Hollywood, MD – The list of reasons to love summer is a long one, indeed. The focus of this quick little essay is on something on which we all ought to agree. Summer produce is fantastic! Who doesn’t love watermelon, sweet corn, large, red, juicy tomatoes and all the other fresh from the field treats and fill our plates and satisfy our appetites?
The good news for summer-loving foodies is that you have a freezer with ample space you can stash away some goodies for the subsequent seasons.
“Freezing produce is an excellent way to preserve the harvest for the bleaker months,” wrote Melissa Breyer on the web site Treehugger. “Although frozen vegetables have taken a bad rap in the past, I’d take frozen produce in a heartbeat over old produce, commercially canned products or produce imported from afar. Nutrients aren’t lost and if frozen properly, neither is texture nor flavor.”
There are some things that likely won’t work for freezing, including celery, sweet bell peppers, spinach, peaches, lettuce and potatoes (at least raw potatoes). Those are among what Breyer identifies as “toxic,” since the organically grown version of those fruits and vegetables is highly preferred.
Breyer recommends washing and drying any fresh produce designated for freezing. “Remove pits and cut into uniform-sized pieces,” she added. “Use containers, freezer bags or a vacuum seal system.”
A heat treatment known as “blanching” is also recommended for fresh vegetables. “To blanch vegetables, place the washed, prepared vegetables in a pot of boiling water,” said Breyer. “Roughly use a gallon of water per pound of prepped vegetables. Boil water and time the blanching as soon as the water returns to a boil after submerging the produce. After the recommended time has elapsed, remove the vegetables and plunge them into very cold water for the same amount of time that you blanched them for.”
Frozen produce should be good for up to a year.
Good news for watermelon lovers. You can savor local watermelon all year long by freezing. We don’t recommend you jam a big melon in your fridge, however. Instead, cut through the melon and carefully slice watermelon chunks that can be frozen and enjoyed later. International YouTube foodie Jeff Heriot has the perfect how to video on the joys of frozen watermelon. It helps if you speak Australian but his actions should be explanatory enough.
Enjoy your summer and enjoy the summer food!
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com