Vacuum packing fresh vegetable becomes especially useful if you grow your own. There will always be times during harvest when you will be overwhelmed with produce, most commonly runner beans, French beans and so on. This year I decided to do something about this abundance and set about vacuum packing all my excess vegetables which I could then enjoy over the winter months.
It is not advisable to just vacuum pack fresh vegetables for refrigeration for any length of period, the vegetable is still alive and may continue to ferment, it is much better to freeze. It is very important to blanch your vegetables prior to freezing, this will kill the vegetable and lock in colour, flavor and freshness.
With delicate vegetables like French and runner beans you need only simmer the vegetables for between 1 and 2 minutes then quickly cool down with cold running water to arrest further cooking, then drain thoroughly prior to vacuum packing. I then split them up into 500 gram portions, add a knob of butter and season to taste, then vacuum pack content in a suitably sized bag.
A fast way to cook these vegetables is to microwave them in the bag for around 3 minutes depending on the power output of your microwave. Another easy way is to boil in the bag for around 5 minutes.
The beauty of both these methods, is that the produce is not diluted in water, which intern intensifies the flavours. This method I have used for many delicate vegetables including my favorite asparagus.
Root vegetables are treated in a similar way, but the blanching process is increased to around 5 minutes. It is important to cut the vegetables to be vacuum packing in a uniform size so that they cook evenly. Root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, parsnip, beetroot and so on can benefit from this process. Do not be tempted to freeze your vegetables without blanching first.
Why vacuum pack frozen vegetables?
The benefits of vacuum packing produce prior to freezing is well acknowledged in the commercial catering world. By removing the air from around you’re produce, you also remove unwanted moisture, which when frozen will results in ice crystal formation and freezer burn. Removal of oxygen will also arrest the growth of most bacteria.
Another way of dealing with the seasonal glut is to fully cook your vegetables prior to vacuum packing and freezing. You can make up large batches of mash potatoes or dices carrots, most root vegetables will lend themselves to this process and will only require defrosting and reheating prior to eating, this can save you time and money, however with soft delicate vegetables it is better to blanch and freeze only as mentioned before, this is mainly due to the soft nature of the product which may become crushed when vacuum packed.
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