Freezing Food

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Occasionally, freezing food is preferable to canning or dehydrating it. Freezing food is another great way to preserve it.

  • Strawberries are great in jam or jelly, but they are more appetizing frozen rather than canned.
  • Frozen cherries right out of the freezer on a hot summer day make a great cooling snack.
  • If you end up with more food than you’ll be able to can in a reasonable time, freezing vegetables and freezing fruit is a great way to take care of that excess quickly.

Freezing Food Article and Direction List

Freezing Fruit

How to Freeze Apples

Learn how to freeze apples. Freezing is a great option for an overabundance, or just when we want to prepare ahead for all the apple desserts you love.
Freezing Apples
Whole apples sitting on a white cutting board, one of the apples is peeled with the paring knife.

Freezing Apples for Apple Pie

Freezing apples for pie makes pie making later super easy. Prepare ahead desserts for the busy holidays or spur of the moment cravings.
Freezing Apples for Apple Pie
A big container of cored and quartered yellow apples.

Freezing Raspberries

Freezing raspberries is probably the best way to preserve red raspberries for later, though you can also freeze black raspberries too!
How to Freeze Raspberries
Fresh black raspberries layered over a freezer paper lined cookie sheet.

Freezing Bananas

Freezing bananas is great for making smoothies, banana bread, and more later! Yummy.
How to Freeze Bananas
Two bunches of bright yellow bananas with bags of apples in the background.

Freezing Cherries

My husband is a big fan of freezing cherries. He and my sons eat them like popsicles. I like them too, and the plus is…they are much better for you than popsicles. Learn how to freeze cherries here (hint: super easy).
How to Freeze Cherries
A freezer paper lined tray with pitted red cherries spread over it.

How to Freeze Strawberries

Learn How to Freeze Strawberries to preserve their sweet and juicy flavor. Use later in smoothies, baked goods, over pancakes or ice cream.
Freezing Strawberries

Freezing Rhubarb

Freezing rhubarb will allow you to enjoy rhubarb crisps all year around. How to freeze rhubarb both dry pack or with a syrup!
Washing big stalks of green rhubarb under running water in the sink.

Freezing Tomatoes

Freezing tomatoes is a great way to preserve tomatoes. Do you have tomatoes getting over-ripe but don’t have quite enough for a canner load or recipe? Freeze them.
How to Freeze Tomatoes
Lots of red Roma tomatoes floating in a sink of water.

Freezing Vegetables

How to Freeze Carrots

Freezing Carrots is so easy and makes for great convenience later.  Freeze small whole carrots, sliced, or diced.  Enjoy their delicious flavor all year long with this easy-to-follow freezing guide.
Freezing Carrots
chopped carrots beside an instant pot

Freezing Corn

Learn how to freeze corn, either on the cob or off the cob, as sweet kernels. I have to admit that freezing corn results in a fresher dish on your table than canned corn.
How to Freeze Corn
My husband and sons shucking corn in the yard.

Freezing Green Beans

Freezing green beans picked fresh from the garden is a great way to preserve them. Bush beans or pole beans are all treated the same.
How to Freeze Green Beans
Packing blanched green beans into a freezer bag.

Freezing Onion

Freezing onions is a great way to preserve onions so that they are recipe ready.  Learn how to freeze onions so you can cut them all in one setting!  Don’t deal with the tears every time you need to add onions to your recipes. 
Freezing Onions
Stainless steel bowl with small white and red onions cut in halves

How to Freeze Peas

Learn how to freeze peas – whole or shelled. Step-by-step instructions here!
Freezing Peas
Snow peas packed into freezer bags and labeled with the contents and date.

Freezing Peppers

Freezing peppers is an easy, quick way to take care of them now and use them up later. Here's how to freeze hot or sweet peppers.
How to Freeze Peppers
A gloved hand holding green and red peppers that have been chopped into small pieces.

