Vegetable Freezing Autumn Harvest

Vegetable Freezing

Autumn is here and for many people its harvest time and as Autumn gets into full swing there lots of vegetables to be saved. 

Successful freezing depends on how quickly you can reduce the temperature of the food. Slow freezing may not make the food inedible but will affect flavour and, more importantly, nutritional value. Fast freezing halts bacterial growth instantly and produces very small ice crystals, which causes less damage to the cell structure of the food.
Before you commence preparing food for freezing you should turn your freezer on to its super or fast setting – preferably 3 hours or so before. This just keeps the motor running and drops the temperature as low as possible. When the food goes into the freezer it will cause the temperature to rise as the food cools. The super setting ensures the food already there remains at optimum temperature and the food being frozen cools as quickly as possible.


Do not try to freeze too much in one go – never more than 10% of the freezer capacity at a time.Also, the colder the food when it goes into the freezer, the less work the freezer has to do.

Vegetable Freezing Outline
Blanching time is in boiling water. Unless otherwise noted, chilling time in ice water should be the same as blanching time.
Vegetable	Preparation	Blanching Time/ Chilling Time
Asparagus	Wash and sort stalks according to size, discarding blemished stalks. Break off ends. Stalks may be left whole or cut into 30-50mm long pieces.	average diameter stalks - 3 minutes thicker stalks - 4 minutes.
Green Beans	Snap off tips. Rinse, then cut or break into desired sizes or freeze smaller beans whole.	3-1/2 minutes.
Italian Snap Beans	Wash, snap off ends and slice into 1" to 1-1/2" pieces.	3-1/2 minutes.
Beets	For young, tender beets- Remove tops and cook until tender. Chill, then remove skins. Leave small beets whole. For medium to large beets, slice or cut into pieces. Pack into freezer boxes or bags.	not applicable
Broccoli	Remove leaves and tough ends. Cut through stalks lengthwise, leaving stems with 1" to 1-1/2" diameter heads, or cut into pieces. Soak in salt water (2 tablespoons salt to 1 quart water) to remove any insects and larvae. Rinse with tap water and drain.	pieces - 4 minutes stems - 5 minutes.
Brussels Sprouts	Wash and trim any tough outer leaves. Soak in salt water (2 tablespoons salt to 1 quart water) to remove any insects and larvae. Rinse with tap water and drain.	medium sprouts - 4 minutes large sprouts - 5 minutes.
Carrots	Remove tops, peel, and wash. Cut into 1/4" thick slices.	3-1/2 minutes.
Cauliflower	Remove leaves, trim and wash. Split into individual 1" to 1-1/2" pieces. Soak in salt water (2 tablespoons salt to 1 quart water) to remove any insects and larvae. Rinse with tap water and drain.	4 minutes.
Corn-on-the-Cob	Husk, remove silk and trim off ends. Blanch in a large stockpot with 10 - 12 quarts of boiling water.	24 small ears, under 1-1/4" diameter - 8 minutes 14 medium ears, 1-1/4" to 1-1/2" diameter - 8 minutes 10 large ears, over 1-1/2" diameter - 11 minutes Chilling time in ice water should be twice as long as blanching time
Corn - Cut from cob	Husk, remove silk and trim off ends. Use a corn cob cutter or a curved grapefruit knife to remove kernels from cob.	4-1/2 minutes
Kohlrabi	Remove tops, wash, peel and cut into 1/2" cubes.	2-1/2 minutes.
Mushrooms	Wash and remove stems. Freeze smaller mushrooms whole Cut medium and large mushrooms into 1/4" slices. To prevent browning, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid per quart of blanching water.	small whole mushrooms - 4 minutes sliced mushrooms - 3 minutes.
Onions	Chopped onions can be packed and frozen without blanching To freeze larger pieces of onions or small whole onions - Peel onions, wash, and cut into quarter sections (except very small whole onions).	1-1/2 minutes
Green Peas, shelled	Wash and shell peas.	1-1/2 to 2 minutes
Sugar Peas or Edible Pod Peas	Wash; Remove stems and blossom ends; Leave whole.	2-1/2 to 3 minutes
Peppers	Chopped bell peppers can be packed and frozen without blanching. For pepper halves or slices...Wash, remove stem and seeds. Cut in halves or slices	halves - 3 minutes slices - 2 minutes.
Pumpkin	Cut; scoop out seeds; peel; and cut into pieces. Bake or steam until tender. Cool, then strain in a ricer, food mill or process in a food processor until smooth. Pack into containers and freeze.	not applicable
Spinach	Sort; remove any blemished leaves and tough stems; Wash.	1-1/2 to 2 minutes
Zucchini	Select 5" to 7" long, tender zucchini. Wash, peel and cut into 1/4" to 1/2" slices.	1/4" slices - 3 minutes 1/2" slices - 4 minutes

