Freezing Garden Veggies

[jdbuckshot]

i have never put of veggies in the freezer like the old timers do it.

i have some fresh corn and okra that i would like to put up.

how do you guys but up the corn for freezing. looking at putting some up in whole kernal, on the cob, and creamed.

Any input?

[jtdumallard]

we usually blanch ours either in the microwave or in the oven. Usually just long enough to warm it up. Not sure of the actual temp though. We dont put any up on the cob simply because it takes up so much freezer space.

[SWAG]

You can put up a lot of corn fast by just leaving it in the shuck. We would always pull the outer shucks off and then wash off the corn thus cooling it some as well. Cut each end off with a good sharp knife and package 6 or 12 ears in LARGE zip lock bags. When you pull some out of the freezer you just shuck off the remaining layers, clean off the hairs (which is easier after being frozen), and eat some corn that tasted like you just pulled it today. No doubt the easiest/fastest way to put up corn and guaranteed to taste fresh.

[jdbuckshot]

You can put up a lot of corn fast by just leaving it in the shuck. We would always pull the outer shucks off and then wash off the corn thus cooling it some as well. Cut each end off with a good sharp knife and package 6 or 12 ears in LARGE zip lock bags. When you pull some out of the freezer you just shuck off the remaining layers, clean off the hairs (which is easier after being frozen), and eat some corn that tasted like you just pulled it today. No doubt the easiest/fastest way to put up corn and guaranteed to taste fresh.

i have done that for the past two years, but it only keeps about 3-4 months, after that it just isn't the same

[SWAG]

*Never found a great way to put up okra if your intention is to fry it.

*We always blanched peas, lima beans, string beans, etc. in a couple of big pots on the stove. Usually just in the hot water for about 1-3 minutes and then back out. Saves time if you got two or more pots going.

*My wife has done some canning and stuff always taste fresher coming out of those jars, but rarely did we have the time and she was always on edge about the danger.

[greenheadgrimreaper]

Never froze corn, I always ate it or gave it away asap. Did you know that as soon as you pick sweet corn, as in immediately after it is picked, the sugars start to turn to starches. Nothing better than sweet corn picked at just the right time and immediately rushed to boiling water. Absolutely nothing.

I would cut the ends off of my okra and put it into an empty jar with a small hole punched in the top to let steam escape. In the mean time I had my pressure cooker rolling (top off). I'd put the jars of okra in the cooker and pressure cook at 10 lbs for just a couple of minutes. Then take them out and immediately plunge them in cold water to blanch them. Then vaccum seal. They kept longer than the okra I would cut up and freeze without blanching and tasted much more fresh, as any vegetable will if they are blanched. The reason I never blanched okra like my other veggies was because okra gets slimey when you boil it, which I love, but it makes for a mess and a soggy product. The key to putting up vegetables for freezing is blanching them. But you can over blanch and wind up actually cooking veggies, so watch out. Try blanching and then try freezing without blanching and see which is better come December. The key to blanching is to make sure your water is coooold, and that the veggies stay cold all the way to freezing. I also made several pints of sweet garlic okra. Man I miss having a garden som' serious. Here is a book I bought that has some good stuff on putting back your veggies. I used one method in there to put up several boxes of carrots. Wrap in newspapers, cover with sawdust and set them in a closet. I was eating fresh from the garden tasting carrots into November.

[landscaper]

I've put up some peas and beans before and blanched them for a couple minutes as well because that's what everyone said to do. I really never knew why I was doing it though. What is the purpose of blanching them before freezing?

[greenheadgrimreaper]

BTW make sure if you try blanching the okra in jars that you wear gloves and take the top off of the jars and dump the okra into the cold water NOT the jars. NOT the jars. Unless you want steaming hot Mason jar glass in your jugular. And never cook the jars more than a couple of minutes, they'll do fine with the moisture from the okra for a couple of minutes. This technique is not in that book, I just tried it one day and it worked really well from there on out. I was actually going to buy one of those cheap steamers from wal mart to do my okra on, but I wound up never getting around to it. The key to okra is to keep them out of the water, while still putting them through the blanching process.

And I have never heard of- or eaten- sweet corn that tasted as good as it does off of the ear. Sometimes the Good Lord makes good things accessible only at certain times. Sweet corn is one of those things. Unfortunately, we only get to experience it in its prime about 70 times in a lifetime, if we're lucky. I think the Bible talks about there being a time and a place for everything. The time for sweet corn is summer and the place is in my belly.