Freezing Spinach

Freezing spinach or any leafy green is so very easy. Here's how to freeze fresh spinach & other greens.
How to Freeze Spinach
Washing big pots of spinach in the sink to remove dirt from the leaves.

Freezing Zucchini

Who doesn't have an overabundance of zucchini in the summertime? Freezing zucchini chopped, shredded, or cubed is a great way to save the harvest for winter! Here's how to freeze zucchini.
How to Freeze Zucchini
A large pile of green zucchini.

Freezing Parsnips

Instructions for freezing parsnips. In case you’re unfamiliar with parsnips, they remind me of a cross between carrot and rutabaga or carrot and turnip. I love them!
How to Freeze Parsnips
freezing parsnips

Freezing Herbs

Freezing Herbs

Freezing herbs: How to freeze fresh herbs like oregano, basil, parsley, and sage, using three different freezing methods!
How to Freeze Herbs
An icecube tray filled with chopped fresh herbs.

Freezer Food FAQs

Can you freeze food? Does food have to be warm for freezing?

I feel it is better to allow it to cool off before putting it in the freezer. It can be a little warm but not piping hot. The heat will affect the temperature of the freeze in general. But do not allow the food to sit out for an extended period in a warm state. It needs to either be hot or cooled off soon.

White apple slices.

What are the Disadvantages of Freezing Food?

Fresh food is always the best bet. But we all know that sometimes, you just need to preserve it for later. Freezing food probably does the least amount of damage compared to other preservation techniques. Quality is something that may be affected.

Freezing affects the textures of some foods more than others. Lettuce, for example, just doesn’t hold up to freezing. (It doesn’t can well either.) Spinach, however, does great. Much depends on the food type. Milk can be frozen, but it separates. If you mix it well after thawing, you can drink it…but the flavor is affected. Might be best used in baking or cooking. Cheese does not freeze well in a block. It crumbles. But I often freeze shredded cheese for convenience.

The NCHFP mentions the following vegetables do not freeze well, unless they’re used in, say, freezer pickles or similiar recipes:

  • Cabbage
  • Celery
  • Watercress
  • Cucumbers
  • Endive
  • Lettuce
  • Parsley
  • Radishes
A layer of cherries on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet.

What is Freezer Burn?

Freezer burn happens when frozen food dries out. It will look brown and dried. It is not dangerous, just not as high quality. If possible, you can cut off small portions of freezer burn and still use your food. Sometimes, if the freezer burn is severe, the food is not worth trying to save.

Filling freezer bags with corn kernels.

How do you prevent freezer burn?

Wrapping is important when freezing food. Using the correct type of packaging will maintain quality and prevent freezer burn. Look for freezer bags, not storage bags. And the more you can keep air away from the food (wrap tightly), the less freezer burn you’ll find.

Packing green beans into labeled freezer bags.

Canning Chat: Vacuum sealed freezing versus canning. What’s best?

Video Transcript – Edited for Clarity

Hey there and welcome! My name is Sharon Peterson. I’m with SimplyCanning.com where you can find home canning tutorials, tips, and advice taught in a way that even a beginner can get their pantry filled.

Today’s question is from Mark, who asks, “We live at 7,400 feet in the foothills of Golden.” Hey, Mark. I’m in Colorado too. You’re a little bit higher than I am. “We are looking to move to a smaller community with some land in the future. I hunt a lot, and I always have elk and deer in the freezer. We process everything ourselves. So my question is, what are the advantages and disadvantages of canning versus vacuum freezing? Keep in mind I use a commercial-grade chamber vacuum sealer and 5 mil BPA-free vacuum bags.” So he doesn’t get freezer burn, even after a few years. “I’m just curious.”

That is a good question. Oh, I wish I had one of those vacuum sealers, but I don’t. We do both types of preserving. We freeze choice pieces, like the backstrap and things that are good for steaks. We also make jerky using some of the less desirable meat. We also grind some meat and freeze it for burgers, meatloaf, and meatballs.

