Freezing Carrots, Corn, and Tomatoes
Learn How to Freeze Vegetables from your Garden
Freezing vegetables enables you to enjoy your harvest past the summer when the garden is put to bed for the winter. Freezing vegetables is very easy and your garden can supply you with vegetables all winter. Take time to read about the Basics of freezing vegetables and how to blanch or process them to freeze.
Carrots
You can freeze carrots to use in cooking. Freezing them does make them a little soggy so you couldn’t eat them raw, but you can add them to soups and stews and the taste is just as good. Select tender medium length carrots. Remove the tops and wash the carrot and peel it. Leave the carrot whole or cut into slices. Water blanch whole carrots 5 minutes or slices 2 minutes. Plunge into cold water, drain, dry and pack into freezer bags marking the date when they were put in the freezer. Seal and freeze.
Corn
Corn is very versatile and you can freeze it several different ways. No matter how you freeze it always make sure to select freshly gathered corn; do not use corn that was picked several days ago. Husk the corn and remove silks and wash.
To freeze corn on the cob water blanch ears for 7 to 9 minutes depending on the size. Plunge ears into ice water (this prevents the corn from being starchy). Make sure ears are totally cool before doing anything else with them. Drain, dry and put in freezer bags marked with the date. Seal and freeze.
To freeze kernel Corn blanch whole ears in water for 4 minutes. Plunge into ice water and make sure they cool completely. Drain and take a sharp knife and cut kernels from the cob about 2/3 the depth of the kernels. Dry well and place in freezer bags, seal and freeze.
Tomatoes
Frozen tomatoes can be used in casseroles, to make chili, or other soups and stews. Put a small pot of water on the stove and get it boiling. Wash tomatoes, being sure to select only the most firm tomatoes with good color, and stick them with a fork near the bottom or stem. Dip in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove and the skin will easily peel. Core the tomatoes as well. You can freeze whole or half the tomato cut in pieces. There is no need to blanch tomatoes. Just put them in the freezer bags and seal then freeze.
To freeze juice wash tomatoes then cut in quarters or eighths. Place in a pot and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until soft. Press through a sieve collecting juice. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper then put into freezer bags, label and freeze.
If you like a more concentrated tomato taste to add to soups, stews, and casseroles you may want to stew your tomatoes before freezing them. Remove stems and peel (see how to remove skins easily by boiling above) tomatoes. Cut in quarters and put in a pan. Cook for about 10 to 20 minutes or until tender. Place pan in cold water to cool making sure none of the water gets into the tomatoes. Pack in freezer bags, seal and freeze.
Make sure to freeze beans, broccoli, squash, and other vegetables that come from your garden.
corn on the cob
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