Did You Say Blanch?

The next best thing to fresh vegetables is frozen. If you plan to freeze vegetables you will need to know about blanching. Blanching is a process in which vegetables are cooked briefly in boiling water, then chilled in ice cold water before freezing. This stops the growth of enzymes which maintains the fresh flavor for freezer preservation. Blanched vegetables will remain fresh for a very long time, even years; but if you plan to eat the vegetables within a few months, you can get away without blanching.