[greenheadgrimreaper]

I've put up some peas and beans before and blanched them for a couple minutes as well because that's what everyone said to do. I really never knew why I was doing it though. What is the purpose of blanching them before freezing?

Something about it stops the enzymes in the vegetables from doing their thing and prolongs the freshness and quality of the vegetable. They'll keep a lot longer and taste better. Basically it's the natural way to keep veggies fresh. You blanch, or basically steam the moisture in the veggies and then plunge in cold water to stop the process in order not to overcook. I am sure we have replaced the process with some form of chemical that is probably a factor to everyone we know dying of cancer and other modern day terminal illnesses.

[arduckslayer]

I've had good success just cutting up fresh okra like I'm gonna fry it and vacuum sealing it. Never had a problem with it and I've been eating some I put up a year and a half ago. As for corn, my granny always cut it off the cob, put it in a pot with some water, brought it to a boil and then cut the heat off, let it cool, and put it up in freezer bags.

[jwayne]

We always just
Okra
1. wash
2. cut into frying size
3. Place in bag and freeze

Corn
1. Blanch
2. Cut off cobb
3. Bag and freeze

Peas, Beans, etc..
1. Wash
2. Blanch
3. Air dry
4. Bag and freeze

I just started pickling and canning this year. I have never done this before b/c mom and sisters have always done it but wanted to learn this year. I pickled and canned some peppers last night and realized its really not that hard. I am planning on pickling some cucumbers tonight and some okra later on. Also planning on canning a bunch of tomatoes too. Im going to make a great Old Maid one day...

[MudHog]

Corn: alwys cook a corn maque choux the day corn is picked. Pick in the morning, start cleaning and cutting after picking. and start cooking. I've been to my grandparents to help and she would have two DOUBLE burner Magnalite pots going at one time with maque choux.


Okra: always smoothered okra down. Only fry or boil fresh okra. Speaking of, I need to go pick some and boil some more.


Bean: most times I cook them, but I also let some dry and store them dried.




ALWAYS LET ANY HEATED FOOD COOL TO NEAR OR AT ROOM TEMP BEFORE FREEZING. Set the pot on on a towel under a fan and stir every so often. NEVER FREEZE HOT FOOD.

[MudHog]

We always just
Okra
1. wash
2. cut into frying size
3. Place in bag and freeze

Corn
1. Blanch
2. Cut off cobb
3. Bag and freeze

Peas, Beans, etc..
1. Wash
2. Blanch
3. Air dry
4. Bag and freeze

I just started pickling and canning this year. I have never done this before b/c mom and sisters have always done it but wanted to learn this year. I pickled and canned some peppers last night and realized its really not that hard. I am planning on pickling some cucumbers tonight and some okra later on. Also planning on canning a bunch of tomatoes too. Im going to make a great Old Maid one day...

Remember to use hot liquid or contents. As the liquid or contents cool inside, it pulls a vacuum and seals the lid to the jar. As mentioned above too, no need to boil jars for to long either. Your only sterilizing them, and that occurs instantly when they are dropped in boiling water.

[greenheadgrimreaper]

Yes but just boiling won't kill botulism, at least not at 212 degrees. And tomatoes and beans and root crops are notorious for spawning botulism. Botulism doesn't just give you the chits either, it kills you. Quickly. It thrives in warm oxygen deprived areas, mason jars. The only way to effectively kill botulism is pressure cooking because it gets the water temp up high enough to kill it. If you're pickling or making some sort of product that is acidic you are fine. I always always pressure cook any veggie I am putting up if it is not pickled.

[duckchur1]

I have been canning a lot this year. I have also been freezing. I found a great website called www.pickyourown.org It has everything that you need to know about putting up vegetables. I have done all mine the way that they have suggested and it has worked out great. Get you a pressure canner ($65 at Walmart).

I canned my green beans in quart Mason jars. What I like is that if I buy 2 cans of good green beans from the store it costs me $2. If my jars last for 8 years, I have invested $0.13 for the same amount of green beans and I know exactly what I am eating as far as chemicals go.

Another thing that I will mention, at that website, they recommend 1 tablespoon of salt in each jar. Way too salty. I do not add salt whenever I can. Add it when you cook.