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The best frozen vegetables?

I don't understand the frozen mushroom thing at all tbh, I've never had a good frozen mushroom - the texture goes all wrong and they lose flavour IMO.

Even if I freeze stew or something I leave mushrooms out of it - if it needs mushrooms in it I will fry some fresh ones to add in rather than freeze them in something.
 
Epona said:
I don't understand the frozen mushroom thing at all tbh, I've never had a good frozen mushroom - the texture goes all wrong and they lose flavour IMO.

Even if I freeze stew or something I leave mushrooms out of it - if it needs mushrooms in it I will fry some fresh ones to add in rather than freeze them in something.
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Same here, although I do freeze things with mushrooms in. I've never got on with frozen broccoli or cauliflower either: they go all soft and flavourless, like school dinners in the 80s.
 
Roadkill said:
Same here, although I do freeze things with mushrooms in. I've never got on with frozen broccoli or cauliflower either: they go all soft and flavourless, like school dinners in the 80s.
Click to expand...

I've got a large amount of broccoli atm and have decided that I will turn it all halfway into broccoli and stilton soup, but freeze it in portions before any cheese goes in. So pretty much just onion and broc in vegetable stock until it softens, then blend it and freeze in portions at that point - can be turned into soup or pasta sauce with the addition of cheese when reheated. I really dislike frozen broccoli florets.
 
God, mushrooms are horrible frozen. I froze a veg curry forgetting about the mushrooms and had to pick them all out.
 
Spymaster said:
Chopped spinach in those little bricks. Heat them gently with a knob of butter and when they've melted they're ready.

Also the best spinach to use for saag curries.
Click to expand...
Yep, these are great. I pop a couple in a frying pan, pop the lid on to steam them then have them with fried or scrambled eggs and tomato for breakfast :thumbs:

Otherwise, apart from peas, I buy frozen edamame beans and sweetcorn (kernals and small cobs).

Been wondering about frozen butternut squash as I do like it but hate peeling and chopping it!
 
Also could go for stuff that lasts a bit longer on the shelf without needing to be frozen and keep the longer lasting veg until the end of the week.

Leeks last a long time even out of the fridge (if the outer layer dries out just peel it off)
Cauli lasts longer than broccoli in my experience - if either is starting to look a bit tired then cut into florets and store for an extra day or two in a bowl of cold water in the fridge
A head of celery will last a good couple of weeks by standing the root end in an inch of water in a jug or mug in the door of the fridge
Savoy cabbage should last a week without refrigeration, just keep dry and peel off the outer leaves when you want to use it
Courgettes last a decent amount of time, if kept dry the worst that will happen is they dry out slightly and the skin may shrivel a little, they can still be roasted, sliced and fried, used in stews/casseroles, or grated and added to mashed potato
Other gourds and squashes also last really well.

So it might just be a case of planning your weekly menu/shop so that you use delicate stuff at the start of the week and end it with robust veg like leeks/squash/cabbage
 
Epona said:
Also could go for stuff that lasts a bit longer on the shelf without needing to be frozen and keep the longer lasting veg until the end of the week.

Leeks last a long time even out of the fridge (if the outer layer dries out just peel it off)
Cauli lasts longer than broccoli in my experience - if either is starting to look a bit tired then cut into florets and store for an extra day or two in a bowl of cold water in the fridge
A head of celery will last a good couple of weeks by standing the root end in an inch of water in a jug or mug in the door of the fridge
Savoy cabbage should last a week without refrigeration, just keep dry and peel off the outer leaves when you want to use it
Courgettes last a decent amount of time, if kept dry the worst that will happen is they dry out slightly and the skin may shrivel a little, they can still be roasted, sliced and fried, used in stews/casseroles, or grated and added to mashed potato
Other gourds and squashes also last really well.

So it might just be a case of planning your weekly menu/shop so that you use delicate stuff at the start of the week and end it with robust veg like leeks/squash/cabbage
Click to expand...
That's very sensible. I just eat the ones I like best first.

It's the greens I'm after really, and to eat as veg rather than to use an ingredient. I was hoping that the technology had moved on since I last tried them, but it sounds like it hasn't. I'm going to try freezing kale though, I think that might work.
 
