it has a shelf life of 3 to 4 months. If you don't mind the darkening that occurs, it can last up to 1 year.
Pieces of food taken from the drying trays are not always uniformly dry. To condition, place cooled dried fruit loosely in large plastic or glass containers, about two-thirds full.
Some essentials are needed to cook with the main food staples in long term food storage. These mostly are used to make breads from stored grains. The cooking essentials include salt, baking powder, baking soda, and yeast.
Making jerky safely requires either the use of curing salts (containing nitrite) or enough heat in an oven or dehydrator so that the heat will kill organisms before they multiply.
Moisture and temperature are the two critical factors in optimal food storage. Moisture - the humidity in the storage environment should be low. If dried foods pick up moisture from the storage area, molds and bacteria can grow. This can lead to spoilage
A few packaging methods for your food storage and food that is being preserved. Methods including foil pouches, glass canning, and plastic bottles are discussed.
Congratulations! You are now the owner of a new freeze-dryer; or you are ready to make the purchase! While the freeze dryer itself is a major investment in food preservation equipment, you will want to make certain you are prepared with a few other items
Freezing is a simple, quick way to preserve foods. Fruits freeze well and retain their distinct fruit flavor. Texture is usually softened somewhat by freezing, but serving partially frozen fruit with ice crystals will compensate for texture changes.
Lately, some people have been advocating some very potentially hazardous food preservation and storage practices on foods meant for room temperature storage.
The proper methods of drying are one of these four methods: Air drying, sun drying, oven drying, or dehydration. Learn how to properly do each of these methods.
The proper methods of drying are one of these four methods: Air drying, sun drying, oven drying, or dehydration. Learn how to properly do each of these methods.
Apples are a favorite fruit of many people for eating out of hand, in fresh salads, or in a wide variety of cooked products. Here's how to preserve Apples
Learn how to preserve cherries through a variety of methods such as freezing, canning, and drying. Also find recipes for cherry pie filling, cherry raisins, jam, and more.
Did you know that there are many ways to preserve your chiles? This resource offers the resources you need to learn how to freeze, can, dry, and store your chiles!
Learning how to select, can, freeze, dry, and store grapes doesn't need to be complex! USU Extension has all of the resources that you need to preserve your grapes in the way that you prefer to do so.
The most popular variety is Bartlett pears available the first two weeks in September in Utah. If they are to be transported or not processed immediately, pick while slightly green and allow them to ripen in a cool, dark place.
There are many good bean varieties for sale in local gardening outlets and through seed catalogs. Most grow well in Utah. Pod shape, size, and color vary among varieties. Here is a list of some potential varieties and plant types that have performed well
Pomegranates are great for canning, freezing, storing, and more! USU Extension has the resources to guide you through the process, as well as teach you how to make syrup and jelly.
Learn how to safely preserve tomatoes through a variety of methods, such as canning, freezing and other methods. Also find recipes to use while preserving tomatoes, such as tomato juice or tomato sauces.
Preparing and handling venison comes in a variety of important steps! This resource offers instructions and information on canning, handling, drying, recipes, storage, and more!
Only in recent years has the amount of sugar consumed in the American diet been questioned. About half of the total energy consumed in the average U.S. diet is from carbohydrates.
Canned foods can either be purchased commercially or home canned. Home canned foods should be canned using research-tested recipes and processes like those found in the USDA Complete Guide to Canning or in Extension publications.
Non-fat dried milk (NFDM) is suitable for short and long term emergency food storage. It is made from non-fat, grade A, milk that has been dried by spraying into hot air or heated on a drum. The process removes nearly all of the water prohibiting the grow
Legume (Bean) varieties such as: Adzuki, Black, Black-eyed, Black Turtle, Garbanzo, Great Northern, Kidney, Lentils, Lima, Mung, Navy, Pink, Pinto, Small Red, Soy, and Split-pea can all be dried and stored.
Sugars are simple carbohydrates that provide an excellent source of calories for energy. Sugars also add the sweet taste to many of our most delicious foods. Sugar can be stored in dry form (crystals) or in a liquid form (syrup –including maple syrup).
If the supply of safe water is cut off during an emergency, it is important to have water stored. Learn how to store water safely and where you can find an emergency source if needed.
White rice, more commonly known as polished rice is a main food source for over half of the world’s population. Rice is an excellent addition to home food storage because it’s versatile, high caloric value, and long shelf life. Families should store about
Fermenting foods is perhaps the oldest food preservation method and has grown in popularity in recent years due to their touted “gut”, probiotic, and other additional health benefits. Fermenting at home is an inexpensive way to control what goes inside yo
Due to the lack of definitive research into the safety of steam canning the Utah State University Extension program currently agrees with the present USDA and National Center for Home Food Preservation recommendation against usin
Choose fresh, tender vegetables. The fresher the vegetables, the more satisfactory the final product. Tips on selecting, preparing, and freezing vegetables.
Electric Programmable Pressure Cookers, such as the "Instant Pot, are being used for small batch pressure canning. This fact sheet explains research showing why this is a food safety hazard, with a high risk of producing home canned foods that could devel
It is known that heat at the temperature of boiling water can destroy “almost” all microorganisms - yeast, molds, and most bacteria - are easily killed at this temperature. The only microorganisms that survive are the bacteria that form protective spores,
A food storage program is essential to provide for ourselves and our family members in an emergency. The biggest motivator most adults have is to avoid hearing a hungry child cry. Even the most “macho” man is distraught if he cannot provide food or bevera