Freezing Brussels Sprouts - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Freezing Brussels Sprouts

National Center for Home Food Preservation

http://nchfp.uga.eduSlide2

Disclaimer and Document Use

This slide show is a photographic description of steps in freezing

Brussels

sprouts

at home.

Additional information

on freezing

vegetables

at

home can be found in

So Easy to Preserve

, 6

th

ed., or at http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze.html

Permission to post on other websites must be requested.

© University of

Georgia, 2017Slide3

Before Beginning the Freezing Process

Wash hands and clean your working area.

Gather and prepare materials needed.

Make sure you wear appropriate clothing, hair restraint.

Equipment list:

Cutting board, paring knife, slotted spoon, strainer

Colander, clean sink

Stovetop, blancher

(bottom, basket, lid)

M

etal bowl for ice bath, ice

Paper towels and cookie sheet

Freezer bag or rigid container, permanent marking penSlide4

Selecting and cleaning the Brussels Sprouts

Select green, firm and compact heads. Examine carefully to make sure they are free from insects.

Rinse Brussels sprouts thoroughly under running water.

Make sure there is no dirt inside of the Brussels sprouts

. Slide5

Trimming and sorting the Brussels Sprouts

Trim the end of the Brussels sprouts, remove coarse outer leaves

Sort into small, medium, and large sizes.

Discard any sprouts with insects or signs of rotting.Slide6

Blanching the Brussels Sprouts

Blanching is important because it stops enzymatic actions which can cause loss of flavor, color, and

texture during storage.

It also cleans the surface, brightens the color, helps retard loss of vitamins, and softens the Brussels sprouts.

Bring 1 gallon of water per pound of prepared vegetables to a full rolling boil.

Place Brussels sprouts in the basket insert and

lid

on

the

blancher.Slide7

Blanching the Brussels Sprouts, cont.

The water should return to a boil within 1 minute.

If not, it means there are too many Brussels sprouts for the amount of water.

Blanching time begins when the water comes to a boil again after Brussels sprouts are added.

Blanch 3 minutes for small heads, 4 minutes for medium heads, and 5 minutes for large heads. Slide8

Cooling After Blanching

After blanching, the basket of Brussels sprouts should be removed immediately and plunged into icy cold water.

The Brussels sprouts should be completely cooled before removing from the cold water. Place on clean paper towels lining the cookie sheet to drain. Slide9

Packaging for Freezing

Pat sprouts dry using clean paper towel to prevent extra moisture in the package during freezing.

A rigid freezer container and/or plastic freezer bag may be used

to store the Brussels sprouts.

The container or bag must be:

durable

and leak proof

resistant to moisture, oil and grease

able to protect foods from absorption of off flavors or odors

p

rotect food from drying out and causing freezer burn

easy to seal and mark

Make sure to wash and dry rigid freezer containers before use.

More about

freezer containers: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/containers.htmlSlide10

Labeling Containers or Bags

Label the Brussels sprouts by writing with a dark permanent maker on freezer tape or directly onto the bag/container.

The label should include: the name of the Brussels sprouts and date frozen.Slide11

Packaging the Brussels Sprouts

( Freezer Container)

Fill drained sprouts into the container.

No headspace

is needed

for

this kind of pack when filling the container. (The heads of sprouts will have room around them for expansion.)

Wipe

the rim of the container with a damp paper towel to remove any excess

water.

Seal the lid on the container, releasing all of the air.

Make sure all edges are sealed tightly before freezing. Slide12

Packaging the Brussels Sprouts (Freezer Bag)

Carefully fill the bag with Brussels sprouts, keeping the sealing area dry.

Place a single layer of Brussels sprouts inside the bag.

Seal

the freezer bag,

releasing all

of the

air.

Make sure all edges are

dry and sealed

tightly before

placing in the freezer.Slide13

Freezing the Brussels Sprouts

Place the packaged

Brussels sprouts

in the

coldest part of the freezer

in

a horizontal position.

Leave space between packages so air can circulate freely. Rapid freezing protects against the formation of large ice crystals that hurts the quality of the sprouts.

After packages are frozen, they can be moved closer together or stacked for storage.

Keep your freezer set at 0°F or lower all the time for best quality frozen vegetables

.Slide14

Enjoying the Brussels Sprouts

Enjoy

when you are ready to

eat!

B

est

if eaten within 8 to

12 months

.

Brussels sprouts can be cooked without thawing first; cook gently until just tender.

If you must thaw them before cooking, thaw in a refrigerator at

40

o

F

or colder above raw meat, poultry or seafood.Slide15

Reference and Credits

Andress

, E.L., and Harrison, J.A., Eds. (2014).

So Easy to Preserve,

6th ed. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.

This

slide set was developed by

Yi

xu

an

Wang as a student project in FDNS 5910, Department of Foods and Nutrition, The University of Georgia

. All images are original photography.

Edited

by Extension faculty and staff of the Foods and Nutrition Department, University of Georgia. Contact: Elizabeth

Andress, Ph.D., Extension Specialist, eandress@uga.edu.

Permission to post on other websites must be requested.© University of Georgia, 2017