RubyToogood said:
Could you get a veg box, or visit an outdoor stall?
Click to expand...
Fat chance of a veg box at the moment - not taking on new customers. :(

I do sometimes top up at a greengrocers or farmshop, I'm just trying to cut my twice a week shop to a once a week. And it's the veg that I run out of first.

And chocolate....
 
Boudicca said:
That's very sensible. I just eat the ones I like best first.

It's the greens I'm after really, and to eat as veg rather than to use an ingredient. I was hoping that the technology had moved on since I last tried them, but it sounds like it hasn't. I'm going to try freezing kale though, I think that might work.
Click to expand...

I haven't tried them myself, but Lakeland do re-useable fridge bags that supposedly keep veg fresh longer in the fridge. I try not to use disposable plastic containers, but these are apparently washable for long-term use.

www.lakeland.co.uk

20 Stayfresh Vegetable Storage Bags 25 x 38cm

20 Medium-Sized Vegetable Storage Bags. Stayfresh bags extend the life of almost any fruit & vegetable for several weeks. 25x38cm. Buy from Lakeland.
www.lakeland.co.uk www.lakeland.co.uk
 
Epona said:
Also could go for stuff that lasts a bit longer on the shelf without needing to be frozen and keep the longer lasting veg until the end of the week.

Leeks last a long time even out of the fridge (if the outer layer dries out just peel it off)
Cauli lasts longer than broccoli in my experience - if either is starting to look a bit tired then cut into florets and store for an extra day or two in a bowl of cold water in the fridge
A head of celery will last a good couple of weeks by standing the root end in an inch of water in a jug or mug in the door of the fridge
Savoy cabbage should last a week without refrigeration, just keep dry and peel off the outer leaves when you want to use it
Courgettes last a decent amount of time, if kept dry the worst that will happen is they dry out slightly and the skin may shrivel a little, they can still be roasted, sliced and fried, used in stews/casseroles, or grated and added to mashed potato
Other gourds and squashes also last really well.

So it might just be a case of planning your weekly menu/shop so that you use delicate stuff at the start of the week and end it with robust veg like leeks/squash/cabbage
Click to expand...

Yeah... I find tenderstem broccoli lasts pretty well. Lettuce is weirdly immortal. Cabbage and cauli as you say. Cucumbers Also seem to go the distance in the fridge. Obviously onions etc. Other green stuff would be mange-tout and sugarsnaps. Also I've found that my local Tesco's salad-type spinach (fresh and naked apparently) lasts much better than their normal bags. I think because all the leaves are largely intact; not bruised etc. More expensive mind you.

I also do the batch cook and freeze thing. And have no frozen veg other than peas, which are great.
 
Cid said:
Yeah... I find tenderstem broccoli lasts pretty well. Lettuce is weirdly immortal. Cabbage and cauli as you say. Cucumbers Also seem to go the distance in the fridge. Obviously onions etc. Other green stuff would be mange-tout and sugarsnaps. Also I've found that my local Tesco's salad-type spinach (fresh and naked apparently) lasts much better than their normal bags. I think because all the leaves are largely intact; not bruised etc. More expensive mind you.

I also do the batch cook and freeze thing. And have no frozen veg other than peas, which are great.
Click to expand...

Weird thing about lettuce isn't it? I put one of those little midget gem lettuces in my fridge and it lasted me for 3 weeks with no apparent deterioration. Carrots (which you might think would be fairly hardy) on the other hand are surprisingly fragile and prone to mould
 
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Boudicca said:
Are there any vitamins in sweetcorn? But you are right, in lockdown times probably better than chips.
Click to expand...


Because it’s so sweet we think of it as a treat, with little health benefits but actually it’s pretty good stuff.
That yellow colour (carotenoids) is antioxidant. It’s mostly lutein and zeaxanthin; beta-carotenes are also in there. The lutein and zeaxanthin may be especially good for the eyes; they seem to offer good protection against macular degeneration, although it’s not proven.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are available in other foods too, so you don’t have to eat sweet corn. But since sweet corn is a source of all kinds of micronutrients, if you do like it you may as well eat it.

If you want to know what’s in there do a search ifor “micronutrients”. I’d write it up myself but someone will say “Link? Source? Are you a dietician?” and then I’d post a link. And then that other person would say the link wasn’t good or something.

