Freezing the Harvest

Freezing is the fastest, most forgiving way to deal with a glut, and for many crops it keeps colour, flavour and nutrients better than any other method. The two things that make the difference are blanching the right vegetables and freezing them well.

Why blanch

Most vegetables need a quick blanch, a brief plunge in boiling water then straight into iced water, before freezing. Blanching stops the enzymes that otherwise keep working in the freezer and turn vegetables tough, faded and stale-tasting over a few months. Beans, peas, broccoli, sweetcorn and leafy greens all freeze far better blanched. Fruit and berries do not need it.

• Blanch then chill: beans, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweetcorn, leafy greens
• Freeze as is: berries, chopped herbs in oil, stewed or pureed fruit
• Open-freeze berries and beans on a tray first so they do not clump

Avoiding freezer burn and mush

Freezer burn comes from air, so pack produce into airtight bags or containers and press out as much air as you can. Freeze in portions you will actually use, since refreezing thawed produce ruins texture. Open-freezing loose items on a tray before bagging stops them freezing into one solid lump, so you can tip out a handful at a time.

Using what you froze

Label and date everything, since a freezer full of unmarked bags is a guessing game by August. Most frozen vegetables go straight from freezer to pot without thawing, which keeps texture best. Use frozen produce within around a year for best quality, and rotate so the oldest gets used first. A chest freezer is one of the best investments a productive New Zealand garden can make.