Is blanch freezing vegetables required for short term storage?

Question

I need some vegetables to last for about a month until I've juiced them all.

Blanch freezing many vegetables sees them last for periods 6 months and longer, but it's a bit of a hassle.

Would just ziplocking them in the freezer direct give me a month? I'm talking carrots, celery, spinach, zucchini. I'm sucking air out with a dustbuster which is nowhere near a vacuum sealer but hopefully better than not doing it.

Would putting the celery and spinach in a bowl of (sugared) water keep them going?

Asked by jontyc

Answer

Blanching is done to halt enzymatic action that would start to destroy the plant cells. You can freeze without blanching and the veggies will still be edible even after 6 months but their quality will decline faster.

If you are planning on juicing those veggies within a month then you are going to be doing a lot more damage than the freezer will and I don't think you would see much benefit from blanching. The spinach and celery might stay a little greener when it thaws- the carrots and zucchini would probably not be effected at all.

As for the sugar water. Are you planning on freezing them in the water? I don't think that would do much but dilute their juices when the ice crystals rip them apart. Of course you wouldn't be able to keep spinach in a bowl of water for a month- that would be more like a swamp than food.

Answered by Sobachatina

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What juicer is best for leafy greens and vegetables (like carrots)?

Question

There are many juicers out there and not any one juicer is best at juicing everything. I am specifically interested in juicing leafy greens and vegetables like carrots.

Asked by ericgorr

Answer

Hydraulic press juices such as the Norwalk first grind the produce into a pulp, then press the juice out of the pulp. The theory is that malic acid in green apple pulp can release more vitamins and minerals from the other vegetables and fruit. The hydraulic press action squeezes more juice out than other types of juicers. But you're looking at $2500 for a Norwalk.

Macerating juicers would be next, up around the $400+ mark. Gear crushing action, leafy vegetables no problem. Not as much juice extraction as the hydraulic press machines.

Then would come auger style juicers, they easily handle leafy vegetables and wheatgrass, but give a little less juice than the macerating juicers.

Finally the cheapest powered juicers, the centrifugal juicers. I've had trouble using them for leafy greens as there is not enough mass in the leaves to throw them forcefully against the chopping edges. Usually more solid vegetables are required to follow them to force them through.

Carrots are fine in all the juicers.

Answered by jontyc

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How to make boiled and partially fried vegetables palatable?

Question

I boiled carrot and beans pieces till they were soft, fried onions and green chillies in a pan, added 1kg of the carrot and beans to the pan, few pinches of salt and some powdered spices.
Fried this for 20min and the taste of the veggies were still bland. No taste at all.
I was told to add red chilly powder to it, but I did not have any at 11pm in the night. Kept the pan in the fridge.

I can buy red-chilly powder today and try continuing to fry it.

Do you have any suggestions on what I could add to it, how much chilly powder to add, how long to fry it without spoiling it or any other precautions and tips to make it into a tasty dish?

Asked by Nav

Answer

I would do two things to make them more palatable. 1) Boil the briefly (5-10 mins depending on how hard of a veg they are) in salted water. Something like a tablespoon of kosher salt per 4 quarts water. 2) After they are parboiled, I then will saute, simmer, or braise (depending on the recipe/mood/vegetable) in a highly flavored sauce or spice mix until they are cooked.

So if I was cooking the carrots and (green/string?) beans and wanted to use chili powder I would chop some onion and saute that in olive oil while the other veg parboils. Then, add 1-2 tbls chile powder to the onions (and maybe some garlic, b/c everything is better w/ garlic) and let those flavors meld while you drain the veg. Once you have the veggies drained add them to the onions and spice w/ a bit of liquid (wine, beer, stock; maybe 1/2 cup) and let them cook on low until they are as done as you would like them.

Answered by amedinasmith

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Will tomatoes keep for longer if you keep the stalk in?

Question

I know that avocados are supposed to keep longer with the stalks; I would like to know if it is also true for tomatoes?