So I’m cutting out the in between stuff and suggesting that people can really easily google for

Name of food and the word nutrition, and or micronutrients.
:)


Sweet corn is somewhere around moderate for diabetics, because it’s got all that fibre, and because it’s assumed you’d be eating it as part of a balanced meal.


I hate supermarket frozen veg, except for peas. I find that if I blanche and freeze my own veg it’s a lot nicer than the supermarket stuff. Maybe because it’s processed in bulk for the supermarket so it’s not drained properly? Maybe they’re using bruised and sub par veg to do it? Stuff that wouldn't sell on the shelf? No idea. But I find home frozen veg much better.

When I buy a bunch of fresh parsley in the market, I’ll buy two or three. Wash, lay to dry on a clean tea towel. Pick through, cut the ends off like fresh flowers, and stand some up in a pint glass on a cool shelf and eat that over the next few days. The rest, the majority, I fine chop and lay onto a baking tray to freeze, then when it’s frozen store in tubs in the freezer. Hey presto, fresh parsley whenever I want it. But I’ll eat parlsey like a vegetable, great handfuls of the stuff stirred through whatever I’m eating just before I finish cooking it.

I also buy extra spring onions and chop and freeze on a baking tray, then store in takeaway tubs in the freezer. Then just add them to omelettes etc straight from the freezer.

I also dry stuff. I really want to get a dehydrator, that’s an ambition. Chop stuff up and dry in a very low oven with the door open to let the steam out. This can take days. Then I’ll store it dry in chunks, or sometimes I’ll blitz it . I have a bottle of dried blitzed lemon peel that I add to stuff, a jar of dried spring onion powder that just adds the most delicious umami onion flavour to things because the drying kinda toasts it too.

This method works really well for mushrooms too. I’ve got loads of dried mushrooms. Small ones (like fairy ring champignons) can be dried whole on baking paper near a radiator, turning them often. Larger ones can be sliced and dried near the radiator too. Wetter mushrooms, like the bracket mushrooms, I tend to dry them in the oven. You can air dry mushrooms by sewing a thread through them and hanging them up somewhere. I’d not freeze mushrooms cos dried works so well
 
Last edited:
Boudicca said:
Fat chance of a veg box at the moment - not taking on new customers. :(

I do sometimes top up at a greengrocers or farmshop, I'm just trying to cut my twice a week shop to a once a week. And it's the veg that I run out of first.

And chocolate....
Click to expand...

I also find that if something is starting to go over a bit, if I cook it, it’ll store for another 4 or 5 days in the fridge. Especially the nightshade family : peppers aubergine tomatoes. I don’t fully cook it, about 20 minutes off cooked. So then I can add it it what I’m cooking towards the end. Or just sling it in a hot pan and let it finish.
 
SheilaNaGig said:
Because it’s so sweet we think of it as a treat, with little health benefits but actually it’s pretty good stuff.
That yellow colour (carotenoids) is antioxidant. It’s mostly lutein and zeaxanthin; beta-carotenes are also in there. The lutein and zeaxanthin may be especially good for the eyes; they seem to offer good protection against macular degeneration, although it’s not proven.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are available in other foods too, so you don’t have to eat sweet corn. But since sweet corn is a source of all kinds of micronutrients, if you do like it yiu May as well eat it.

If you want to know what’s in there do a search ifor “micronutrients”. I’d write it up myself but someone will say “Link? Source? Are you a dietician?” and then I’d post a link. And then that other person would say the link wasn’t good or something.

So I’m cutting out the in between stuff and suggesting that people can really easily google for

Name of food and the word nutrition, and or micronutrients.
:)


Sweet corn is somewhere around moderate for diabetics, because it’s got all that fibre, and because it’s assumed you’d be eating it as part of a balanced meal.


I hate supermarket frozen veg, except for peas. I find that if I blanche and freeze my own veg it’s a lot nicer than the supermarket stuff. Maybe because it’s processed in bulk for the supermarket so it’s not drained properly? Maybe they’re using bruised and sub par veg to do it? Stuff that wouldn't sell on the shelf? No idea. But I find home frozen veg much better.

