La Buena Vida Farm

This time of year, things are growing like crazy, and gardens are sometimes producing more than we can eat (or want to eat). In the winter, when fresh produce is hard to get, it’s wonderful to be able to get a taste of summer with frozen produce. Here are some tips for freezing different kinds of produce.

Zucchini or other summer squash

• Blanch, grill, or saute and freeze in plastic resealable bags.
  
• Make zucchini bread or muffins and freeze.

Tomatoes

• Put whole tomatoes in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Freeze solid (6 hours or so), and then put in a resealable bag.
• Make tomato sauce and freeze it. (It’s so convenient to have ready-to-use tomato sauce for pasta or pizza and much more delicious than canned sauce.)
• Sun- or oven-roast tomatoes and freeze them. For oven roasting, quarter or half the tomatoes, spread in a single layer on oiled cookie sheets, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh pepper. (You can add garlic and herbs as well if you like.) Bake at 225 degrees for 3-4 hours (or until done depending on the size of your tomatoes). The tomatoes will get shriveled looking as the water is removed. After they are done, you can freeze and use in a wide variety of recipes.

Greens (chard, spinach, collards, etc.)

• Blanch and freeze in plastic resealable bags.
  

Basil and other herbs

• Chop finely in a food processor adding a small amount of water to make it easy to take out. Put in ice cube trays and top with water. Freeze and then put cubes in resealable bags when frozen. (You can then pop these cubes right into soups or sauces as needed.)
• Make pesto. Then freeze in ice cube trays and put in resealable bags when frozen.

Leeks

• Cut white and pale green part into 1/2″ thick round pieces. Wash to remove any dirt. Drain. Spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Freeze solid (6 hours or so), allowing the pieces to freeze individually. Then put in a resealable bag.

Berries

• Spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Freeze solid (6 hours or so), allowing the berries to freeze individually. Then put in a resealable bag.
• If you plan to make pie, make your pie filling and freeze in resealable bags.

Apples and peaches

• Peel and cut fruit in half. Put halves in a single layer on a cookie sheet with the cut side up. Freeze solid (6 hours or so), and then put in a resealable bag.
• Lightly saute or blanch and freeze in resealable bags.
• If you plan to make pie, make your pie filling and freeze in resealable bags.

Whatever you freeze, make sure to label and date it so you can easily identify it later.