Money Saving Tip: Freezing Your Own Fresh Vegetables and Fruit

Freezing Your Own Fresh Vegetables and Fruit may seem like a lot of work, but trust me it can save you quite a bit of Money.

When you see Vegetables on sale at the grocery store for a fantastic price, be sure to buy extra and Freeze them. Or if you have a farmers market near you, be sure to stop by every week because you never know what kind of deal you will be able to find.

Every year I purchase a bushel of peppers, and lots of Butternut Squash and chop them up and freeze them. I do have a vacuum sealer, which makes sure that I do not have to worry about freezer burn. It is an investment to purchase a Vacuum sealer, but you will save money because none of the food you are freezing will get freezer burn. I received mine as a gift many years ago and it is still going strong. I would highly recommend the Food Saver, and you can reuse the bags as long as you have not stored meat in the bag.


Some of the Vegetables that I always buy, grow and Freeze:

• Peppers
• Butternut Squash
• Peas - blanch them first.
• Beans - blanch them first.
• Corn - blanch them first.
• Chopped Onion
• Beets - cleaned and chopped.
• Broccoli - blanch them first.
• Tomatoes - I dry them first in the oven, will show you that later this summer.

You can freeze Herbs as well, I just chop them up and put them in a freezer bag. When you need some fresh herbs, you can reach into your freezer. I find once they are frozen they are best used in cooked dishes, versus fresh, because they can slightly discolour from the freezing process.

Do you use Fresh Ginger but never seem to use it all up before it goes bad? Just peel the ginger, place it in a freezer bag and put it in your freezer. When you need some Ginger, just grate it while it is still frozen. This works Great.

For Fruit I freeze the following:

• Bananas - with the peel still on. They will turn brown and mushy, but they are still great in banana bread, muffins, bread pudding, or even smoothies.
• Strawberries - freeze them on a cookie sheet and then place them in a freezer bag.
• Raspberries  - freeze them on a cookie sheet and then place them in a freezer bag.
• Blueberries  - freeze them on a cookie sheet and then place them in a freezer bag.
• Peaches- - Peel, Chop them up and add a touch of Lemon Juice then freeze on a cookie sheet. Once they are Frozen place them in a freezer bag. Perfect for a Pie, Fruit Crisp.
• Plums - Peel, Chop them up and add a touch of Lemon Juice then freeze on a cookie sheet. Once they are Frozen place them in a freezer bag. Perfect for a Pie, Fruit Crisp.
• Apples - Peel, Chop them up and add a touch of Lemon Juice then freeze on a cookie sheet. Once they are Frozen place them in a freezer bag. Perfect for a Pie, Fruit Crisp.
  
  
  
  
  Happy Freezing !!