Don’t Waste It. Freeze It.

Not enough time to use all your produce? The good news is that you can freeze almost every fruit and veggie for future meals. This not only helps you save seasonal goodness, but also preserve precious nutrients in the process. So make friends with your freezer with these waste-free ideas.

Freeze fruit for jam & smoothies.

Quick freeze things like berries, sliced fruit or herbs on a baking sheet for a few hours before storing. This will make them easier to separate when you are ready to use.

Freeze scraps for making stock - then store the stock in your freezer.

Unlike freezing produce, where you want to leave as little air as possible, liquids like sauces, purées and stocks, need room (about an inch) for expansion.

If storing in glass, make sure it is tempered and freezer safe or risk shattering.

Freeze herbs in ice cube trays.

Wash your herbs and chop to preferred cooking size, fill trays and top with oil, then freeze. Drop in soups & stews for an easy boost of flavor!

Blanch vegetables to help hold onto crispness.

Veggies like broccoli and green beans will retain their structural integrity better if blanched before freezing. Leafy greens and vegetables like squash, zucchini, eggplant or tomatoes that get soft when you cook them are okay to freeze raw.

How to blanch:

• Boil a gallon of unsalted water in a deep pot.

• Once the water is boiling, submerge your vegetables for the recommended time.

• Timing begins once the water has started boiling again.

• Most vegetables only take between 2 - 5 minutes.

• Once the time has elapsed, transfer the drained vegetables into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

• Drain after a few minutes and then pat dry.