How to properly freeze cauliflower for the winter at home: all freezing methods

How to Prepare Cauliflower for Freezing

Choosing a head of cabbage is a very responsible matter. There should be no signs of rot or dark spots on it, indicating that the cauliflower is not fresh. The size of the vegetable should also not be very large.

The head of cabbage must be thoroughly rinsed under running water.

Next, you need to get rid of the green leaves and disassemble the cabbage into inflorescences.

To get rid of small insects that have taken a liking to the dense curly inflorescences, you need to soak the cabbage in water with added salt for 30 minutes. To prepare the solution you will need 2 tablespoons of salt per 1 liter of water.

After this procedure, the cabbage should be rinsed again in clean water and dried on towels.

Methods for freezing cauliflower

How to freeze fresh cabbage

This method is the easiest. The cabbage prepared in the manner described above is packaged in containers and bags. The main rule is a minimum of water! That is, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to the issue of pre-drying the vegetable.

Although this freezing method is captivating in its simplicity, in the end you risk getting a product that has significantly lost its external and taste properties. To avoid these problems, the vegetable should be cooked before freezing.

See video: Preparations for the winter. Freezing vegetables for stews and soups

How to Blanch Cauliflower

To preserve the original color and taste of cauliflower, it must be blanched before freezing. To do this, the inflorescences are immersed in boiling water for 3 minutes.

Afterwards, the inflorescences are removed from the boiling water and cooled sharply by placing them in a bowl of ice water.

If you plan to freeze a whole forkful of cauliflower, the blanching procedure will take a little longer – 8-10 minutes.

See the video from the channel “Delicious with us” - How to blanch vegetables

To prevent vegetables from sticking together when frozen, they must be dried on paper towels and then placed on cutting boards lined with plastic bags. In this form, place the cabbage in the freezer for a day. Afterwards, pour the frozen inflorescences into one bag or container.

How to freeze cabbage for the winter in a vacuum

For this method you will need a special device - a vacuumizer. Raw or pre-blanched cauliflower is placed in a special bag and the air is removed.

For more information about this, see the video - Preparing cauliflower for the winter

How to freeze cauliflower for a child

If you plan to freeze cauliflower to feed your baby, then it is better to take it from your own garden. If this is not possible, then choosing a suitable head of cabbage should be taken with double responsibility, choosing a vegetable without a single damage or wormhole.

You can freeze cauliflower for a child in individual inflorescences; to do this, they must be blanched.

You can also freeze boiled cabbage puree to feed your baby. To do this, boil the cauliflower in water or steam for 10-15 minutes until soft, and then puree it in a blender until smooth.

The finished puree is laid out in plastic cups or containers, tightly sealed on top with cling film, and stored in the freezer. In this case, it is recommended to treat containers for freezing with boiling water.

How long to store frozen cauliflower?

The shelf life of frozen vegetables, if the freezer temperature is maintained at -18ºC, is from 9 to 10 months. In order not to use expired product in dishes, you need to put a mark on the frozen containers with the date of freezing. This is especially important for children's preparations.

How to defrost cabbage

To prepare soups and stews, cabbage does not need to be defrosted.

If you plan to fry a vegetable, you first need to dip it in boiling water for a few seconds, or lightly steam it in a double boiler. Using the microwave to defrost cauliflower is not recommended.

Baby vegetable puree should be defrosted first in the plus compartment of the refrigerator, and then at room temperature.

See the video from the channel “Examination of Things. OTK" - Frozen vegetables