Freezing Vegetables - Successful Freezing

Freezing is a quick, convenient, and easy method of preserving foods in the home. WIC families can be encouraged to freeze produce purchased using cash value and FMNP benefits as a way to reduce food waste. Frozen foods can be easy to use because most of the preparation is done before freezing. Reassure families that freezing, done properly preserves nutritive quality. 

This handout reviews the factors that account for most of the quality losses of frozen foods and how to address them to successfully freeze vegetables, including the qualities that make up good packaging materials. Also provides tips for packaging vegetables, basic blanching directions, and blanching times for select vegetables. Additional vegetables and their blanching times can be found at Freezing Vegetables - Selecting, Preparing, Freezing and Storing.