quick lesson in freezing veg, please

[tlck9]

myself and my neighbour have a huge mountain of broad beans and mange tout, she is on hols so I have started to pick hers so they continue to grow and she will still get some when she gets back.

How can I freeze these, this is the time when I say "I should have listerned to my gran!!)

be grateful for a quick course in what I can freeze and how to do it

much appreciated

(runner beans as I remember were core'd cut and put staright in the freezer, no prep

[janeyo]

I use this site for help

Storing the Surplus - How to Freeze Vegetables, Foods and Blanching Time Chart

[glut]

I froze beans last year, blanching some and not blanching others. I found the blanched beans were much soggier and less flavoursome than the unblanched ones. Don't know if it applies to everything though...

[BumbleB]

I use this site for help

Storing the Surplus - How to Freeze Vegetables, Foods and Blanching Time Chart

That a great site, thanks for that.

[Alice]

Most veg can be frozen by the open freeze method
Clean and prepare for use
Lay out on a tray
Put the tray in the freezer
Once frozen tip into a freezer bag and clip closed.

[Hilary B]

I froze beans last year, blanching some and not blanching others. I found the blanched beans were much soggier and less flavoursome than the unblanched ones. Don't know if it applies to everything though...

It very much applies to beans, although if they end up at the base of the freezer for a couple of years, the blanched ones won't be any worse, and the unblanched ones may have gone a bit 'odd'.

[rana]

It very much applies to beans, although if they end up at the base of the freezer for a couple of years, the blanched ones won't be any worse, and the unblanched ones may have gone a bit 'odd'.

I'd rather have my beans 'odd' than soggy so no blanching for my veg. Then again it wont lie around in the freezer for long.

[Rocketron]

Freezers do not run best when they are full. Every time you add something to a freezer you are increasing it's workload.

[Alison]

Freezers do not run best when they are full. Every time you add something to a freezer you are increasing it's workload.

Yes, they have extra workload to freeze the item initially but then it's much more efficient to have your freezer full which is why people used to put newspaper in to fill up any gaps rather than leave simply empty air there.