Asked by 130490868091234

Answer

Removing the stem from a tomato opens up a hole where air, moisture, and bacteria can pass through. Keeping the stem in, or somehow sealing the "scar" from the stem, will prolong shelf life.

(Published in Cook's Illustrated - requires subscription - http://www.cooksillustrated.com/howto/detail.asp?docid=1173)

Answered by Bob

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What can I do to prolong vegetable and meat freshness in the freezer?

Question

In an effort to improve my eating habits I am thinking of buying more vegetables and meats while at the store so that I have them to cook with. However, with a busy schedule it is hard to try and find the time to cook something complex and needing to cut vegetables, meat, etc. I don't want to use frozen vegetables either, as I want to start actually cooking more and not re-heating frozen items.

If I pre-cut all the vegetables beforehand, how long will the vegetables stay fresh before losing flavor and getting soggy or drying out? Also, is there a preferable storage method, such as Ziploc bags, Tupperware containers, or glass bowls/containers with plastic wrap?

As for meat, is there a temperature that meats should be stored at in the freezer to keep them from getting freezer burn? Currently, it seems that whenever I put anything in my freezer, it forms ice crystals the next day. I've tried lowering the temperature dial in the freezer a number of times, but I am afraid that if I lower it too much then it won't freeze the food and it will spoil.

Asked by SirCobalt

Answer

For most vegetables, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to retain their quality once they have been cut. Your efforts would be much better spent either improving your cutting/chopping proficiency or in cooking entire meals ahead of time. Also, you could prepare components, such as sauteed onions or peppers, and maintain relatively high-quality versions of those.

Meat is a different story. You can do preparations in advance, and freeze individual portions for later use without degrading quality.

The best way to avoid freezer burn is to have a very cold freezer (ironically, easing the cooling settings on your freezer was having the opposite of your desired effect), and to prevent your food from coming in contact with air. You can use a freezer bag for each food item, making sure you squeeze all the air out of it first. However, if you are really serious about this, you would be well-served by investing in a vacuum sealer. Air is the big enemy here, so mechanically removing air from the system will greatly extend freezer life.

Answered by Sean Hart

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Improving Eating Habits (Food storage questions)

Question

In an effort to improve my eating habits I am thinking of buying more vegetables and meats while at the store so that I have them to cook with. However, with a busy schedule it is hard to try and find the time to cook something complex and needing to cut vegetables, meat, etc. I don't want to use frozen vegetables either, as I want to start actually cooking more and not re-heating frozen items.

If I pre-cut all the vegetables beforehand, how long will the vegetables stay fresh before losing flavor and getting soggy or drying out? Also, is there a preferable storage method (Ziploc bags, Tupperware containers, glass bowls/containers with that clear wrap stuff [I can't remember what its called right now])?

As for meat, is there a temperature that they should be stored at in the freezer to keep them from getting freezer burn? Currently it seems whenever I put anything in my freezer it forms ice crystals the next day. I've tried lowering the temperature dial in the freezer a number of times, but I am afraid that if I lower it too much then it won't freeze the food and it will spoil.

Thank you for the help!

Asked by SirCobalt

Answer

For most vegetables, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to retain their quality once they have been cut. Your efforts would be much better spent either improving your cutting/chopping proficiency or in cooking entire meals ahead of time. Also, you could prepare components, such as sauteed onions or peppers, and maintain relatively high-quality versions of those.

Meat is a different story. You can do preparations in advance, and freeze individual portions for later use without degrading quality.

The best way to avoid freezer burn is to have a very cold freezer (ironically, easing the cooling settings on your freezer was having the opposite of your desired effect), and to prevent your food from coming in contact with air. You can use a freezer bag for each food item, making sure you squeeze all the air out of it first. However, if you are really serious about this, you would be well-served by investing in a vacuum sealer. Air is the big enemy here, so mechanically removing air from the system will greatly extend freezer life.

Answered by Sean Hart

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What is this Asian dish made with boiled vegetables?

