Freezing your vegetables: raw or cooked?
Freezing is one of the best anti-waste allies. But how do you figure it out? Raw or cooked? Puréed or whole?
To freeze RAW
These vegetables keep their texture and taste even after a trip to the deep freeze:
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Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans: blanch them quickly (2-3 min in boiling water, then an ice bath) to stop the enzymes. Otherwise, hello mushy texture!
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Carrots, zucchini rounds, peppers: raw and cut, it’s easier to portion out in dishes later.
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Peas, baby spinach: no need for pre-cooking, just a rinse + spin dry.
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Onions, garlic, herbs: chopped or minced, in an ice cube tray with a little oil: perfect combo for quick homemade sauces!
To freeze COOKED
Because raw, they turn into a disaster texture, taste, or color-wise.
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Eggplant, chard, leeks, mushrooms: steamed, braised, or pan-cooked, they freeze better and avoid the gluey mush when thawed.
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Squash and potatoes, puréed only: avoid chunks, but in soup or gratin form, they’re great.
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Tomatoes: whole they lose their water. But roasted or as sauce, they work wonders in the freezer.
The Uglyfruits tip
Always freeze in airtight bags, in small portions, with the magic label: name + date. Yes, even if it’s leftover gratin from Tuesday.
Anti-waste bonus
Don’t wait until your vegetables already have one foot in the compost bin. A slightly wilted vegetable is still packed with nutrients. Wash, cut, blanch, freeze = saved!
