FREEZING FRESH CAULIFLOWER

FREEZING FRESH CAULIFLOWER

Fresh vegetables are plentiful this time of year.  You can either grow your own or find plentiful options at local farm stands and produce auctions.  Olivia found a large quantity of cauliflower at a good price at a nearby produce auction this week. 

In addition to keeping some for eating raw and roasting, we are both freezing some for future use.  If you have never preserved summer's bounty by freezing vegetables, it is an easy process. 

We are sharing how to do cauliflower.  You can process  it when it is in season or even when you see it on sale in the grocery.  The first step is to remove the outer leaves and inner core.

 Next you can cut the head into smaller pieces and wash them thoroughly.

Start a pot of boiling water with some salt in it on the stove.  When it reaches a rolling boil, place one batch at a time in the water and blanch the cauliflower for three minutes.

With a slotted spoon, place the cauliflower on towels to drain.  Draining the vegetables aids in keeping the vegetables from getting icy and deteriorating faster when frozen.

When the cauliflower has drained, place it in a quart sized freezer bag and label it.  After it has cooled down, place it in the freezer.  Most packages will keep for at least a year.  Take it out of the freezer when you are ready to eat and heat it from a frozen state for 8-9 minutes or steam it on top of the stove.  Enjoy!

-Nanette