When I buy a bunch of fresh parsley in the market, I’ll buy two or three. Wash, lay to dry on a clean tea towel. Pick through, cut the ends off like fresh flowers, and stand some up in a pint glass on a cool shelf and eat that over the next few days. The rest, the majority, I fine chop and lay onto a baking tray to freeze, then when it’s frozen store in tubs in the freezer. Hey presto, fresh parsley whenever I want it. But I’ll eat parlsey like a vegetable, great handfuls of the stuff stirred through whatever I’m eating just before I finish cooking it,

I also buy extra spring onions and chop and freeze on a baking tray, then store in takeaway tubs in the freezer. Then just add them to omelettes etc straight from the freezer.

I also dry stuff. I really want to get a dehydrator, that’s an ambition. Chop stuff up and dry in a very low oven with the door open to let the steam out. This can take days. Then I’ll store it dry in chucks, or sometimes I’ll blitz it . I have a bottle of dried blitzed lemon peel that I add to stuff, a jar of dried spring onion powder that just adds the most delicious umami onion flavour to things because the drying kinda toasts it too.

This method works really well for mushrooms. I’ve got loads of dried mushrooms. Small ones (like fairy ring champignons) can’t be dried whole on baking paper near a radiator, turning them often. Larger ones can be sliced and dried near the red radiator too. Wetter mushrooms, like the bracket mushrooms, I tend to dry them in the oven. You can air dry mushrooms by sewing a thread through them and hanging them up somewhere. I’d not freeze mushrooms cos dried works so well
Click to expand...
I freeze parsley all the time and have never gone to those lengths - I buy a large bunch, remove any rubber bands or other packaging, rinse it, put it in a clean bag and stick it in the freezer. Once frozen and when I want to take some from the bag for the first time I get the bag of frozen parsley out and bash it a few times with my hand - it breaks up into small bits - don't even need to chop it before freezing :D
 
Frozen peas are by far the best (and often better than 'fresh' but not-really-that fresh peas)
Frozen spinach bricks are a brilliant mainstay for cooking but borderline - if you want to eat loads of freshly-wilted spinach with no sauce for a veg, then it's obviously not as good frozen - but for anything like soups, stews, omelettes, frozen is brilliant once defrosted - just add it in mere seconds before serving, it will disintegrate entirely if overcooked.
Frozen sweetcorn is OK but canned is better.
Frozen carrots are only OK if you're going to put them in something else that's tasty (like roasting them up with some spice paste or chili oil or something, or into a soup/stew/sauce) - just defrosted/warmed and with butter on they're sort of woolly and mushy.
Broccoli, cauli, green beans - really not great after defrosting/warming and do lose much more taste/texture.
 
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Epona said:
I freeze parsley all the time and have never gone to those lengths - I buy a large bunch, remove any rubber bands or other packaging, rinse it, put it in a clean bag and stick it in the freezer. Once frozen and when I want to take some from the bag for the first time I get the bag of frozen parsley out and bash it a few times with my hand - it breaks up into small bits - don't even need to chop it before freezing :D
Click to expand...

I’ll try that for sure!
 
Peas and sweetcorn normally. I accidentally got green beans recently and they didnt turn to mush. I also used broad beans the other day in a risotto and they seemed ok but I have little experience of them. My experiences of other frozen veg has been negative.
 
Frozen spinach is no worse than fresh.

I do freeze herbs because I'd be wasting a lot otherwise.
 
I usually have string beans, sweetcorn, broccoli, kale and spinach in the freezer. Better steamed than boiled, only takes about 5 minutes and you can do 3 or 4 different veg in the same steamer.
 
I'm a recent convert to frozen peas thanks to Co-op frozen £5 meal deals. My favourite vegetables are broccoli, green beans, butter beans, but I never really bothered with peas, because they're too much of a faff chasing them round your plate with a fork. But then I kept getting bags of frozen peas as part of the Co-op meal deal.

I like making pea and mint risotto with them or pea and mint soup, as well as serving on the side.

I've never really got into frozen vegetables though, as others have said, they seem watery and not right. I've tried broccoli and green beans and didn't like them, prefer to stick to fresh. And I've tried those bags of mixed veg, but unless you use it up very quickly, they seem to get freezer burn and turn weird and so I chuck them out.

I got some mashed potato that was on special offer, croquette sized frozen chunks of mash. That was okay as a freezer standby for throwing a meal together from whatever was in fridge/freezer/cupboard. Although I did add lots of butter and mustard or something to it.
 
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