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Balsamic Onion Marmalade

I love the taste of sweet caramelized onions. I also introduce a tang to the sweetness by adding some balsamic vinegar.

Makes about 2 cups (500ml).

1 tbsp olive oil

1 dsp butter
4 large onions, thinly sliced (cut onions in ½ then cut into thin slices. What I call ½ rings)

3 cloves garlic diced fine

½ tsp dried rosemary

3 bay leaves

1 tsp mustard seed (lightly ground in a mortar to crack the seeds)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Heat the oil in a large heavy based pan (I use my Dutch oven) over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the butter first to the oil then the onions, garlic, mustard seeds, rosemary, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes until the onions are nice and soft. I use plenty of salt as it helps lift the moisture from the onions.

Once the onions are soft add the sugar and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook stirring frequently for about 10 minutes until onions appear dry.




Add vinegar and bay leaves and reduce heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, until onions are soft and almost dry. 







Remove the bay leaves and serve warm or at room temperature. You can bottle in warmed jars and store in the fridge for 4-6 weeks.

Gluten Free Beef Stroganoff

Beef stroganoff is a Russian dish of sautéed pieces of beef served in a white wine sauce with sour cream. 

From its origins in 19th-century Russia, it has become popular around the world, with considerable variation from the original recipe. 

I use rump steak or topside steak and love this as a Winter warmer.

1 ½ kg          rump steak diced into 25mm (1 inch) cubes

1/2 cup         Gluten free general flour mix

2 tsp            salt

1/8 tsp          fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp          dry mustard

2 med           onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings

200g             fresh sliced button mushrooms

1 cup            beef stock (I use 2 tsp of Tastes Divine beef stock mixed into 1 cup of water)

½ cup           dry white wine, optional

1 1/2            cups sour cream

1/4               cup Gluten free general flour mix

Trim most of the fat from steak and cut (dice) into 25mm cubes. Combine 1/2 cup flour, the salt, pepper and dry mustard in a plastic bad, add the dices rump steak and toss to coat thoroughly. Place coated, diced steak in Crock Pot and stir in onion rings and mushrooms.

Add beef stock and wine and stir well. Cover and cook on low setting for 8-10 hours. Before serving, combine sour cream with 1/4 cup flour and stir into slow cooker. Serve stroganoff with hot cooked rice or a creamy mash.


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Italian Slow Cooker Beef Stew

This is an adaptation of a family recipe that I grew up with. 


It is made with tomatoes, potatoes, onion soup mix, and garlic, along with other seasonings and vegetables.


The herb mix is what gives this slow cooker recipe that "Italian Taste" and will impress family and friends.

1 ½ kg          lean dices (25mm 1 inch) cubes of Beef Bolar or Topside roast
(trim any visible fat)

1 400g can    Italian (Roma) diced tomatoes

1 medium       onion, chopped

1 cup            dices celery

2                  large carrots, peeled and chopped into 15mm pieces

2                  medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks

1 pkg            dry onion soup mix (Gluten free if required)

1 clove          garlic, peeled and crushed

2                  bay leafs

1 tsp            dry oregano

½ tsp           dry rosemary

1 tsp            dry thyme

1/2 tsp          ground black pepper

salt to taste if desired after cooking

Add beef cubes and other ingredients except the canned tomato and herbs into your slow cooker bowl. Top with canned tomato and herbs, stir and cook on low 8-10 hours or until tender. Remove bay leaf before serving.

