how to freeze greens without blanching

Can I freeze fresh greens?

Yes, to freeze: (1) Wash greens thoroughly and cut off woody stems; (2) Blanch (plunge into boiling water) for two minutes and chill quickly in ice cold water; (3) Drain off excess moisture, package in airtight containers or freezer bags and freeze immediately.

How to preserve and freeze Kale Greens easy?

• Wash the kale well. Dry with towels or a salad spinner.
• Tear the leaves from the woody stems.
• Spread the kale leaves out on a large baking sheet. A few layers are fine, as long as the kale is dry.
• When the kale is frozen, move it to freezer-safe containers or bags. Label and freeze for up to a year.

How do you freeze fresh turnip greens?

Things You’ll Need

• Small to medium-sized turnips
• Vegetable peeler
• Knife
• Pot (for boiling water)
• Bowl of ice water
• Freezer bags

How to freeze collards &turnip greens the right way?

Preparing Greens for the Freezer

• After the greens are washed, chop them roughly and put them into a large pot on the stove. ...
• Set the temperature (or fire, if you use a gas stove) to medium. ...
• A large, full pot of greens will cook down to about 1/3 of your pot, maybe even less. ...
• You aren't cooking the greens, you're only wilting them. ...

What happens if you freeze greens without blanching?

If greens are not blanched properly, they will lose their fresh flavor quickly in frozen storage. Steam blanching of greens is not recommended as the leaves mat together and do not blanch properly.

Can you freeze fresh greens without cooking them?

You do not have to blanch your collard greens before freezing them, as they are perfectly happy being frozen as is. If you want the full flavors of the greens when you do start cooking them, it may be better to blanch them before freezing.

How do you freeze fresh greens?

Place the prepared greens in freezing containers or in ziplock bags. Squeeze as much air out of the bags as you can. Label and date the bags and place them in your freezer. Properly prepared, leafy greens will keep for 8 to 12 months in the freezer.

Do greens need to be blanched before freezing?

Blanching is a must for most vegetables to be frozen. It slows or stops the enzyme action which can cause loss of flavor, color and texture. The blanching time is very important and varies with the vegetable and size. Underblanching stimulates the activity of enzymes and is worse than no blanching.

How long do you blanch greens?

Blanch Leafy Greens in Boiling Water Stir your leafy greens into a pot of boiling water. Let blanch in the boiling water for 1 minute.

How do you preserve leafy greens?

Lay the clean, dry leaves on paper towels, loosely roll into a cylinder and place in a zip-top baggie. Alternatively, you can line a large airtight container with paper towels and loosely fill it with greens. Top with another paper towel layer and snap on the lid. Store in a cold part of the fridge.

Can salad greens be frozen?

If you're suffering from salad fatigue, or just can't eat another plate of sautéed spinach, we've got good news: Leafy greens are one of the easiest things to preserve. You can't preserve tender lettuce, but hardier greens like Swiss chard and kale lend themselves perfectly to freezing.

Can you freeze spinach without blanching?

If you plan to use the frozen spinach within a few weeks, there is no need to blanch it first. But unblanched spinach left in the freezer for too long will turn brown because of enzyme actions which will change the texture, flavor, and coloring.

Do cooked greens freeze well?

Cooked greens can be kept in the freezer for up to 12 months. This largely depends on the type of greens and storage conditions. Cooked greens should be well-prepped before storage.

Why do you blanch greens?

Blanching stops enzyme actions which otherwise cause loss of flavor, color and texture. In addition, blanching removes some surface dirt and microorganisms, brightens color and helps slow vitamin losses. It also wilts greens and softens some vegetables (broccoli, asparagus) and makes them easier to pack.

How do I blanch greens?

Basic Blanching TechniqueBring salted water to a rolling boil in a large pot.Place green vegetable in boiling water until tender. ... Once the vegetable becomes tender and the green color is solidified, shock in ice water.

Which food should not be frozen?

13 Foods You Should Never Put in Your FreezerEggs.Dairy Products.Fried Foods.Carbonated Drinks.Fully Cooked Pasta.Water-Rich Produce.Defrosted Meat.Soft Herbs.More items...•

Can you freeze spinach without blanching?

If you plan to use the frozen spinach within a few weeks, there is no need to blanch it first. But unblanched spinach left in the freezer for too long will turn brown because of enzyme actions which will change the texture, flavor, and coloring.

How do you freeze collard greens?

