How to properly freeze cauliflower for the winter
Many housewives try to freeze cauliflower for the winter, because out of season it is very difficult to find it fresh, and the cost of the vegetable rises several times. Freezing allows you to preserve all the beneficial substances contained in cauliflower, as well as its taste. So all winter long there will be delicious and appetizing stews, soups, salads, casseroles and other cauliflower dishes on the table.
There are several ways to freeze healthy vegetables for the winter, each of which has its own advantages and features.
Selecting and preparing cauliflower
First of all, you need to choose the right cauliflower for preparations. Regardless of the variety, the head of cabbage should be fresh and young. It is best to opt for cauliflower with dense leaves, without limp areas. There should be no traces of rot on the head of cabbage, any damage or darkening - this is a fungal disease that will affect the entire vegetable in 2-3 days.
For information
Heads of cabbage of various varieties are used, most often Otechestvennaya, Pioneer, and Dachnitsa. They differ in the shape of the head and leaves, as well as their color, which varies from snow-white to creamy milky.
To freeze, you need to take only dried, cooled cauliflower, otherwise it will be covered with a lot of ice.
Preparation:
- The head of cabbage should be rinsed several times under running water or placed in a bowl of water and 2 tablespoons of salt for 15-20 minutes - this will help remove insects that like to live between the inflorescences, dust and debris.
- After this, you need to dry the cabbage with a napkin and remove the leaves from the vegetable, since only the inflorescences are used for freezing.
- To prepare first and second courses, casseroles, it is best to freeze the head of cabbage whole.
- If you plan to fry cauliflower in batter, you need to separate it into individual inflorescences before preparing it.
Freezing temperature:
- –22-25 in the first few hours;
- –18 for further storage.
The faster the vegetable hardens, the more benefits it will retain and the better it will look after thawing.
What to freeze in
At home, the optimal containers for freezing cauliflower are bags made of thick polyethylene, including vacuum bags, and special containers. It is important that the container or bag is tightly closed, preventing air from entering. Therefore, the head of cabbage should be smaller in size than the container.
The advantage of containers is their reusability. In addition, the lid creates the necessary vacuum. The bags are more convenient because they easily take any shape and take up minimal space.
In any case, you need to remove all the air from the container before putting the cabbage in the freezer. Otherwise, condensation and an ice crust will appear, which will destroy the structure of the inflorescences.
Advice
The magazine purity-en.htgetrid.com recommends using a regular cocktail straw through which air is squeezed or sucked out. After this, the bag is closed with a quick movement.
Freezing fresh cabbage
The prepared vegetable is placed in a container or bag, and then in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.Only after this the head of cabbage is transferred to the freezer, where the reduced temperature is turned on.
An important nuance - to prevent the inflorescences from becoming wrinkled, you do not need to compact them. Post freely.
in bulk
It is very convenient to keep cauliflower, disassembled into inflorescences, in one bag or container. However, repeated freezing will harm the vegetable, so the branches should not stick together into one massive bracket. To do this, they are laid out on a tray or plate so that they do not touch each other, frozen for 2-6 hours and, already hardened, poured into a common container.
Freezing Blanched Cauliflower
Blanching is the short-term cooking of a product followed by cooling in an ice bath. Freezing using blanching allows you to preserve the dense, elastic structure of cauliflower, as well as its color and aroma.
Procedure:
- Fill a saucepan with cold water so that it covers the inflorescences (3-4 l) and place on the fire.
- Add a pinch of salt and citric acid to the water.
- Separately, fill a deep bowl with cold water; it won’t hurt to add a few ice cubes or cool the water in the refrigerator.
- When the water boils, add the inflorescences to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the cabbage and plunge it into ice water - this will help stop the cooking of the vegetable and preserve all the beneficial substances in it.
- After 2-3 minutes, remove the head of cabbage from the water, dry it with a napkin - it is ready for further freezing.
How to cook frozen cabbage
Before cooking, frozen cabbage should not be thawed - it is enough to warm it for 1-2 minutes in the microwave, steamed or in boiling water.After this, you can start cooking any first or second course.
Blanched cauliflower cooks much faster than raw cauliflower. Therefore, it is best to add it to the dish at the end of cooking, otherwise it may boil over and lose its shape.
Storage rules and periods
If all conditions of proper storage are met, frozen cauliflower can be used as food for 9-12 months. You need to keep the vegetable without allowing sudden temperature changes. Therefore, old refrigerators that require regular defrosting are not suitable for frozen products. But modern ones, no frost, are perfect.
How long can cauliflower be stored, depending on temperature:
- –6 °C - at this temperature cauliflower is stored for no more than 15 days;
- –13 °C – up to 6 weeks;
- –18—20 °C – up to 12 months.
Advice
Cauliflower should not be stored in a basement or cellar for the winter. In such conditions, it will quickly deteriorate and lose its juicy, delicate taste and aroma.
Cauliflower is an extremely tasty, light and healthy vegetable. Freezing helps preserve all the taste and aromatic qualities of the vegetable and does not require much effort. Therefore, you should not deny yourself and your family the pleasure of enjoying a delicious dish with shades of summer on a cold, winter day.