Making Vegetable Freezer Packs for Chicken Soup and Beef Stew

With the end of summer here, many are getting their canners dusted off and knives sharpened for stockpiling the Fall harvest. Unfortunately, there seems to be a shortage on canning supplies!

If you are one of the masses scrambling for another alternative for preserving winter vegetables, consider hauling out the cutting board and making up some vegetable freezer packs.

When freezing vegetables, blanch them first to preserve the vegetable’s texture and color.

Blanching

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add your vegetables for the time required, then drain and add them to a bowl of ice water in order to stop the cooking process. Here is a short list to get you started with Mirepoix, a must have for all soups and stews.

Blanching Mirepoix

Carrots – blanch ¼ inch slices for 2 minutes, then flash freeze for 2 hours

Celery – blanch ¼ inch slices for 3 minutes, then flash freeze for 2 hours

Onion – chop to desired size, then flash freeze for 2 hours

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Vegetable freezer packs will last for up to 12 months in the freezer in good condition, and longer if you don’t mind a bit poorer quality.

Besides making easy access, frozen vegetables, this process is also a great way to reduce waste in the kitchen. Before your veggies go bad, freeze them!

Give it a try.

CHICKEN SOUP RECIPE

BEEF STEW RECIPE

#freezerpacks #preserving #reducewaste #harvest #mirepoix

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References:

Cooks Info, June 24, 2018, Mirepoix, https://www.cooksinfo.com/mirepoix

Harrison Ph.D., Judy A., & Andress Ph.D., Elizabeth L., Preserving Food: Freezing Vegetables, https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/uga_freeze_veg.pdf

Sustainable Cooks, Sara, June 23, 2020, Freezing Celery, https://www.sustainablecooks.com/freezing-celery/

Tastessence, 12 Best Ways Used By Culinary Experts to Freeze Potatoes, https://tastessence.com/best-ways-to-freeze-potatoes

UNL Food, 2020, Freezing Onions, https://food.unl.edu/freezing-onions