Question

Does anyone know which is the dish where we have a pot/pan of boiling vegetables/meat in the center and people sit around it with their noodles and soup bowls and keep picking things from it and eating?

Asked by MozenRath

Answer

I think you mean a hot-pot stew (huǒ guō). There are many styles, Wikipedia has a fairly good article about it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_pot

Answered by nico

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Cooking “purple sweet potatoes” or “purple yams”

Question

I recently bought something that was labelled at the grocery store as a "purple sweet potato". They were larger than what I am used to for sweet potatoes, but looked similar, although they had a purple skin on the outside and white flesh on the inside. I figured since they were labelled as "sweet potatoes", I would prepare them the same way I like to prepare regular sweet potatoes, by boiling them first (for about 40 minutes), then removing the skin, slicing it into wedges and then pan frying them. I have done this many times with normal sweet potatoes, and it works quite well.

However, after I boiled the purple sweet potatoes for 45 minutes, I pulled them out to take the skins off, and they were soft and stringy and incredibly off putting - they felt the same way as a gummy mashed potato would feel, and they fell apart all over the place.

Are they more like a potato, requiring less boiling time? Or is there something else going on here that I am missing?

Edit: I went to the grocery store today, and they are now labelled as "purple yams". I don't know if that makes a difference or not. I also got a picture of them, to make my description a bit clearer.

Asked by Ashley Nunn

Answer

I used to cook plenty of purple sweet potatoes when I was living in africa:) Sounds like you maybe cooked them too long...

They can be extremely tasty, sweet with a "perfumy" hint if you are lucky. They are best boiled with the skin on like you did and peeled afterwards (as the taste is preserved better that way). As for cooking time it really depends on the size (which means the potatoes are likely done at different times) but you can always feel when they are done by pressing on the potato with a fork - it should give slightly/be soft. I think it usually took me about 30min but I didn't use a clock. It may shorten the cooking time slightly to make holes in the potatoes with a fork (this also adds to the "creaminess").

I guess they do sometimes get a softer, more "creamy" consistency than your usual potato when well done. However the taste is richer and in my opinion far superior to orange sweet potato. If you prefer a firmer potato, just let your potatoes stay on the firm side (in my experience, though, the taste is enhanced by letting them go soft). But boiled ones would anyways mainly be for puddings as it gets rather sweet.

For panfrying I would suggest avoiding boiling the sweet pots first. Simply peel/wedge them raw, fry them as chips until done and serve with a spicy/hot dip - yum.

Answered by Heidi Larsen

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Can I freeze stir-fry vegetables?

Question

I have been buying pre-cut and prepped stir-fry veggies at Trader Joe's and I was wondering if I could freeze my own bags of veggies. Would there be any issues with cutting up stir-fry veggies and freezing them in a conventional home freezer? Are there any veggies that do not freeze well to stay away from? Are there some that work especially well?

Asked by anton2g

Answer

You will have the best results if you prep by cutting and blanching prior to freezing. This should ensure that moisture content in the veggies does less damage over time in the freezer and improve color duration. I find it helpful to freeze vegetables separately rather than as mixes as you can always grab from multiple bags, but you can't unmix mixed vegetables without more work.

The majority of vegetables for stir-fry (e.g. broccoli, peas, etc) will freeze well enough, the ones in your freezer aisle obviously freeze a bit better than others. If a vegetable has a high water content (i.e. lettuce, which I hope you aren't stir-frying with) that is more integral to its structure than the cellulose it is likelier to burst cell walls in freezing; these vegetables are better to avoid.

Answered by mfg

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Difference between boiling and steaming vegetables?

Question

I have eaten both boiled vegetables and steamed vegetables (e.g. broccoli, carrot, zucchini etc.), and I cannot tell the vegetables are cooked in one way or the other, whether by texture or by taste (unless they are boiled in broth; here, I refer to boiling in water).

Is there a reason why vegetables are preferred boiled to steamed, or vice versa?

