The idea of preserving your own fruits and vegetables seems quaint in the bustling 1980s. While you might like to try it, where are you going to work it into your schedule? Between Little League and swimming lessons? Between dinner and the late news?
For beginners, the fastest and simplest method of food preserving is freezing. The temptation is strong to work it in, for the bounty of fresh summer produce currently available will never be better suited to preserving, nor cheaper.
Today`s families admittedly have to do some planning to embark on new adventures like putting up their own fresh produce. But it can be a fun Saturday project that will provide fresher, more economical meals the year around.
For best results, plan ahead. Before you purchase or pick your fruits and vegetables, assemble an assortment of containers in which to freeze and store them. The easiest to use are plastic bags made for freezing; they can be sealed and frozen flat. You`ll need rigid containers for foods that are soft or liquid at room temperature. Aluminum foil or wax-coated cardboard cartons and plastic containers are especially handy because they`re stackable.
You can freeze individual pieces-whole strawberries, broccoli florets and such-on baking sheets or in ice cube trays, then repackage them in plastic bags once they`re frozen. This allows you to thaw as much as you like without the whole bag sticking together. (They thaw faster individually, too.)
And, finally, don`t forget to buy freezer tape, which has adhesive that isn`t fazed by cold. It`s perfect for sealing or labeling packages. A permanent-ink pen is also a must. Label with the contents of the package, number of servings and the date before which it has to be used. If it`s part of a particular recipe, such as a sauce for lasagna, include the page number of the cookbook so you can find the instructions when you need them.
Hot foods to be frozen should be cooled as quickly as possible. Set them in the refrigerator or in a big pan in a sinkful of ice. The idea is to minimize the time that the food spends between 45 degrees and 140 degrees, to inhibit the growth of bacteria.
Here are some guidelines for freezing fresh produce. Veteran cooks may be able to freeze produce successfully from this information. If you`re a novice, invest in a book with more specific instructions. These can be found in the cookbook or gardening section of your local bookstore.
FRUIT
Have you ever noticed that many commercially prepared fruits are packaged in syrup? The sugar in the syrup helps preserve the shape and texture of the pieces and reduces enzymatic oxidation, which causes spoilage. Water isn`t enough to do the job; in fact, it leaches out the fruit`s natural color and flavor. But if you`re calorie-conscious, you can lighten the syrup, using as little as one cup of sugar to four cups of water. Some people substitute bottled or canned fruit juices, such as apple, pineapple or cranberry. Remember, though, that without the higher concentration of sugar in your packing liquid, the fruit will be mushier when it`s thawed.
Juicy fruits such as plums, peaches and apricots don`t necessarily need syrup; sprinkle on a little sugar and they practically make their own. This type of preparation is called sweetened dry pack. Guard against discoloration by dipping the fruit in ascorbic acid dissolved in water. Commercial preparations, such as Fruit Fresh, contain both ascorbic acid and sugar in easy-to-use powder form. A few purists use lemon juice as an antioxidant, but it`s generally not as effective as the other agents, and it imparts an unmistakable tang to the fruit.
With the unsweetened dry pack method, you treat the fruit with an antioxidant such as Fruit Fresh if necessary, then freeze it on single-layer baking sheets to package when it`s fully frozen. Generally you use an antioxidant with fruits that tend to discolor, such as bananas, apples, pears and peaches. It`s easy, but unsweetened fruits last only three to six months in the freezer; sweetened dry pack and fruits in syrup last eight months to a year.
VEGETABLES
Many vegetables need to be blanched, then cooled quickly, before being frozen; blanching kills bacteria and other potentially bad enzymes. It`s not necessary for all vegetables, though. In fact, some cooks insist that green beans, broccoli and summer squash are better and less mushy if frozen unblanched, as are whole tomatoes, peppers and chopped onions.
Blanching is not as imposing as it sounds. You need a big pot with a tight-fitting lid, and a colander or mesh basket that can be lifted into and out of the pot. The basket should hold at least one pound of veggies.
Boil one gallon of water for each pound of produce. (You can use the same water for several batches.) When it`s boiling hard, lower the colander full of vegetables into the water and cover the pot. How long to boil? Properly blanched vegetables are firm yet tender and are heated through to the center. For most vegetables, that means two to five minutes, submerged.
