How to freeze cauliflower for the winter at home correctly

The human body constantly needs vitamins and minerals. If in the summer there are no problems with this, in the winter the situation changes dramatically. The way out of this situation will be the freezing of products useful for the body in order to add them to food in winter. One of these products is cauliflower - a dietary product that contains a large amount of nutrients. Let's figure out how to freeze cauliflower for the winter at home, and find out all the nuances of its preservation.

Is it possible to freeze cauliflower for the winter

Every housewife who wants to stock up for the winter wants to know how to do it with maximum benefit, and what methods are best not to use. Speaking of cauliflower, I would like to advise you not to store it in the cellar. The vegetable will spoil quickly and you won't be able to eat it all winter.

The best way to preserve cauliflower is to freeze it. This option will not damage the product and retain all the useful properties in full. To do this, you must adhere to the general rules, and you can use cabbage not only in winter, but also in spring.

Features of freezing cauliflower

Freezing cauliflower has its own nuances, which, first of all, depend on what dishes you are going to use it in. For example:

1. Cabbage, which you later use to make soup, can be frozen whole.
2. It is better to divide the product used for frying and stewing into equal parts in advance and send them to the freezer in this form.

Another feature that will determine the further appearance of the product is freezing raw or after heat treatment:

1. Cabbage cooked in boiling water will retain its original color and texture well, but will lose some of the nutrients.
2. The raw product will become less dense during freezing and its color will become darker. The advantage of this method is that all useful substances will remain in the vegetable in full.

Pay attention! The reference is the cutting of cauliflower into separate inflorescences, the diameter of which is 3 centimeters.

How to choose and prepare correctly

Housewives who did not grow the product on their own, but bought it in the store, should pay attention to its quality and appearance. A good vegetable can be selected according to the following rules:

1. Vegetable must be clean and show no signs of decay on its surface.
2. A good product will be white in color with slight yellowish tints.
3. Cabbage, the inflorescences of which are not adjacent to each other, is better to leave on the counter and choose another, more dense-looking vegetable.
4. Take the product in your hands and feel its heaviness. Too light weight, which does not correspond to the size, indicates that growth accelerators were used during cultivation. You should not expect special juiciness from such a vegetable.
5. There is a variety of cauliflower, the inflorescences of which are green. This is normal, and you should not be afraid of such a vegetable.

Dip a store-bought vegetable in s alt water for a few minutes. This way you will get rid of insects that can hide on the stems and between the inflorescences.

Preparing the refrigerator

When freezing vegetables, pay attention to the following nuances that will allow you to keep the product for a long period of time without losing useful properties:

1. Make sure you have enough free space in your freezer. It is desirable that for 2 kilograms of vegetables there are at least 8 liters of free space. If stored in such conditions, the vegetable will not be damaged, which will positively affect the shelf life and its benefits when defrosted.
2. The temperature maintained in the freezer should not fall below -19. This will allow the cabbage to retain its beneficial properties from six months to 9 months, depending on the quality of the product.

The best ways to freeze cauliflower

Harvesting vegetables for the winter season can be done in several different ways. The most optimal are:

• frozen fresh, without blanching;
• freezing a product that has previously gone through the blanching process.

Best to use for storage:

• plastic bags;
• special plastic containers.

The other methods are not suitable for long-term storage of cauliflower, and it is best to refrain from using them.

Quick freezing without blanching

In order to freeze fresh vegetables, you need:

1. Wash product. This must be done carefully so that dirt and other debris do not get into your food.
2. Remove leaves and damaged areas.
3. Dip the vegetable in s alted water. This way you will get rid of insects that can hide in inflorescences and other hard-to-reach places.
4. Separate the florets from the thick stem if you wish to freeze it piecemeal.
5. Before packing, all vegetable mass must be thoroughly dried. It is advisable to use a towel for this purpose.
6. Pack the product in portions in special boxes or plastic bags.

This method is used in order to preserve the maximum of vitamins. If you do not pursue the benefits of the product and it is important for you that the cabbage does not darken during the freezing process, blanch it.

In bags or kegs

Preparing vegetables is half the battle. In addition to the preparation process, they must be properly packaged. The best way to do this is to pack the mass in plastic bags or kegs. They securely store the product while we freeze it and prevent the penetration of unpleasant odors and other unnecessary substances. Experts advise pumping air out of the bags. This will prevent the formation of excess ice in the container itself and the freezer. Kegs are more versatile in this regard, and some are already equipped with vacuum lids.

Boiling in s alted water

Cabbage boiled in s alted water is prepared as follows:

1. The cabbage is washed with plenty of clean water.
2. Leaves and damaged areas are removed.
3. The head of cabbage is cut into separate inflorescences. This allows the product to be processed more thoroughly.
4. It is necessary to boil a vegetable at the rate of 4 liters of liquid per 0.5 kilograms of product.
5. While your water is boiling, fill another container with water and add ice to it. If there is no ice and it cannot be prepared in the near future, send the container to the refrigerator.
6. S alt is added to the boiling liquid, and vegetables are sent. Cook them for 3-5 minutes.
7. After boiling, the cabbage immediately goes into cold water. This will preserve its texture and color.
8. Next, it must be dried and packaged in bags.

How and how long the frozen product is stored

Cauliflower can be stored:

1. In the refrigerator. The shelf life is a maximum of one month.
2. On the balcony, if it is sufficiently insulated - no more than 1 month.
3. In the basement or cellar, the preservation is ensured for three months.
4. The freezer will keep the vegetable for 9 months. There are cases when it was possible to extend this period up to 1 year.
5. Storage elsewhere will depend on the environmental temperature and humidity to be maintained.

Defrosting rules

You can defrost cabbage in the following ways:

• measure the required portion and put it in the refrigerator. This approach will preserve the juiciness of the product and the maximum of vitamins;
• cook it without defrosting. This will preserve maximum nutrients.

Pay attention! By defrosting vegetables at room temperature, you lose a lot of vitamins that leave them with the liquid.

Defrosting by putting vegetables in water is not a good idea. You will lose many vitamins and other useful substances. These tips are great for more than just defrosting vegetables. You can defrost berries, herbs and even fruits this way.

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