Making More Out of Monday Meals: Blanch & Shock Veggies!

Calling all Stockpilers! For this weeks Making More Out of Monday Meals, I wanted to post about one of my favorite ways to save money while stockpiling, blanching and freezing vegetables, otherwise known as Blanch and Shock Vegetable preservation!

By blanching and flash-freezing your vegetables, you will be able to save 90% off of your produce bills! If you watch your weekly sales ads, and purchase vegetables on promotion, and take a portion of all fresh produce, and freeze these goods, you will never be without health, life saving vegetables!

Here’s how to make them:

1. Take your vegetables, and prep them; wash, sort, inspect, and chop your vegetables.
2. Prepare a pot of salted water; use 1/2 teaspoon of salt per half gallon of water.
3. Bring water to a boil.
4. Put your vegetables in the boiling water for 3 minutes, no more no less; use a kitchen timer for this process.
5. While your water is boiling, take a separate bowl, and fill it with ice.
6. After 3 minutes, using a strainer, transfer your blanched produce to your prepared ice bath; soak vegetables in the ice bath for another 3 minutes, timed. The ice water will stop the internal cooking process, and flash-freeze the produce.
7. Strain, then drain your vegetables.
8. Place the produce in pre-marked and dated baggies, then freeze!
9. Enjoy your produce savings!

Please note, this will preserve veggies for up to one year in a deep freeze, and when ready to use in a recipe, allow to thaw for 2-3 hours, per baggie!