Broccoli can be frozen for up to a year and is easy to prepare. Blanching is necessary to stop enzyme action and kill bacteria. Frozen broccoli can be used in various ways.
Broccoli belongs to the brassica family and is a nutrient-rich vegetable. It’s a common practice to freeze broccoli for non-seasonal use or for use in areas where fresh green vegetables aren’t always available. Plus, it’s pretty quick and easy to freeze broccoli. Frozen broccoli can be kept in the freezer in good condition for up to a year.
To start with, you need a batch of fresh broccoli with small, tight, unopened florets. If you harvest broccoli at home, it will help you know that vegetables that are harvested earlier in the day tend to retain their flavor more. Either way, whether it’s purchased or homemade, you need to freeze broccoli on the same day as it tends to shrivel quickly and otherwise lose nutrients.
After washing the green vegetables under running water, the broccoli will need to be stripped of any outer leaves and thick stem, and then can be divided into separate florets. Many cooks soak sections of the floret in salt water for about an hour to kill off any bugs or insects, but, of course, if the broccoli is bug-free, this step isn’t necessary. The florets are then immersed in a pot of boiling water and boiled for 2-3 minutes. It is important not to over-boil as this can cause the frozen broccoli to spoil prematurely later.
The boiled broccoli stems are then immediately immersed in ice water; by dropping the hot stems into cold water, the cooking process is halted. This whole process is known as blanching and is done to stop the action of the enzyme in the vegetables and to kill any existing bacteria. This process makes it possible to keep broccoli for a long time. Vegetables retain their color, texture and flavor to a great extent and do not spoil in deep freezing; if you tried to freeze raw broccoli, it would turn brown and spoil within a few days.
The blanched broccoli florets are drained and left to dry at room temperature. To freeze broccoli, the florets are packaged in airtight plastic bags or plastic containers and placed in the freezer. Frozen broccoli can be used in a variety of ways throughout the year. It can be boiled, steamed, fried and roasted; it will help remind you that because it has already gone through the blanching process, the broccoli will only need a few minutes to cook.
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