Wash thoroughly and cut off woody stems. Water blanch collards 3 minutes and all other greens 2 minutes. Cool, drain and package, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal and freeze.

Can you freeze kale and spinach?

You can freeze kale (and bagged spinach), so you can keep it on hand without it getting all gross and stinky in the back of your refrigerator. It's incredibly simple to do, but if you're new to freezing vegetables make sure keep reading to understand how to make the best use of your frozen kale (or spinach).

How long does collard greens last in the fridge?

about three to four daysPre-washed and chopped, ready-to-eat, fresh collard greens are also available in the market. MSU Extension recommends storing unwashed greens in moist paper towels and placing in sealed plastic bags in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. They will keep about three to four days.

Can you freeze spinach, kale, and collard greens?

Provided you follow our instructions correctly, you can freeze leafy greens for up to 9 months without blanching.

What are greens?

Greens is an umbrella term that encompasses many different types of vegetables.

What are some health benefits that you get from greens?

A diet that is rich in greens can help with weight loss and reducing your blood pressure. The antioxidants can help to protect your body from developing cardiovascular diseases and other disorders.

How to freeze greens

Prior to taking any steps to freeze greens, you should wash and pat the leaves dry.

How to remove the stems

Many people do not like the bitter and tough stems found on most leafy greens. This is very easy to remove if you wish to, although it is completely optional.

How to thaw greens

Thawing frozen greens is very easy to do. The night before you wish to use them, remove them from the freezer and place them in the refrigerator overnight to thaw gently.

What are some good ways to eat frozen greens?

If you are not a big fan of the taste of greens but want to get the health benefits, a great way to use them is in a smoothie.

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About This Article

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Hannah Madden is a writer, editor, and artist currently living in Portland, Oregon. In 2018, she graduated from Portland State University with a B.S. in Environmental Studies. Hannah enjoys writing articles about conservation, sustainability, and eco-friendly products.

How to freeze fresh greens without blanching

NB: this process of freezing fresh greens without blanching requires you to pre-freeze the greens so that they do not wilt and also so that they can retain that crispy texture or fresh flavour. This method gives almost the same results as blanching so you can easily choose the method you prefer.

How to defrost greens after freezing them

This is the easiest way of how you can defrost your frozen greens. When thawing greens the first method you can try is to remove the frozen greens from the freezer and place them in the fridge overnight.

Conclusion

It is possible to freeze fresh greens without blanching, you can use the method known as the pre-freeze method. The above article has given a step by step guide on how you can freeze fresh greens without having to go through the hustle of first blanching them.

What Are The Types Of Collard Greens?

Before moving onto the discussion of freezing leafy greens without blanching, let’s learn a little more about the varieties of the collard greens that you can find in the market or grow in the backyard of your home.

What Are The Benefits Of The Greens?

Though we will talk about ‘can you freeze collard greens’, let us talk about the benefits of greens.’ The collard greens might be a cultivar variety. But you cannot ignore the various health benefits of the leaves, which have been tempting the human race for a long time.

Blanching Collard Greens

When people store the green vegetables, they blanch them so that the raw vegetable’s moisture does not spoil the leaves and the stems. This is why blanching can be seen in the collard greens before storing them in the refrigerator for further use.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Blanching Greens?

For learning more about can you freeze fresh collard greens without blanching, you need to understand the disadvantages of the process first. Here, we have discussed certain bad effects of blanching, which will wreck your collard beans. So, let’s hear them out!

Can You Freeze Fresh Collard Greens Without Blanching?

Greens have a lot of moisture in their cells. When they are frozen, the water particles transform into ice, which keeps the leaves fresh and prevents decaying. However, for a long time, people have been using the process of blanching.

What Are The Ways Of Freezing Collard Greens Without Blanching?

In this section, we will describe the ways of freezing greens without blanching. So, instead of wasting time, let’s get on with the discussion on how to freeze greens.

For How Long The Raw Collard Green Can Be Kept In The Freezer? Can You Freeze Raw Collard Greens?

Since now you have your answer to the question of can you freeze fresh collard greens without blanching, you need to understand the longevity factors of the raw greens in the freeze. The maximum time for which you can preserve the raw greens is 12 months. But, this time will get reduced if you are not following these rules :

Freeze vegetables without blanching

Regardless you need anything new from your nonexclusive supper menu or are consolidating a particular flavor to your custom-made cooking styles, you should simply open the cooler and snatch a frozen vegetable of your decision.

