TOP 10 recipes for freezing broccoli for the winter at home with or without cooking

Broccoli is similar in appearance to cauliflower, only it is bright green in color. It is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Many doctors recommend regularly consuming broccoli for people suffering from cardiovascular disorders and for the prevention of cancer. Many housewives stock up on vegetables and know how to properly freeze broccoli for the winter at home.

Frozen stocks

Broccoli season is in the summer. During the cold season, it is better to purchase vegetables in supermarkets. It is much cheaper and safer to stock up for the winter during the summer period. Fresh broccoli cannot be stored for a long time, so the best option to preserve the beneficial properties of the product for almost a year is to freeze it. Cabbage, like many other vegetables, can be frozen in the freezer. But for proper storage it must be carefully prepared.

Features of freezing

Freezing, as one of the methods for storing broccoli, has a number of advantages that every housewife can appreciate if she at least once tries to stock up on vegetables for the winter in this way.

Among the many advantages, the following should be noted:

1. Rational use of refrigerator space. Cabbage takes up minimal space in the freezer without absorbing extraneous odors. In addition, absolutely all useful substances are preserved in the vegetable for a long time.
2. Preservation of micronutrients. By freezing, you can fully preserve the entire range of beneficial characteristics and taste. If you properly prepare the vegetable for freezing and follow all the instructions, the broccoli will be very similar to fresh, both in color, taste, and richness of vitamins. Freezing is important for people who in the future plan to prepare dishes from healthy vegetables for their children.
3. Always have cabbage in the refrigerator. You don't have to run around the store looking for broccoli, especially if you want to eat it for breakfast. The product will always be at hand, ready for heat treatment.
4. Saving money.Seasonal vegetables are much more expensive in winter than in summer. Therefore, it is during the season that you should start stocking up, when prices are minimal. Using frozen broccoli in cooking throughout the winter can significantly save your family budget.

You can make frozen stocks from almost any vegetable. It is necessary to follow the recommendations to ensure that the maximum level of nutrients is maintained in the food.

Buying and preparing broccoli

The choice should be approached as responsibly as possible. It is a mistake to think that food can be frozen in any condition. Low-quality vegetables are not suitable for this type of storage. Broccoli, first of all, should be young and rich green.

The inflorescences should be free of insects and traces of vegetable diseases. Otherwise, the cabbage will spoil and you will have to throw it away.

It is better to harvest and freeze broccoli from your own garden. But, unfortunately, not everyone has such luxury. You can buy high-quality, fresh cabbage at the market or in the vegetable section of the supermarket.

For freezing, you should not take a product with the following “signs”:

• wilted inflorescences;
• putrefactive lesions on stems or inflorescences;
• presence of pests;
• yellowish and dried parts.

The vegetable should be firm and elastic, without flaws or damage, bright green in color, with a rich aroma.

Preparing the refrigerator before starting the process

Before freezing, the freezer compartment must be emptied of other products, washed well and dried. Bags of cabbage can only be placed in a dry container.

If your refrigerator has a built-in quick freeze function, it is recommended to turn it on for a few hours.This way freezing occurs much faster, which has a positive effect on preserving the beneficial properties of the vegetable. If there is no “Quick freezing”, then set the temperature in the freezer to 10-15 degrees.

Kitchenware

To freeze broccoli for the winter in your home kitchen, you will need not only broccoli florets, but also some kitchen tools. The housewife must first prepare:

• cutting surface;
• pan;
• deep bowl;
• knife;
• steaming basket;
• colander.

After all the accessories have been prepared, you should take care of the freezing container. The ideal option involves using special food bags for freezing. If there are none, ordinary plastic bags or containers will do, which should be quite dense.

How and why to pre-blanch

It is not recommended to freeze broccoli without cooking it. Steaming cabbage is a mandatory step in freezing. Blanching destroys enzymes that promote oxidation. During further storage in a container with vegetables, an unpleasant odor will not appear and the taste will be preserved.

If you do not use blanching, then, in most cases, the inflorescences will crumble in the freezer, and after defrosting the vegetables will have to be thrown away.

In a saucepan

Blanching can be done in a saucepan. Prepared inflorescences are dipped directly into boiling water. You need to boil for no more than two minutes. Then the vegetables are taken out and cooled.

In a steamer

If you have a steamer, blanching broccoli is much easier. Water with lemon juice is also brought to a boil. The cabbage is placed in a special basket, which is placed on a container of boiling water and covered with a lid.Heat treatment using this method lasts about 5 minutes.

Home freezing method

Freezing broccoli is a long process, which, however, does not require special skills or complex manipulations. You just need to carry out all the processes step by step to get a high-quality result. It is better to buy broccoli in season, which falls in June-July. You need to choose inflorescences of a rich green color, dense to the touch. It is better not to take vegetables with stains and spots of putrefaction for multi-day storage.

