Freezing the surplus

[Vince G]

In my first season as an allotmenteer. Grew veg at home previously but never really had sufficient to have to freeze much. However I'm now getting a real glut of runners, french beans, courgettes and carrots.

Froze a few runners once before and they were so limp when cooked even briefly from frozen, I never bothered again and have instead just given them away for others to enjoy fresh. I followed the usual blanching rules: bring to the boil then plunge in iced water.

Is there a better way to preserve your gluts and does anyone have any recommendations for particular vegetables, esp. carrots as I don't have a box of sand big enough. Frozen carrots also never seem to have the right texture either.

All advice welcome.

PS Please don't say chutney - I grow to enjoy the taste of the veg not drown it in sugar and vinegar!

[Paulottie]

I like runners cut like spaghetti (best slicer by Krisk)...diamonds go slimy in the freezer. I found the skill is to blanch only young beans, and then dry them as well as possible before freezing. salad spinner and clean tea towels used.

Carrots are tricky especially larger and whole. Worth reconsidering finding a spot for a box and sand

If you don't like pickle maybe try ratatouille or soups for freezer. Useful to make ready meals with your produce.

[veggiechicken]

As Paul says ^^^^^Think about cooking your veggies into ready meals, then freezing them. For example, cook the runner beans with tomatoes and onion to make a sort of Fasolakia (need to check that's the right name!). I don't like frozen runners either. Nor do I blanch anything anymore.
Edit - adding link to recipe http://mamastaverna.com/fasolakia-green-beans/

[arpoet]

I pick beans young, chill for an hour in the fridge, blanch in boiling then ice water, drain well then open freeze for a couple of hours before bagging up. They keep for about 6 months and i cook them from frozen in my pressure cooker, or use in spag boli and stews etc.
I do the same with white turnips and sweeds.
Onions i just slice and open freeze for stews etc.
Roger

[Florence Fennel]

I don't blanch runners any more. I just pick them young, put them through the bean slicer like Paul and then freeze. I roast courgettes, peppers, onions and tomatoes with garlic and olive oil then cool and freeze (did a roasting of these last night for my daughter). You'll find loads of preserving methods on here Vince I don't like chutney.

[Kestrel]

Great question Vince.

Despite several trys I have not yet found a satisfactory way to store french beans. Blanching only slows the bacterial deterioration but the water in the bean freezes and turns it to mush when defrosted (blanched or not). This is something that I have not overcome assuming I am doing it right, which is not a given! Any new/old/better ideas would be welcomed, the simpler and quicker the better.

[Loudbarker1]

Salted runner beans aren't bad.

Get a large crock and put in about an inch of salt. Then slice your runners as if you were abotu to cook them and put in a 3 inch layer. Cover with salt and firm it down well. The another layer of sliced beans and repeat. You will find the salt draws liguid out of the beans to make a brine. Continue to the top of the crock and make sure the last layer is salt. Cover and leave until you need them.

When you need them soak well and use in the usual way.

[Loudbarker1]

Here are a couple of links to salting beans.

Preserving runner beans the old way: salting

Salted Runner Beans | Taste Of Home Recipes

For carrots and other root veg, don't forget about clamping or stoage in sand in boxes.

I'm afraid my patch is too small to produce gret gluts of things (except courgetees of course) so this is theoretical at th emoment although I have salted and clamped in the past.

[PyreneesPlot]

For my first two seasons here we didn't have grid electricity so no freezer. I went down the old route of salting beans - in this case French beans.
I was suprised how good they were, once the salt had been removed, still with a really crunchy, squeaky texture. Not nice enough to eat just as a veg flavourwise, but great in sauces, curries etc.
Pick small, wash, cut to size and then pack in a large jar, layering with salt. As I picked more I just kept topping the jars. I lost one lot because there wasn't enough brine produced.
Soak for 24 hours changing the water a few times and cook as normal - they don't seem to ever go soft!!
This year I'm blanching and freezing, but given comments here I think I might be salting again next year.

[lottie dolly]

i stoped blanching,and find things better frozen without,prepare wash shake of in a collander,bag and freeze,i do any beans
red cabbage works great,if sliced very thin is ideal for that coldslaw moment,simply put into cold water to thaw out,
onions,any how you like,small whole for hotpots,sliced/diced,
beetroot,cook,cool bag freeze
carrots best cut into bit sized bits,wash and freeze,i will have to try some gratted,would be easy use for coldslaw,stirfry,jam,chutney when you have time to do them,
the only thing i not got on well with either way is couliflowers,
but i do advise during freezing,to give the bag contents a move about,so they NOT end up in a clump,they also stack better in the freezer,

[DGoulston]

for chilli's I just shove them straight in a pot in the freezer and they come out perfect, run under water to defrost then cook into food!

[Farmer_Gyles]

carrots - slice them, boil them for 20 mins, drain, freeze, use in stews and casseroles - use the water you boiled them in to make carrot wine - simples!

[Farmer_Gyles]

Despite several trys I have not yet found a satisfactory way to store french beans. Blanching only slows the bacterial deterioration but the water in the bean freezes and turns it to mush when defrosted (blanched or not). This is something that I have not overcome assuming I am doing it right, which is not a given! Any new/old/better ideas would be welcomed, the simpler and quicker the better.

beans will last months in the freezer just fine if they're blanched properly .... we finished last year's french beans in may this year ....
slice, blanche in boiling water for 3 mins, remove and place straight into freezing cold water, drain, bag, freeze
when reheating them, let them defrost and then microwave them .... works perfectly for me ....

[Nik]

A carrot glut in your first year? That's impressive!

Don't forget that if you just leave french beans they turn into fully grown haricot beans, then you can dry them and they'll store forever.

[Jamesy_uk]

With French beans they do go limp when freezing after blanching so what I do is cook them into things or keep them in meal sized portion bags and add them to casseroles, stews etc.