I serve either in a bowl with fresh breads (Gluten free if required) or plated with seasonal fresh greens with rice or Kumara and potato mash with fresh chopped parsley on top.

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Cooking and Baking Gluten Free – What Do I Do?

www.glutenfreestore.co.nz 

By Jimmy Boswell – The Gluten Free Chef

Development Chef for The Gluten Free Store

www.glutenfreestore.co.nz 

Cooking and baking Gluten free can sometimes be a daunting task when you're new to Gluten free living. Having at adopt a GF diet is not as bad as many people think and with some insight it can be fun, I love my Gluten free life.

Some common questions that people are always asking are;

 
What flours and ingredients can I use? 

How can I bake a gluten free dish without it tasting like cardboard? 

How do I get that nice 'chewy' texture without using wheat flour?

Here are a few hints about GF flours to assist in your baking and cooking.

First I have to say that the key to successful gluten free baking is using a combination of flour and starches. Ingredient lists might look long, but once you have a pantry stocked with a good supply of flours, baking will be easy and fun. 

Each flour/starch has a distinct taste and character, they are sometimes not interchangeable so if you are following someone’s recipe it should be followed to a tee to ensure a great end result.

Rice flours are the closest to wheat flour in behaviour. They are made from either white or brown rice, and each has its own characteristics. Try it in gingerbread brownies or carrot cupcakes.

Amaranth Flour has a pleasant, nutty taste and has great nutritional value, 15% protein and good balance of amino acids. It is high in fibre, iron, calcium and phosphorus. It combines well with other flours to make good tasting bread, muffins, pasta, cookies, gravies, sauces and more.  To increase the protein content of baked goods substitute about 10-15% amaranth flour for the flour stated in a recipe.

Chickpea Flour (Gram flour) is a cereal flour made from ground chickpeas. It is also known as garbanzo flour, or besan.  It contains a high proportion of carbohydrates. Mixed with an equal proportion of water, it can be used as an egg-replacer in vegan cooking. It is pale yellow and powdery and has an earthy flavour best suited to savoury dishes.

Millet Flour Millet Flour has a subtle flavor, lots of vitamins and minerals, and adds a lovely creamy color to baked goods.  Millet flour, which has light yellow color similar to cornmeal, is an option that provides a buttery flavor.It contains high levels of two essential amino acids (proteins), methionine and cysteine. Our bodies need adequate supplies of all of the essential amino acids for growth and cellular repair. Most grains, including rice, corn, wheat and sorghum have low levels of these two important proteins.

Chestnut Flour Italians have gathered chestnuts for centuries, dried them and made flour and It's still a staple in the diets of many. While it not cheap I value thos flour very highly. I use it in cakes, pancakes, pastry, porridge, or to thicken soups.

Quinoa flour (pronounced keen-wa) is composed of 10 to 18% of protein, 69% of carbohydrates and 6% of oil. Quinoa flour is the most interesting substitute to wheat flour. Besides its high nutritional value, the quinoa flour is used in a wide range of baking and pan-fried dishes. In a proportion 2/3 quinoa flour, 1/3 rice flour it is possible to bake cakes such as chocolate fudge cake.

Sorghum Flour is a wholesome, hearty grain that possesses a mild flavor that won’t compete with the delicate flavors in other food ingredients. Sorghum improves the texture of recipes and digests more slowly with a lower glycemic index, so it sticks with you a bit longer than other flour or flour substitutes. This makes it a great healthy substitution for more traditional flours. 

Buckwheat flour  has a rich, nutty flavor and a very high nutritional value and is also high in fibre. I use it in pancakes, waffles, noodles, breads and cakes.

Sorghum flour adds texture and flavour to multi-grain bread recipes.

Cornstarch and tapioca starch add a pleasant fluffy texture. However, too much starch can make baked goods hard and heavy.

Xanthan gum is a corn-based product that is used in gluten-free recipes to replicate the 'chewy' texture of wheat flour. It makes a remarkable difference in your baking and a little bit goes a long way!

Where to get these flours? www.glutenfreestore.co.nz

Sometimes we just don't have the time to run around town looking for flours and starches! The Gluten Free Store has a wide range of flours, starches, gums and spices. The flours come in 1kg, 5kg, 10kg and 25kg bags.