How to freeze cauliflower for the winter

Many housewives try to freeze cauliflower for the winter, because it is very difficult to find it fresh when it is not in season, and the cost of a vegetable rises several times. Freezing allows you to save all the beneficial substances contained in cauliflower, as well as its taste. So the whole winter on the table will be delicious and mouth-watering stews, soups, salads, casseroles and other cauliflower dishes.

There are several ways to freeze a healthy vegetable for the winter, each of which has its own advantages and features.

Selection and preparation of cauliflower

First of all, cauliflower for harvesting must be correctly selected. 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. On a head of cabbage there should not be traces of rot, any damage and browning - this is a fungal disease that will affect the entire vegetable in 2-3 days.

For information
Heads of various grades are used, most often Patriotic, Pioneer, Summer resident. They differ in the shape of the head and leaves, as well as their color, which varies from snow-white to creamy milk.

For freezing, you need to take only dried, chilled cauliflower, otherwise it will be covered with a lot of ice.

Training:

1. The head of cabbage should be washed several times under running water or lowered for 15-20 minutes in a bowl of water and 2 tablespoons of salt - this will help remove insects that like to live between inflorescences, dust and litter.
2. After that, you need to dry the cabbage with a napkin, peel the vegetable from the leaves, since only inflorescences are used for freezing.
3. For the preparation of first and second courses, head casseroles are best frozen whole.
4. If you plan to fry cauliflower in a batter, before harvesting it must be disassembled into separate inflorescences.

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

At home, the optimal utensils for freezing cauliflower are bags made of dense polyethylene, including vacuum ones, and special containers. It is important that the container or bag is tightly closed without air. Therefore, the head of cabbage should be smaller in size than the container.

The advantage of containers is reusability. In addition, the lid creates the desired vacuum. Packages are more convenient in that they easily take any form and take up minimal space.

In any case, all air must be removed from the container before sending the cabbage into the freezer. Otherwise, condensation and ice crust will appear, which will destroy the structure of inflorescences.

Tip
purity.bigbadmole.com/en/ recommends using a regular cocktail tube through which air is squeezed or sucked out. After that, the package closes 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 that the head of cabbage is transferred to the freezer, where the low temperature is turned on.

An important nuance - so that the inflorescences do not crumple, you do not need to tamp them. Place freely.

In bulk

It is very convenient to keep cauliflower disassembled into inflorescences in one package or container.However, repeated freezing will harm the vegetable, so the branches should not stick together in one massive bracket. To do this, they are laid out on a pallet or plate so that they do not touch each other, freeze for 2-6 hours and pour into the common container that has already hardened.

Blanched Cauliflower Freezing

Blanching is called short-term cooking of the product, followed by cooling in an ice "bath". Freezing using blanching allows you to maintain a dense, elastic structure of cauliflower, as well as its color and aroma.

Procedure:

1. Pour cold water into the pan so that it subsequently covers the inflorescences (3-4 l) and put on fire.
2. Add a pinch of salt and citric acid to the water.
3. Separately, draw cold water into a deep bowl, it does not hurt to add a few ice cubes or cool the water in the refrigerator.
4. When the water begins to boil, pour in a pan of inflorescences and boil for 3-4 minutes.
5. Remove the cabbage with a slotted spoon and immerse it in ice water - this will help stop the preparation of the vegetable and keep all the nutrients in it.
6. After 2-3 minutes, remove the head of water 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 that, you can start cooking any first or second course.

Blanched cauliflower cooks much faster than raw cabbage. Therefore, it is best to add it to the dish at the end of cooking, otherwise it can boil and lose its shape.

Terms and conditions of storage

Subject to all conditions of proper storage, frozen cauliflower can be used as food for 9-12 months. You need to keep the vegetable, avoiding sudden temperature extremes. Therefore, old refrigerators that require regular defrosting are not suitable for frozen workpieces. But modern, no frost suits perfectly.

How much cauliflower is stored, depending on temperature:

• –6 ° С - at this temperature, cauliflower is stored for no more than 15 days;
• –13 ° С - up to 6 weeks;
• –18–20 ° С - up to 12 months.

Tip
Cauliflower for the winter should not be stored in the basement or cellar. In such conditions, it will quickly deteriorate, 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, do not deny yourself and your family the pleasure of enjoying a delicious dish with hints of summer on a cold, winter day.