Asked by KMC

Answer

To boil vegetables, you add the vegetables to a pot of water, and boil the water for a short duration until the vegetables are sufficiently cooked. One may add salt or other flavorings (such as broth, as you mentioned) to the water prior to boiling.

Steamed vegetables are cooked in a steamer basket, where the vegetables are not in the water, but are instead sitting above the water, and are thus cooked by steam.

Salt must be added to steamed vegetables after they are cooked rather than to the water prior to cooking, since salt does not evaporate.

Steamed vegetables can retain more of their original flavor and nutrients, since they do not leech out into the water during boiling. On the other hand, you cannot add additional flavors to your vegetables during steaming--since flavors cannot soak into the vegetables from the water, either.

Which taste/texture you prefer, of course, can be a matter of personal opinion.

In my experience, boiled vegetables are often mistakenly referred to as steamed vegetables. And often, many restaurants will sell "steamed vegetables" which are really just microwaved frozen vegetables, which may strictly be steamed (it certainly isn't boiled!), but really bears little resemblance to the true steaming process (and has relatively poor flavor, as well).

Answered by Flimzy

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How to deep fry cauliflower?

Question

I tried to deep fry cauliflowers (without breading; I am NOT making tempura), but they turned out soft.

I have seen that done on TV where cauliflowers are freshly deep-fried and turn out to be crunchy. But when I tried doing that, the cauliflower ended up soft and somewhat soggy. I increased the frying time thinking that may help evaporate the moisture inside the cauliflower but it then turned out soft and soggy with oil instead of water.

Are there preparations that I need to do to the cauliflower, or are there something special that I need to add to the oil?

Asked by KMC

Answer

You need to cover soft vegetables in egg or batter first. Normally the vege's are steamed first to actually cook, cooled, then egg washed or lightly battered and flash deep fried in hot oil just to set the thin batter

Try Indian style spicy pea/chickpea flour batters

Answered by TFD

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How to prepare salsify (schwarzwurzeln) to minimise sap?

Question

This morning I tried cooking salsify (aka Schwarzwurzeln) for the first time.

It needs to be peeled before cooking, which I did rapidly and with a bowl of water nearby, as per advice on various internet sites. However, it still left an unpleasant, sticky, orange sap over my hands and the utensils. It lasts for a long time and is very difficult to remove.

What is the best way to prepare salsify to minimise the amount of sap??

Asked by KimbaF

Answer

Rinse the salsify first before using, that will help. Use a sharp peeler. Ive found that dull peelers create a lot more sap.

as soon as you have peeled it, drop the salsify into acidulated water ( water + lemon juice). The acids help prevent the color change that occurs.

Also wipe up the area with a damp cloth as you work. This will keep things clean and prevent your hands and everything you touch getting tacky.

Answered by Chef

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After you bake eggplant, is it fine to not drain the water?

Question

An eggplant can be baked or grilled; then you peel it. I read that you have to drain it then (e.g. in a colander), even overnight. What if you don't drain the water-does the taste change considerably? Can you still make spread out of it?

Asked by Theta30

Answer

This is really about water content, not flavor. Eggplant contains a lot of water, and there can be plenty left after baking or grilling. If you then make a mashed/pureed spread like this, that water could make it a lot more liquid than you want.

That said, if you really thoroughly roast or grill the eggplant, you can get enough of the water out of it that you don't really need to drain it. If you prick a couple small holes in it, and bake for something like 45 minutes to an hour at 400-450°F (200-230°C), or similarly grill until it's well-charred, it'll probably be dry enough.

The exact details depend on the size of the eggplant, and what you're trying to make out of it.

Answered by Jefromi

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Fresh vs Frozen Broccoli for soup?

Question

Is there a substantial difference in using fresh vs frozen broccoli when making Broccoli Cheese Soup? And if I do make the substitution, should I thaw it first or put it in frozen?

