Produce Saving Tip: Freezing Veggies

Sometimes I got overboard! I admit it- sometimes the savings gets a hold of me and I buy too much.

For example- Onions. The 3 lb. bags are often CHEAPER than buying a single onion- and we rarely eat onions! In fact, we NEVER eat them raw only cooked. And I hate cutting them, because you’d think I had lost a high value coupon the way I boo-hoo through the whole process.

The other weak I had gotten TWO 3 lb bags of onions- not sure what came over me. As they sat in the pantry slowly getting older and older- I realized I had to do SOMETHING before they rotted away.

This is what I do to fruits and veggies (list to come below of which ones work great) are about to expire:

1. Gather my tools. Freezer bags, sharpie, knife, cutting board, bowl and produce.

2. Label the bag BEFORE you fill it.

3. Slice and Dice in whatever manner you usually cook with. For us we don’t like to actually EAT them (crazy I know) but use them for flavor so larger pieces are best for us.

4. Now fill the bag. I don’t want bit clumps but I honestly HATE how onions smell on my hands so I put the whole chunks in the bag and then shake the bag up to separate the slices.

5. Now slide the zipper 80% closed- leaving just an inch at one side open and roll the bag and the onions up like a sleeping bag- pushing all the air out. It almost looks vacuum packed! (of course this would be easier with a vacuum sealer…..hint hint in case my husband is reading). Once as much air is out, leave it rolled up and finish sealing the bag closed.

6. Now that bag is flat and sealed- into the freezer it goes! All these scraps? headed to my veggie garden to be reborn into black soil via the compost heap!

I found this website VERY useful in tips and techniques for freezing vegetables. Obviously it’s best to freeze them while still fresh. So if you buy a 3 lb bag of onions or (they are .79 for3 lbs at Aldi starting 3/28!) put up the ones you won’t use in a week in the freezer asap. You will yield a LOT more than you would buying a frozen bag, you will KNOW that they were fresh when they were frozen and you won’t have any additives to them!

See this site HERE for a great list of freezing times and tips!

*This was re-posted from 3/2012.