How to freeze broccoli for the winter? Frozen vegetables for the winter: cooking tips

Broccoli cabbage is known as a useful and nutritious product, using which you can prepare a lot of useful and tasty dishes. If you are interested in information on how to freeze broccoli for the winter, you are on the right track, because with this treatment valuable vitamins and minerals are saved with virtually no losses. It can be eaten by all family members, even small children, who have reached the age of 8 months.

Useful properties of broccoli

Everyone who has ever tried to follow a diet, had to hear about this vegetable. The caloric content of 100 g of the product is only 32 kcal, and the fact that it needs to be processed, the body has to spend more calories. It turns out that broccoli perfectly helps with losing weight, when you want to get rid of excess kilograms. In addition, cabbage has a lot of fiber, which contributes to the removal of toxins, relieves constipation and perfectly cleanses the intestines. A rich composition of microelements and vitamins helps with various diseases.

• Reduces the risk of cataracts and improves the condition of blood vessels due to carotenoids.
• Chromium regulates the production of insulin, which is indispensable for diabetics.
• Phytoncides increase the protective properties of body cells in the fight against cancer.
• Calcium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus are an excellent mineral "set" for those who want to strengthen bones or have a tendency to osteoporosis.
• Complex of folic acid and iron - prevention of the appearance of anemia. This property of cabbage is very valuable for pregnant women. If you are thinking about the birth of a baby, find out how to freeze broccoli for the winter. This information is useful to those who care about the full nutrition of their family.
• Vitamins K, A and E, fatty acids (Omega-3), as well as antioxidants contribute to the improvement of metabolism, inhibit the process of withering the skin, have a beneficial effect on the hair.

Freezing Secrets

Spend a minimum of effort and at the same time get a tasty and useful harvest - this is the dream of any mistress. Quality freezing of vegetables for the winter Implies the implementation of simple rules. As a result, you can eat deliciously and variously until the next harvest.

• Choose only dense, not damaged by insects vegetables. If you want to know how to properly freeze broccoli, choose a product with neat inflorescences.
• The vegetable should be stored for storage on the day of purchase (or harvesting). Even the torn fetus has a process of nutrition, but due to those vitamins and minerals that are in it. If you postpone the frost for a few days, the broccoli cabbage will wither.
• Dense packing in bags and sealing are important conditions for preserving the natural moisture in vegetables and fruits. Excess air from the bags should be removed.
• Put the food in small portions. It is very convenient for cooking. In addition, the faster the broccoli cabbage freezes, the better it will be stored.

Preparation of broccoli

Vegetables need to be washed. In this case, immediately discard the damaged or underdeveloped inflorescences - they will not be needed. Broccoli cabbage is a tender vegetable, so before washing it again, it is advised to soak in salt solution (a couple tablespoons of salt per 1 liter of water) for half an hour.

Clean heads are dried on a towel. The bottom line is that the freezing of vegetables for the winter occurs at a temperature of -18 ° C. Excess moisture also turns into ice. If there is a lot of water, the vegetables are frozen solid. Cut cabbage into inflorescences, separate the sticks, which can also be finely chopped and frozen.

Heat treatment

Blanching is a must. At the same time, oxidation enzymes are destroyed, which can subsequently cause an unpleasant aftertaste and odor. There is an opinion that before you can freeze broccoli, you can do without pre-treatment with hot water. But in this case, the inflorescence turns into a dust (very often) and the defrosted product can be disposed of. Citric acid is added to preserve the white color and delicate texture. Enough 1 teaspoon per 2 liters of water.

In a saucepan with boiling water, cooked pieces of vegetables are dropped. Exactly after 4 minutes, cabbage is thrown into a colander, washed under a tap.

Cooling in ice water

Prepare the ice cubes in advance, as the water into which the hot vegetables are spread, quickly heats up. This stage is necessary in order to stop the process of heat treatment immediately after blanching. Cooling takes 4-5 minutes. Always check the water temperature and report the ice if necessary. Often mistresses who are interested in how to freeze broccoli for the winter, Ignore this procedure. And absolutely in vain. The longer the cabbage remains warm, the more chances it will turn into porridge.

Freezing

Having learned, How to properly freeze broccoli, pre-prepare dishes or bags for storage. As containers, use plastic containers with closing lids. Suitable are also small cellophane bags that are put one into the other (that is, 2 layers).

Cabbage broccoli can be frozen on a plate, laying in one row. But immediately after lowering the temperature to the desired level, inflorescences are transferred to containers or prepared packets, sealed and returned to the freezer. At each stage, work must be done as quickly as possible.

Storage

The deep freezing process is carried out at a temperature of -18 ° C. This is the best storage conditions for vegetables in the freezer. During the next 12 months after the bookmark, you can diversify the menu with tasty and healthy dishes. However, vegetables can be stored at a higher temperature, from 0 ° C to -8 ° C. True, while the reserves should be used within 3 months.

During storage, the refrigerator will need to be defrosted several times. If you know how to freeze broccoli for the winter, Take into account all the subtleties, you understand that you can not freeze the vegetables again. Before you wash the refrigerator and remove the accumulated ice, take out the vegetables and fold them into a warm blanket. This will allow you to keep the low temperature for as long as possible and keep the broccoli. After cleaning the refrigerator, the vegetables are returned to the freezer.