Blanching is the process of quickly cooking fresh vegetables in boiling water or steam. It is recommended if you are going to freeze fresh vegetables. Blanching slows or stops the action of enzymes in vegetables that cause the loss of flavor, color and texture. It also rids the vegetables of surface organisms, brightens the color, and helps protect against the loss of vitamins.
You will need a blanching basket or you can use a steaming basket. Put it in a large pot with a lid. Bring enough water to a boil to cover the vegetable, add the vegetable, cover the pot, and cook for one minute after the water returns to a boil. Rinse immediately with very cold water or place the vegetable in a bowl with ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain thoroughly before packing to freeze.
You can freeze raw vegetables that have not been blanched but the thawed texture, color and taste will not be as good as those that have been blanched before freezing.
Tomatoes, onions and peppers can be frozen without blanching. The texture of frozen tomatoes and onions, whether cut up or whole, will be softer than their frozen counterparts and are better used in cooked recipes. Frozen pepper slices hold their texture and can either be eaten raw or used in cooked recipes.