We don’t can all of our meat, but I do can a lot for chili, stew, etc. I do both. I don’t know that one way is better than the other way. They both have pros and cons. Once canned food is in storage, there’s no cost to it. You don’t have to run a freezer. You don’t have to worry about a freezer thawing out, getting unplugged, or just going bad. If you’re going to freeze it, then doing it your way is the best. That’s the ultimate way to do it, especially with a vacuum sealer like yours.

If you can keep freezer burn away for a couple of years, that’s pretty good. But one’s not necessarily better than the other. They both have their pros and cons. Again, this is Sharon with SimplyCanning.com. I hope you guys have a great day and that this was helpful. We’ll talk to you in the next video.

Should you can frozen foods?

By Doc (Philly)

“If my electric went out, can I cook then can frozen veg’s, meats?”

Sharon’s Answer:

Hi, that is a great question. My answer with meats is, yes. Be sure it is completely thawed and then pressure can as usual.

Canning Meat

With frozen vegetables, I believe it would be safe. What I’m not sure of is the quality of the final product. I’m afraid it might get mushy.

I did a search for more information from my extension service and did find this article: If Your Freezer Stops.

In discussing options for when the freezer goes out, this comment was made: “…keep canning supplies on hand to preserve food when there is no chance of using your freezer soon.”

I would make the assumption that means it is safe. They do not mention the quality of the food after canning.

But sometimes, mushy green beans are better than no green beans, eh?

Canning Previously Frozen Foods
By: Becky

“I had gone to my Mom’s house when she was out of town on vacation and the electricity was out. She forgot to pay before she left, and it was Friday night. I grabbed every canning jar she had and canned everything in her freezer and refrigerator. Everything turned out great. It tasted the same as veggies that had not been previously frozen. She had blanched everything for about 3 minutes before she froze it, so they didn’t come out overcooked at all. It is fine to can previously frozen foods.”

By: Cindy Stricklin

“Our brand-new freezer (less than 2 months old) went out after we completely filled it with frozen meat and vegetables purchased at a store. When we noticed it was not working, the food on top had started to thaw. We immediately went into canning mode and canned all the vegetables. We mixed all the peas together, and they were the best peas I have ever eaten. We made mixed vegetables out of the rest. They were not mushy at all. We managed to fit the meat in the other freezer by taking the vegetables out of it and canning them too. It took 2 weeks for Walmart to replace the freezer. Everything we canned tasted great!!”

Soup?
By: Anonymous

“If the previously frozen and now canned veggies get a little mushy, I would consider pureeing them and making up some soups!”

Freezing Thawed Veggies
by: Grambun

“Came home from the lake to find someone had stolen most of the meat from our freezer and unplugged it while we were gone. We borrowed canners from neighbors and got busy. All the veggies were dumped into jars covered with boiling water, and 1 tsp. of salt and processed. They were as good as fresh veggies.”

Canning Frozen Foods
By: Sharron Hart

“We were needing freezer space for a pig that is going to the butcher and I decided to can green beans, corn, peas, tomatoes, chicken and blackberries, we had frozen. Everything turned out pretty darn good and no mushy green beans and I now have canned chicken broth too!”

His & Herbs
By: The Grouchy Gardener

“My husband likes canned vegetables, and I prefer frozen. I have a garden but often don’t grow enough peas and beans to satisfy the husbands needs all year. Recently he found out he has high blood pressure, and to lower salt in canned vegetables I started canning frozen. I can mix-and-match them, or just leave the plain, more often than not, I can season them with a little garlic or some dehydrated onion flakes instead of the salt that she doesn’t seem to miss. They always turn out great. As for canning meat, I let it thaw, then can it with seasoning of my choice.”

I Never Thought of This!
By: Anonymous

“I have a gas range, so it would be totally possible to can during a power outage. I LOVE this idea!”

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Freezing Food

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