It is necessary to clean the product from dirt, since it does not need to be washed in the future. It will immediately be subject to heat treatment. To completely remove insects from the inflorescences, the vegetable is soaked in a salt solution for half an hour. The parasites will not only die, but will also float to the surface. Then the broccoli should be thoroughly washed and removed from the leaves.

Vegetables should be divided into inflorescences measuring about 2.5 centimeters. The trunk is also cut into small pieces of 6 millimeters. The tough part of the stem needs to be thrown away.Place the chopped broccoli in a deep vessel, fill it with plain water and add lemon juice. Let it sit in this solution for 5 minutes. Lemon juice keeps cabbage green.

Pour the liquid from the bowl into the pan and add more water. The contents should be boiled. The broccoli is transferred to a steaming basket and the whole thing is lowered into a pan of boiling water. The top is also covered with a lid. Boil this way for about 5 minutes. Vegetables are immersed directly in water if there is no device for steaming. In this case, the blanching process is reduced to 2 minutes.

The inflorescences and stems are removed from the pan and immediately immersed in ice water.Cool the product under running water, using a colander if there is no basket for cooking in a double boiler. Cooled broccoli is removed from the water, dried and placed in bags or containers for freezing food products.

It is recommended to calculate the amount of cabbage for one meal preparation and pack it in that volume. It is forbidden to freeze broccoli several times, so you need to prepare as much product as you plan to use at one time. When defrosting and freezing again, cabbage will quickly lose color, structure and taste.

It is better to label the packages when a specific portion of the vegetable was frozen. Frozen broccoli is best consumed within the next nine months, so stickers are a handy way to remind yourself of expiring dates.

Freezing and blanching

Cabbage must be blanched before freezing. This type of steam treatment is required when freezing. During blanching, under the influence of high temperatures, enzymes die, which can lead to oxidation. Steamed vegetables are stored in the freezer for a long time and do not spoil.

Freezing without blanching

Fresh broccoli cannot be frozen without blanching. While in the freezer, under the influence of low temperatures, the inflorescences of the workpiece will turn into dust, and it will be impossible to use them for further preparation. Blanching in a saucepan or steamer will preserve the structure of the vegetable, its color and taste.

Storage Features

For deep freezing, a temperature of -18 degrees is used. At this temperature, the frozen product is stored in the freezer for almost a whole year. If the temperature is maintained between 0-8 degrees, then broccoli can be consumed within the next three months.

It is not recommended to refreeze vegetables. This should be taken into account when defrosting the refrigerator. In such situations, the bag of cabbage is wrapped in a warm blanket, which will help maintain the low temperature necessary to preserve the product. After cleaning the refrigerator, broccoli is immediately placed in the freezer.

Need for defrosting

There is no need to defrost broccoli before cooking! When defrosted, it will lose its shape, become soft and, as a result of even minor heat treatment, turn into an unattractive mush. To create culinary masterpieces using healthy inflorescences, remove the product from the freezer and immediately begin cooking.

Cooking rules

For freezing, you only need to prepare fresh cabbage. Only in this case can the taste and benefits of the vegetable be preserved at the maximum level. For cooking, use a saucepan with a lid, a slow cooker and a double boiler. If you choose a pan, then first boil the water and add some salt. Then place the frozen vegetables so that the water just covers them.

The cooking time is affected by the degree freezing cabbage and the sizes of the pieces. In most cases, cooking lasts no more than 7 minutes. During this process, it is recommended to check the readiness of the inflorescences with a fork every couple of minutes. If the fork slides easily into the stem, the vegetables are cooked. To preserve the crispy properties, the finished broccoli from boiling water should be immediately immersed in cold water.

Boiled cabbage can be served as an independent dish, sprinkled with salt and your favorite spices. Cheese sauce goes perfectly with this vegetable. The inflorescences are delicious when fried in a batter of breadcrumbs and eggs.The dish is also sprinkled with lemon juice and almonds are added. Cooked broccoli makes a healthy, creamy soup with crispy croutons and fried bacon. Can also be baked in the oven.

Useful tips

Housewives can use some recommendations that will make the freezing process easier without losing the beneficial properties of the product:

• To preserve the crispy structure and pleasant taste, well-dried inflorescences should be frozen;
• To prevent broccoli from losing its color, sprinkle it with lemon or lime juice;
• For blanching, it is convenient to use a steamer basket with a handle holder;
• It is forbidden to blanch in the microwave;
• vegetables are cut on a board that is not used for cutting raw fish and meat.

By adopting the tips listed above, you can significantly simplify the process and get a high-quality product at the end.

Freezing broccoli is a simple process that leads to healthy results. It is important to carefully select a product and properly prepare it for the freezing process. This vegetable can pleasantly diversify a boring winter menu, saturating it with useful microelements and summer colors.