Start counting when the water returns to a boil. When the time is up, plunge the vegetables into a bowl or sinkful of ice water, or run cold water over them until they have cooled completely. Pat them dry before packaging and freezing.
You can even blanch in your microwave, but you must cut the vegetables into uniform pieces, and blanch only one pound at a time. Don`t salt them, and add about one-quarter cup of water. How long to microwave? Use one-half the regular cooking time, and stir them halfway through the blanching process. You still have to plunge them into cold water and blot dry.
Vegetables can be stored in the freezer from 8 to 12 months.
If all this buying, blanching and blotting has your head in a spin, remember: First, you plan. Then you buy and organize your supplies. On the day you bring home the produce, delegate tasks to family members. Who trims and slices? Who boils the water? Who sprinkles the sugar? Who labels the containers? And finally, who gets to enjoy fresh frozen peaches in December?
When you put it that way, they should all line up to help.
Freezing raw materials is fine, but we thought you`d enjoy an assortment of prepared dishes in your freezer. These recipes are designed to be frozen.
This fresh pear pie recipe is adapted from Betty Crocker`s ”Do-Ahead Cookbook” (Golden Press, $6.95).
FRESH PEAR PIE
Six to eight servings
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 40 to 50 minutes
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon mace, optional
4 cups sliced pared fresh pears, about 7 medium pears
Pastry for a 9-inch 2-crust pie
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix sugar, flour and mace; toss with pears. Turn into pastry-lined pie pan; sprinkle lemon juice on pears and dot with butter. Cover with top crust; cut slits in crust, seal securely and flute edges. Cover edges of pastry with 2- to 3-inch strips of foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil 15 minutes before pie is done.
2. Bake until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, 40 to 50 minutes. Can be served immediately.
To freeze: Cool the pie until barely warm, about 2 hours. Freeze uncovered (about 3 hours) until pie is completely frozen. Then wrap the pie in foil or plastic wrap, label and return to freezer. Thaw at room temperature for 1 hour, then heat at 375 degrees on lowest rack in oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Store no longer than 6 months in freezer.
Apple pie: Use the same recipe with these ingredient changes: 3/4 cup sugar; 1/4 cup flour; 6 cups of thinly sliced pared tart apples-about 6 medium apples-and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon instead of mace.
The following jam recipe is adpated from ”Freezing and Drying” by Charlotte Walker (Ortho Books, $5.95).
SPICY BLUEBERRY FREEZER JAM
About 6 1/2 cups
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 minute
2 1/2 pints blueberries, or any fleshy fruit, such as cherries, peaches or strawberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 package (1 3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin
1. In a large bowl, crush blueberries one layer at a time. (Crushing too many at once inhibits the free flow of the juice.) Place 3 cups of the crushed fruit in a large nonaluminum pan. Stir in lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Thoroughly mix sugar into the fruit. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. Combine water and pectin in a saucepan. Bring to a full boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir hot pectin liquid into fruit and continue to stir vigorously for 3 minutes to distribute pectin. Ladle into freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch space at the top of each pint. Cover with lids and let stand at room temperature until the jam is set, which may take as long as 24 hours. Freeze or refrigerate. (It will last up to three weeks in the refrigerator.)
To freeze: Store jars in the freezer after jam is set. It will keep, frozen, up to 8 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
This recipe is adapted from the ”The Star of Texas Cookbook” by the Junior League of Houston (Doubleday & Co., $19.95). It makes a tasty dip or delicious garnish for fajitas, burritos or enchiladas. It keeps for days in the refrigerator or can be frozen in plastic containers.
SALSA PICO DE GALLO
Makes 2 quarts
Preparation time: 15 minutes
2 pounds tomatoes
2 small onions
6 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded
10 sprigs fresh cilantro (coriander)
Salt to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
1. Chop tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and cilantro in small pieces. Do not use blender or processor. Mix together. Add salt and lemon juice. Mix well. Refrigerate up to 5 days.
To freeze: Pack salsa in tight-sealing plastic containers; refrigerate up to three months. Thaw in refrigerator.