Answer

If you use frozen you will not have the option of having a thick cheese soup with more crisp broccoli; i.e. if you were considering adding the broccoli toward the end after blanching it for a more toothsome floret, this would only be fruitful with fresh.

I am unsure about the blogspot link in Sebiddy's post, but my experience with frozen broccoli is that it gets the job done but not very well. As a point of logistics, using frozen without first thawing will net you a hearty release of water from the broccoli if you don't thaw first and may cause your mornay some heart-ache if timed poorly.

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Can I put other vegetables in a manual wheat grass juicer?

Question

I'm thinking about buying a wheat grass juicer, but the fact that it only juices one thing gives me pause. Are they adequate at juicing vegetables such as spinach, kale and carrots?

Answer

Some juicers are better than other kinds for different things. A dedicated wheat grass juicers probably isn't going to juice spinach, carrots, and kale well.

A centrifugal juice usually doesn't handle wheatgrass well and in general isn't supposed to be as efficient as some other kinds for leafy greens.

A single-gear or double-gear masticating juicer works great for leafy greens, but isn't supposed to be as efficient for softer fruit.

If you're looking for something that will do wheatgrass, leafy greens, and a variety of other things - consider something like the Omega 8004. Long warranty, easy to clean, and gives good quality juice. If you need to make juice for a lot of people though, it is kind of slow for large quantities.

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Suggested edible quantity/scaling of Habanero Pepper per pound of meat

Question

I would like to use habenero pepper in a chili, but would like to know how many fresh peppers / pound of chili should I use to maintain an edible chili or another what amount is safe to start with. I know there's probably not a cut/dry amount, but any experience in the matter would be greatly appreciated. I planned on pureeing the pepper(s) and slowly adding it in and testing, but a suggested amount would be good to know since I would like to 'marinade' my meat ahead of time.

Answer

One habanero per six quarts of chili, containing approximately one quart meat, provides a solid heat that an average palate can handle. I have cooked chili on numerous occasions for groups of people and found this formula works for most people. Typically I stack it with other, lower-Scoville peppers to produce a well-bodied heat.

Other things to bear in mind:

• one habanero per six quarts will not really showcase the subtler flavors of the habanero, only bring out its heat.
• capsaicin is fat soluble, more fats in the chili gives you more wiggle room to add more heat. Up the meat or oil (bacon fat), up the peppers
• browning your meat in the diced peppers will lock away some flavor in the meat as long as you don't stew it forever
• using the bulb's flesh, rather than up by the stem will lower the capsaicin in the pepper, discard seeds and pith as well; this will allow more pepper flavor without overwhelming spiciness
• some habanero peppers are weaker than others, you might seek out some that are less spicy if trying to add heat
• If all you're looking for is heat, a plurality of pepper types/cultivars will yield better heat; single pepper chili can be hotter, but have a thin kind of heat as opposed to a whole-bodied punch in the jaw kind of heat

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Habenaero Pepper - Suggested edible quantity/scaling - per pound of meat

Question

I would like to use habenaero pepper in a chili, but would like to know how many fresh peppers / pound of chili should I use to maintain an edible chili or another what amount is safe to start with. I know there's probably not a cut/dry amount, but any experience in the matter would be greatly appreciated. I planned on pureeing the pepper(s) and slowly adding it in and testing, but a suggested amount would be good to know since I would like to 'marinade' my meat ahead of time.

Answer

One habanero per six quarts of chili, containing approximately one quart meat, provides a solid heat that an average palate can handle. I have cooked chili on numerous occasions for groups of people and found this formula works for most people. Typically I stack it with other, lower-Scoville peppers to produce a well-bodied heat.