Carrots

You can freeze new carrots with or without blanching. A few specialists say that the supplements are better safeguarded if you whiten them, yet you can truly go in any case.

Natural corn

If you intend to leave your fresh corn for freezing, there is no compelling reason to Blanche it. You can follow a pre-freeze cycle and freeze it without playing with blanching.

Squash

Regardless of whether you whiten squash truly relies upon how long you intend to freeze it. If you just arrange to freeze it for 2-4 months, you can skirt the blanching.

Potatoes

Potatoes can be difficult to freeze crude or new because they have a weighty water content all alone. You should plan to standard bubble potatoes to freeze them, which is the same as the blanching cycle besides without the ice shower.

Green Beans

Green beans can be frozen whitened or not whitened. We have an entire manual for freezing green beans, however, we’ll sum up it here.

Zucchini

New zucchini is a vegetable that you can easily freeze without blanching.

What You Need To Know About Freezing Vegetables

This process involves selection, preparation, blanching, and subjecting to freezing temperatures. However, some vegetables don’t need to be blanched first. Listed below are some of the common kind of vegetables:

What Vegetable Can You Freeze Raw?

Corn, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, squash, and winter greens such as spinach, kale, chard, and collards can be frozen raw. Some might need a little preparation like onions, peppers, celery, and herbs.

How Long Do Frozen Vegetable Last?

Naturally, it depends upon the type of vegetable and procedure of freezing. Most vegetables could go up to 8-12 months before spoilage and deterioration start to kick in. Keep in mind that the freezing temperature must be constant throughout the storage process.

How To Prepare Vegetables For Freezing?

Preparing vegetables for freezing is such an easy task. Selection of the best available fresh vegetable from your trusted sources is the first thing to do. Next is the cutting and dicing of the vegetable into smaller and easy-to-store sizes. However, some vegetables do not require this step because it could decrease the quality of the frozen food.

How Do You Thaw Frozen Vegetables?

Defrosting is the most common way of thawing frozen vegetables. This process involves placing the frozen goods in a container filled with water at room temperature. Let it sit for an hour or so until the solid texture is not noticeable upon pressing the vegetable. Some vegetables require the use of a microwave in the thawing process.

Final Thoughts

Freezing vegetables either with or without blanching has its own set of advantages and disadvantages in prolonging the shelf-life of the tasty vegetable. Still, if you have time to spare, it is still recommended to blanch most vegetables to surely enjoy the goodness of this food all year round!

Can you freeze green beans without blanching?

Yes! You can freeze fresh green beans without blanching. The method below saves time because it doesn’t require blanching the beans. You’re just going to trim the ends off, chop into desired sizes, wash them and freeze! It’s that easy!

How to freeze green beans

Step 1: Take a step back and admire your green beans because god damn, you’re amazing, you just grew green beans!

How to Defrost Frozen Green Beans

Step 8: Time to eat them? Depending on what you are making, defrost or place in boiling water/soup directly frozen. To show you how great they freeze and keep their color, here are green beans that I’ve had frozen for 1 year!

How long do frozen green beans last?

I have stored these green beans in my freezer for a year and they still taste great! Good luck not eating them sooner though – they’re so delicious!

Helpful Kitchen Tips You Might Like

Looking for more ways to save food? Here are a few of my other favorite food saving methods!

Easy Way to Freeze Fresh Green Beans Without Blanching

Easy step by step instructions on how to freeze fresh green beans without blanching. These green beans will last up to a year. You can use them in casseroles, soups, stir fry and more!

What greens can be frozen?

I’m pretty sure all edible greens can be frozen: kale, swiss chard, spinach, sorrel, beet greens, collard greens, and more. However, not all of the greens available might benefit you. In our kitchen, we only freeze what we know we would like to use.

Why freeze greens?

Even though we grow greens year round, we still like to have some greens in the freezer. There are times where one variety of greens is done and the next hasn’t matured yet. Or the weather outside is so hot, or cold, that going to the freezer seems to be more convenient than going out to harvest.

How to freeze greens

Freezing greens is very simple. There are 2 main methods to freeze greens: by blanching them first, or freezing greens raw. I personally prefer raw, but there is a place for blanching also.

Using frozen greens

Frozen greens taste best if you use them right away from the freezer. Do not let them thaw first, they will get very mushy and spoil fast. If you are going to cook them, put them frozen into boiling water or into a hot skillet. Also if you make a smoothie, use the frozen greens. This way they will taste like fresh.