The closer to the end of summer, the hotter it gets in country kitchens: it's time to make jams, brew pickle for cucumbers and tomatoes, scald cans … But you can also harvest crops for future use and preserve vitamins with the help of the cold. Then in winter you will not have to spend money on expensive "freezing" in stores. Vegetables, berries, and even greens will perfectly wait to get on the table in the freezer. And the preparation of such canned food is not difficult or laborious.
Garlic. Only fresh and undamaged heads are suitable for freezing. It is best not to wash them before chilling so that the rind does not absorb excess moisture. It is enough to remove the top layer of films. Place whole heads in a single layer in a plastic bag and release excess air. After that, tie the bag tightly and put it in the freezer for several hours. You can also peel the garlic with individual cloves and freeze it in small food containers. As necessary, take out and defrost the required amount of product.
Onion. Onions are perfectly stored in the basement and do not become too expensive in stores by the end of winter. Therefore, there is no urgent need to freeze it. However, in everyday life it is very convenient to have a stock of pre-chopped onions, which you just need to put in a pan or toss into a soup. For many housewives, it is easier to cut several kilograms of onions at a time and then use the right amount. The only thing is that it retains its taste and aroma when frozen for no longer than two months. Peel and thoroughly rinse the onions with cold water. Cut it into cubes, rings or half rings and place it in freezer bags up to 1 cm. Close the bags, sign the date of freezing and put them in the freezer in even layers - this will make it easier to break off small portions.
Greens. Sort out the herbs removed from the garden - dill, parsley, cilantro, etc. Remove any damaged or spoiled twigs and rinse thoroughly. Spread the herbs in one layer on towels and pat dry. Then cut and place in freezer bags to form dense, thin sausages. Wrap the bags carefully and freeze. For sauces, soups and goulashes, you can use another option. Dill, parsley or a mixture of them are finely chopped and mixed with butter (for 200 g of herbs - 50 g of butter). The resulting mass is laid out in ice molds (or plastic molds from candy boxes are used) and removed for several hours in the frost. After that, the cubes and balls can be transferred to bags or container and stored in the freezer.
Rhubarb. Go through the collected product, remove all damaged parts of the stem. Wash them and pat dry on towels. Remove the peel from the stems, carefully cut out the black blotches. Cut the rhubarb: for future pies - into cubes up to 1, 5x1, 5 cm, for compotes - into cubes up to 3 cm long. Place the blank in one layer on a board or baking sheet and place in the freezer for an hour, and then immediately pour into a bag or container and finish freezing. With this method, the pieces will not stick to each other.
Carrot. For harvesting root vegetables, cut into rings or cubes, the carrots are washed and peeled, and then blanched. To do this, boil water in a large saucepan, put a bowl of cold water next to it and pour a few handfuls of ice into it. Place the prepared carrots in a sieve or colander and immerse in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, and then immediately in ice water. Dry the pieces on towels and do the same with the rest of the pieces. Spread the dried carrots on a baking sheet or plate and freeze for an hour, then pour into a bag, release excess air and tie tightly. You can also just grate the peeled carrots on a coarse grater, arrange them in bags in a thin layer and place them in the freezer. After 2-3 hours, break the layers so that the carrots are completely frozen.