Other things to bear in mind:

• one habanero per six quarts will not really showcase the subtler flavors of the habanero, only bring out its heat.
• capsaicin is fat soluble, more fats in the chili gives you more wiggle room to add more heat. Up the meat or oil (bacon fat), up the peppers
• browning your meat in the diced peppers will lock away some flavor in the meat as long as you don't stew it forever
• using the bulb's flesh, rather than up by the stem will lower the capsaicin in the pepper, discard seeds and pith as well; this will allow more pepper flavor without overwhelming spiciness
• some habanero peppers are weaker than others, you might seek out some that are less spicy if trying to add heat
• If all you're looking for is heat, a plurality of pepper types/cultivars will yield better heat; single pepper chili can be hotter, but have a thin kind of heat as opposed to a whole-bodied punch in the jaw kind of heat

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What does the refrigerator crisper compartment actually do?

Question

In most refrigerators you will be able to find a compartment for your vegetables and fruits. This compartment is called the crisper and it is supposedly able to keep your vegetables and fruits fresh longer.

How do these crispers keep the vegetables fresh longer? I personally don't really notice much of a different between storing the vegetables in the crisper compared to the rest of the refrigerator.

Does the crisper provide a better environment for your vegetables to last longer? And if so what qualities of this environment is doing this?

Answer

The crisper provides a somewhat enclosed environment, which prevents moisture from escaping as rapidly. Vegetables keep best at a certain humidity, higher than that typically found in the rest of the fridge, but not so high that condensation starts accumulating on them. Vegetables kept in too-dry air in the rest of the fridge will tend to dry out and shrivel up faster; those kept in the crisper will retain their water and texture better, keeping them crisp.

Leafy vegetables are also much more prone to drying out, since they have much more surface area, while hardier vegetables with a decent skin on them (like bell peppers) don't dry out nearly as quickly. Fruits benefit somewhat from this as well, but don't generally need as high a humidity as vegetables.

Some crisper drawers have little sliders on them which vary the size of the opening to the rest of the fridge, letting you vary the amount of circulation and therefore the humidity; you can adjust this to suit what you tend to store in the drawer. If you have two crisper drawers, both adjustable, then it might be a good idea to put fruit and hardier vegetables in one, and more vulnerable vegetables in the other.

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Making vegetables (those with leaf) more “crunchy” (bite/tear off easily)

Question

Are there any solution to make leafy vegetables more "crunchy"? (I usually boil my leafy vegetables in water but it seems that when I bite them, they usually does not tear off easily. They become quite "sticky" like pan pizza.)

Example of leafy vegetables: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKrKv0-CxxVUiRiSokjiRODLWIVE0ARbpf8jo_dh3BCJOJ-OoQidIRhyphenhyphenEHGXGUAm3JNYbSzYqSUrUICI8ZzumvVbU5DpFMHOYrMnj_tc0_CbN_hpdC5VFJ644BuB7HZb1AQoBgPOSwjA/s800/vegetable.jpg

Answer

Leafy greens generally tear quite nicely when they are raw. If you apply any moist heat to them, they will wilt and no longer tear as nicely. In fact, certain leafy greens can become downright tough if you cook them to long.

If you'd still like to cook your greens, but retain a little of their crunch, you can always grill them.

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cooking vegetables for mashing

Question

Inspired by some of the answers and comments on a recent question on boiling potatoes whole or diced, I'm curious:

What's the best way to cook a combination of vegetables to be mashed? I'm thinking of a subset of potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, parsnips, carrots, and anything else that sounds good. Obviously if boiling, one wants to avoid waterlogged vegetables, but the cooking times of the various vegetables are different. Is there a reliable way to cook everything together (at least for some subsets)?

Edit: As mentioned in the comment below, I know that the best one can do may be starting with the longest-cooking vegetables and incrementally adding the rest. What I was wondering was things like if some or all were better baked, or if boiling is good, if some besides potatoes are better boiled whole...

Answer

For mashing I've always found steam to give the best results. It makes fully cooked vegetables that are easy to test for doneness along the way, they don't get waterlogged, and most importantly their sugars and starches don't dissolve into the water so you get better flavor.

In a pinch if you find you miscalculated and one veggie is done before the other you can pull the basket off the pot and fish out whatever is done and then let the rest finish.

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