Sort washed, trimmed spears by thickness before blanching. Small spears need 2 minutes in boiling water, medium ones 3 minutes, and large ones 4 minutes. Start timing when the water returns to a boil. Cool the spears promptly, drain, and seal in freezer packaging. Keeping similar sizes together avoids treating the thinnest and thickest stalks as one batch.
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Choose tender pods, wash them, trim the ends, and cut into 2–4-inch pieces. Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes, then cool quickly in cold water and drain well. Pack into freezer containers with ½ inch of space below the lid, seal, and freeze. Process fresh beans promptly rather than waiting until they become tough and overmature.
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No. After washing and peeling, small whole carrots need 5 minutes in boiling water; thin slices, ¼-inch cubes, and lengthwise strips need 2 minutes. Cool immediately after blanching and drain. Pack with ½ inch of headspace, seal, and freeze. Cut large carrots into the specified smaller shapes instead of guessing a treatment for a thick whole root.
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Choose a compact head, remove leaves, and cut the cauliflower into pieces about 1 inch across. Wash it, then blanch for 3 minutes in boiling water containing 4 teaspoons of salt per gallon. Cool quickly and drain thoroughly before sealing in freezer packaging. Keep the pieces reasonably uniform so the treatment reaches them evenly.
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Remove coarse outer leaves, wash, and sort firm sprouts into small, medium, and large groups. Water-blanch small heads for 3 minutes, medium heads for 4 minutes, and large heads for 5 minutes. Cool each batch promptly, drain, and seal for freezing. Size sorting matters because a large solid sprout heats more slowly than a small one.
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For the NCHFP whole-kernel method, husk and wash the ears, then blanch them in boiling water for 4 minutes before cutting. Cool promptly and drain. Cut the kernels off about two-thirds of their depth, avoiding tough cob material. Pack with ½ inch of headspace, seal, and freeze. This timing is for kernels removed afterward, not ears stored on the cob.
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Use ear diameter to choose the time: 7 minutes for ears up to 1¼ inches across, 9 minutes for 1¼–1½ inches, and 11 minutes for larger ears. Husk, remove silk, and wash first. Cool completely after blanching, then drain and package. Thorough cooling is important to flavor; the cob can remain warm after the outside feels cool.
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Use young squash with tender skin. Wash and cut into ½-inch slices, then blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes. Cool promptly in cold water and drain well. Package with ½ inch of headspace, seal, and freeze. These directions are for sliced summer squash; grated zucchini intended for baking has a separate steam-blanching method.
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Wash and grate young zucchini. Steam-blanch small batches for 1–2 minutes, until translucent. Measure recipe-sized portions into containers with ½ inch of headspace, and cool the containers in cold water before sealing and freezing. Label the measured amount. If thawing releases excess water, drain that liquid before using this frozen zucchini in your recipe.
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No. Sweet peppers can be frozen raw: wash them, remove stems and seeds, and cut into the shapes you will use. Seal the pieces in suitable freezer packaging. A blanched option is also available for cooking: 3 minutes for halves or 2 minutes for strips, followed by prompt cooling and draining. Choose the method for the intended use.
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Yes. Peel, trim, wash, and dice the onions into roughly ¼-inch pieces. Blanching is unnecessary for this diced-onion method. Pack into freezer containers with ½ inch of headspace, or freeze the pieces separately on a clean tray and then bag them with excess air removed. Label the package and use within a few months for best quality.
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Do not expect the crisp texture of a freshly cut green onion. Chopped green onions can be frozen without blanching, but the thawed pieces may be slightly tough and will lose crispness. Freeze small portions for dishes where their flavor matters more than their appearance. Keep a fresh bunch for a garnish that needs a clean, crunchy bite.
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Use 2 minutes in boiling water for tender greens such as spinach, but 3 minutes for collards. First wash thoroughly and remove woody stems. Cool promptly after blanching, drain, and pack with ½ inch of headspace before sealing and freezing. Group the greens by type so collards receive their longer treatment without overprocessing the tender leaves.
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Yes. Wash and sort them, leaving the taproot and about ½ inch of stem attached during cooking to limit color loss. Boil until tender—about 25–30 minutes for small beets or 45–50 minutes for medium ones. Cool in cold water, peel, trim, and slice or cube. Pack with ½ inch of headspace, seal, and freeze.
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Frozen cabbage is better reserved for cooked dishes because thawing changes its texture. Remove coarse leaves, wash, and cut into shreds or thin wedges, or separate the leaves. Blanch for 1½ minutes in boiling water, cool promptly, and drain. Seal in freezer containers with ½ inch of headspace. Buy fresh cabbage when the finished dish depends on raw crunch.
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Wash tender stalks, remove coarse strings, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes, cool quickly, and drain well before sealing for freezing. Celery loses its crispness in the freezer, so portion it for soups, sauces, or other cooked dishes. It will not behave like fresh celery on a vegetable platter.
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Wash, peel, and cut young eggplant into slices about ⅓ inch thick. Work in small batches. Blanch for 4 minutes in a gallon of boiling water containing ½ cup of lemon juice, then cool promptly and drain. Pack with ½ inch of headspace and freeze. If you want separate slices for frying later, place freezer wrap between them.
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Yes. Clean sound mushrooms, trim the stems, and cut large ones into slices or quarters. Cook small batches in butter or margarine until almost done. Cool promptly, then package with ½ inch of headspace and freeze. The NCHFP also gives a steam method, which generally keeps longer; choose according to how you plan to use the mushrooms.
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The NCHFP method uses 5 minutes for whole mushrooms, 3½ minutes for buttons or quarters, and 3 minutes for slices. For color protection first dip them for 5 minutes in a pint of water with 1 teaspoon lemon juice. After steaming, cool promptly and drain. Seal in freezer containers with ½ inch of headspace.
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Wash the herbs, drain, and pat dry. Wrap a small portion of leaves or sprigs in freezer wrap, place it inside a freezer bag, and seal. Freeze in quantities convenient for cooking. The leaves usually become limp after thawing, so use them for flavor in cooked dishes rather than expecting an attractive fresh-looking garnish.
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Wash young pods and trim the stems without opening the seed chambers. Sort by size: pods 4 inches long or shorter need 3 minutes of water blanching; larger pods need 4 minutes. Cool quickly and drain, then leave whole or slice crosswise. Pack with ½ inch of headspace, seal, and freeze for later cooking.
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Choose bright green, flat pods, wash them, and remove strings and ends. Blanch small pods in boiling water for 1½ minutes and large pods for 2 minutes. Cool, drain, and pack with ½ inch of headspace. These directions assume peas have not developed inside; fuller pods need the different treatment specified in the NCHFP instructions.
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Pick pods while the peas are young and tender rather than large and starchy. Wash the pods, shell the peas, and blanch them in boiling water for 1½ minutes. Cool promptly and drain thoroughly. Pack into freezer containers with ½ inch of space below the lid, seal, and freeze. Freezing preserves quality; it cannot make old, starchy peas tender again.
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Wash a mature cooking pumpkin, cut into manageable sections, and remove the seeds. Cook until soft, scoop the flesh from the rind, and mash. Cool the purée promptly by setting its pan in cold water and stirring. Package in freezer containers with ½ inch of headspace, seal, and freeze. Label measured portions for the recipes you plan to make.
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