FFF CSA - Week 5/12 - What's in your Box? - Blanching 101

As we prepare our last CSA basket of July, we are seeing the variety and quantity of what we produce grow significantly. At this time of year, we can't harvest fast enough and the week is a juggle of cooler space vs. finding time to harvest! Inevitably, we misjudge and end up with a zucchini or cucumber the size of a baseball bat! 

It is also the time of year that our CSA shareholders are required to actively put away the harvest (or eat a lot of veggies!). Each week, shareholders will need to devote a bit of time to freezing, drying or perhaps pickling to be sure that they can enjoy their veggies well into the fall and winter. 

This week I want to talk a bit about freezing produce. Many vegetables are great frozen but its imperative that you blanch them before you pop them in the freezer! Blanching stops the enzyme action that naturally occurs when they grow and ripen. Freezing only slows this action, resulting in a mushy, flavourless vegetables when you pull them out to eat! Blanching also helps maintain the nutrients within the vegetables and actually brightens their colour!

Blanching is essentially the act of scalding or immersing veggies into boiling water for a short time. This is best achieved by using a pot that has a strainer or basket that fits into it. I use my large pasta pot which has a strainer insert. Bring the water up to a boil and place the prepared/chopped vegetables into the strainer and lower into the water for the appropriate number of minutes. Each vegetable has a different recommended time depending upon how its cut/prepared and what type of vegetable. Here is a link to a handy chart that gives you some guidance on how long to blanch each vegetable. 

Once the appropriate number of minute have passed, pull the strainer out of the boiling water and cool the vegetables quickly via cold water. Otherwise the veggies continue to cook and can get mushy. You can put everything inside a bag or container and pop directly into the freezer, however, I like to lay my blanched veggies out on a cookie sheet and freeze that way before putting them in bags. This way the veggies freeze individually instead of in a large chunk, making it easier to pull out the desired quantity. 

This week you will find many vegetables that are easy and delicious frozen... peas, beans, and carrots would all work well using this method. 

A note about your beans this week! You will notice that you have a variety of beans - yellow, green and purple! Did you know that purple beans turn magically green when they are cooked? Guaranteed to impress, feel free to claim magical powers... we won't tell your kids! 

So... What's in the Box this week?

• Swiss Chard
• Lettuce
• Baby carrots
• Zucchini
• Cucumbers
• Potatoes
• Onions 
• Beans New!
• Peas 
• Bouquet of various herbs including: 
• Chives
• Parsley (flat and curled)
• Cilantro 
• Basil
• Rosemary
• Oregano

Note: We do rinse the produce but it would be prudent to wash all vegetables when you get them home. Keeping the herbs (ends) in a cup of clean water will keep them fresh longer. (unless of course, you are drying them for storage later.)

Reminder: Please return your empty box along with all re-usable containers (ice cream pails, plastic containers, etc) so that we can reuse them all over again. 

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