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I'm very fussy about texture and find that most veg don't freeze well so I have just about given up trying to freeze chunks of veg. I don't like chutneys, relishes or pickles either so there is no point in making them.
Potatoes are checked for damage and perfect ones are stored unwashed in thick brown paper bags in the garage. When they show signs of starting to sprout I mash and freeze them in single portions.
Onions are dried and strung in the garage (when they don't get white rot, which they have this year). Ones that I can't use straight away that are damaged or start to sprout are chopped and frozen - bear in mind that this makes the freezer stink of onion, so as I have more than one freezer the onions are not stored in the same one as fruit, bread, ice cream etc.
Chopped peppers retain their texture in the freezer well enough for use in sauces but the skins can go very tough so this is a last resort.
Tomatoes are cooked until soft and frozen in 500g butter tubs to make blocks of single portions of tomato ready for sauces etc. These take up about 1/3 of my total freezer space as I use tomato nearly every day.
Peas are frozen without blanching and are one of the few vegetables that I will tolerate from frozen.
Cauliflower is cut into chunks and dropped in boiling water for 1 second before drying and freezing - I haven't yet eaten any as this is the first year, so I only have a friend's assurance that this works well.
Spinach is cooked and frozen in small single portion pots and is just about edible like this. I add it to tomato dishes rather than eat it as a side vegetable.
Courgettes are revolting from frozen chunks (on their own or frozen in recipes), but make a good thickening agent for soups and sauces when pureed - I mix them with almost any combination of tomato, peppers, onions, spinach, carrots, leeks and kohlrabi, adding stock to make soups or freezing the puree to add to pasta dishes. (Adding cheese before eating greatly improves both.) I always have huge numbers of surplus courgettes which I give to friends and family, especially my sister in law who likes courgetti.
Beans are given away or composted as every attempt to freeze or salt them or make them into soup has ended up in the bin. The same applies to broccoli and cabbage.
Parsnips are nice mashed with potatoes and the mixture freezes well. If you like swedes you can do the same with them - I prefer them made into soups, particularly a combination of potato, carrot, leek and swede blended very smooth.
Raspberries, blueberries and currants are washed, dried and frozen fresh.
Strawberries are cut into chunks and cooked until soft with a little water (you could add sugar if you like) and frozen in small tubs to use with ice cream or add to fruit pies and crumbles. This is a good way of using up small, misshapen or damaged fruit.
Apples and rhubarb are cut into chunks and cooked until soft then frozen in butter tubs for pies and crumbles.
Anything else surplus that I can't give away goes into the compost bin.
Potatoes are checked for damage and perfect ones are stored unwashed in thick brown paper bags in the garage. When they show signs of starting to sprout I mash and freeze them in single portions.
Onions are dried and strung in the garage (when they don't get white rot, which they have this year). Ones that I can't use straight away that are damaged or start to sprout are chopped and frozen - bear in mind that this makes the freezer stink of onion, so as I have more than one freezer the onions are not stored in the same one as fruit, bread, ice cream etc.
Chopped peppers retain their texture in the freezer well enough for use in sauces but the skins can go very tough so this is a last resort.
Tomatoes are cooked until soft and frozen in 500g butter tubs to make blocks of single portions of tomato ready for sauces etc. These take up about 1/3 of my total freezer space as I use tomato nearly every day.
Peas are frozen without blanching and are one of the few vegetables that I will tolerate from frozen.
Cauliflower is cut into chunks and dropped in boiling water for 1 second before drying and freezing - I haven't yet eaten any as this is the first year, so I only have a friend's assurance that this works well.
Spinach is cooked and frozen in small single portion pots and is just about edible like this. I add it to tomato dishes rather than eat it as a side vegetable.
Courgettes are revolting from frozen chunks (on their own or frozen in recipes), but make a good thickening agent for soups and sauces when pureed - I mix them with almost any combination of tomato, peppers, onions, spinach, carrots, leeks and kohlrabi, adding stock to make soups or freezing the puree to add to pasta dishes. (Adding cheese before eating greatly improves both.) I always have huge numbers of surplus courgettes which I give to friends and family, especially my sister in law who likes courgetti.
Beans are given away or composted as every attempt to freeze or salt them or make them into soup has ended up in the bin. The same applies to broccoli and cabbage.
Parsnips are nice mashed with potatoes and the mixture freezes well. If you like swedes you can do the same with them - I prefer them made into soups, particularly a combination of potato, carrot, leek and swede blended very smooth.
Raspberries, blueberries and currants are washed, dried and frozen fresh.
Strawberries are cut into chunks and cooked until soft with a little water (you could add sugar if you like) and frozen in small tubs to use with ice cream or add to fruit pies and crumbles. This is a good way of using up small, misshapen or damaged fruit.
Apples and rhubarb are cut into chunks and cooked until soft then frozen in butter tubs for pies and crumbles.
Anything else surplus that I can't give away goes into the compost bin.
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