Title: Basic Freezing Preparation Equipment
Categories: Canning
Yield: 1 Servings

OTHER BASIC EQUIPMENT

Besides the freezer, the basic equipment for freezing consists of whatever kitchen implements you'll need to prepare the food for packaging. Remember that it's essential to keep equipment, work area, and hands clean. To freeze vegetables successfully you will need:

A blancher; a large pot, with a cover and a perforated insert or basket insert for lifting vegetables out of the boiling water. You can buy one in the housewares section of most stores, or you can make your own from a large 6 to 8 quart pot with a cover and something (a colander, sieve, deep frying basket, or cheesecloth bag) to lift the vegetables from the boiling water. When you aren't using the blancher for freezing vegetables, you can use it as a spaghetti cooker, steamer, or even a deep fat fryer.

Rigid freezer containers with airtight lids for liquid foods: plastic freezer containers; freezer cans or jars with wide mouths.

Bags: plastic storage bags; heavy duty plastic bags; or boilable pouches with something to twist, tie, or zip them closed if they don't already come with it.

Shallow tray, cookie sheet, or jelly roll pan for tray freezing.

Additional heavy duty plastic wrap or heavy duty aluminum foil.

Sharp paring knife

Chopping knife

Colander, sieve, strainer, or paper towels.

Stiff vegetable scrubbing brush.

Teakettle for extra boiling water.

Ricer, food mill, or blender for mashing or pureeing.

Freezer tape to seal wrapped foods and to make labels.

Grease pencil, felt tip marker, or pressure sensitive labels for labeling packages.

Choose vegetables that are tender, ripe but just barely ready to eat, and just as fresh as possible. Slightly under mature vegetables are better for freezing than those that are past their prime. For peak flavor, rush vegetables from the garden to the freezer within two hours. If you can't freeze vegetables within that time limit, cool the vegetables quickly in ice water, drain well, and keep refrigerated until ready to prepare for freezing.

Ice. Since cooling is an important part of preparing vegetables for freezing, you need plenty of ice at hand to keep the cooling water really cold. Estimate one pound of ice for each pound of vegetables you're going to freeze. Keep a good store of ice in reserve for your home freezing needs by filling heavy duty plastic bags with ice cubes, or freezing water in empty milk cartons. Keep adding to your stored ice from time to time, and you won't be caught short in the midst of a big freezing job.

Butter and seasonings. Most vegetables are frozen without any flavoring or seasoning added. However, if you want to freeze pouched vegetables in butter sauce, we suggest a combination of butter, salt, and herbs.

Source: Vegetable Gardening Encyclopedia Typos by Dorothy Flatman 1995

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