Canning Frozen Vegetables from the Freezer

Today, I’m addressing a question from Wendy about canning vegetables that are currently in her freezer. Wendy’s freezer is full, and she’s looking for guidance on how to can these frozen veggies.

You can find a list of all our canning vegetables recipes and tutorials here.

There are three things I want to talk about: safety, quality, and another recommendation for Wendy that I think might work better for her. 

Wendy’s Question:

Wendy writes:

“Being fairly new to canning, I was wondering about canning frozen veggies as I have so much more produce than my freezer can possibly hold. I have used the water bath method for my soft fruits from my allotment, but I’m not sure of how to can the veggies that I have already put in the freezer so they didn’t spoil due to work commitments. Is it necessary to have blanched the veg? Do you can it straight from the freezer? What are the canning times for frozen veggies? I really need some guidance on canning frozen veggies as space is now becoming very limited.”

Transcript… edited for clarity

Is Canning Frozen Vegetables safe?

So the first thing is whether it’s safe. Yes it is safe for most things.

If you want to can your vegetables out of your freezer, it is possible to do that. You need to defrost them, warm them up, and do a hot pack. You’re going to follow the exact same processing directions you would use for fresh vegetables. For example, If it’s green beans you’re going to look at the directions for canning green beans, and use those hot pack processing directions.

Regarding blanching before canning. I would suggest you follow all of the directions from the beginning to end, just like you would as if it were fresh. 

Quality Issues  

Which leads me to the second point: quality.  

When you have foods in the freezer, the whole freezing process does break down the food somewhat. So the food has already gotten a bit soft in the freezer. You’re going to thaw it out, and then you’re going to process it again in a pressure canner because vegetables must be in a pressure canner.

I am afraid you’re going to end up with really soft, mushy vegetables and the quality is going to be pretty poor.

That is why I actually wouldn’t recommend canning vegetables from the freezer, even though technically you could, which leads me to my third point. That’s my recommendation for you. 

My Recommendation Instead of Canning Frozen Vegetables 

You said you get an allotment. So I’m assuming it’s once a month or once a week, I don’t know.

What I suggest is that you can any new vegetables that you’re getting in. While you start eating the food out of your freezer to start freeing up that space. I think you’re going to have better quality. It’s going to be less work for you in the end. That would be my recommendation for you. 

I hope that was helpful. You guys have a wonderful day, and we’ll see you in the next Canning Chat. We’ll talk to you later.

End of video transcript. More notes below.

A note on canning frozen tomatoes.

If you are defrosting tomatoes, you’ll want to use a sauce type recipe. The tomatoes break down quite a bit in the freezer and will not can well. Something like one of these will work.

• Tomato Sauce
• Tomato Juice
• Spaghetti Sauce

Can you Can Frozen Green Beans?

Here’s another reader question that fits in the same category. Canning frozen green beans.

Last year, I put my green beans and peas in freezer bags, can I safely can them in a pressure cooker this year since I now have one? They still look great in the freezer bags but would rather can them now. Can I do that?

Denise

Denise, It would be safe to can them now. Just defrost and proceed with regular hot pack canning. Your veggies must not be cold going into the canner. My only thought is, they might not have as nice a texture. Since they were frozen once, if you re-can them they might end up soft. If it were me I’d just plan on canning from now on and just use what you have out of the freezer.

Of course, it might be a case of needing to empty your freezer. If that is the case then yes, go ahead and can as usual.

Key Points to Consider:

1. Is Canning Frozen Vegetables Safe?

• You can usually safely can vegetables that have been stored in your freezer. This will depend on the type of food you are working with.
• The process involves defrosting, warming them up, and using a hot pack method. You must use a hot pack method because the vegetables are not like they were when fresh. The freezing process does break down the food and it will be softer than fresh.
• Follow the same processing directions as you would for hot pack fresh vegetables, including blanching time.

1. Quality:

• Freezing breaks down the texture of vegetables, making them softer.
• Thawing and then pressure canning them can lead to very soft, possibly mushy, vegetables.
• This can affect the overall quality of your canned goods.

1. Recommendation:

• For better quality, can new vegetables from your allotment using a pressure canner.
• Start consuming the vegetables in your freezer to free up space.
• This approach will be less work and ensure better quality in your canned vegetables.

Final Thoughts

While it’s technically possible to can frozen vegetables, the potential loss of quality may not be worth it. By canning fresh produce and using up your frozen stash, you can maintain a higher quality in your pantry. I hope this helps! If you have more questions, feel free to reach out.

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