| Vegetable | Preparing | Blanching | Packing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asparagus | Snap off tough ends and wash well. Cut in uniform lengths. | Medium - 3 minutes Large - 4 minutes |
Chill, drain and pack. |
| Beans, green or wax | Trim ends. Leave whole or cut in 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces or lengthwise in strips (French cut). | Cut - 3 minutes Whole - 4 minutes |
Chill, drain and pack. |
| Beets | Leave root ends on. Cut off tops leaving 1-inch (2.5 cm) stems. Cook in boiling water until tender. Cool. Peel, slice or dice. | None. | Pack |
| Broccoli* | Remove woody stems and trim. Cut through stalks so that pieces are not more than 1-inch (2.5 cm) across. | Medium - 3 minutes Large - 4 minutes |
Chill, drain and pack. |
| Brussels sprouts* | Trim stems and remove outer leaves. | Small - 3 minutes Medium - 4 minutes Large - 5 minutes |
Chill, drain and pack. |
| Cabbage | Trim outer leaves and core. Cut in wedges or shred coarsely. | Wedges - 2 minutes Shredded - 1 minute |
Chill, drain and pack. |
| Carrots | Remove tops. Scrape or peel. Leave small carrots whole. Cut large carrots in 1/2-inch (1 cm) slices or dice or cut lengthwise in fingers. | Cut - 3 minutes Whole - 5 minutes |
Chill, drain and pack. |
| Cauliflower* | Break heads into small florets about 1-inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. | 3 minutes | Chill, drain and pack. |
| Corn, whole kernel | Remove husks and silk. Cut kernels from corn. | 4 minutes | Chill, drain and pack. |
| Corn, on cob | Remove husks and silk, trim cobs to even length. | Small - 7 minutes Medium - 9 minutes Large - 11 minutes |
Spread ears out on a tray until frozen; pack in freezer bags. |
| Fiddleheads | Leave whole | 2 minutes | Chill and drain. Pack or freeze on tray before packing. |
| Herbs – basil, dill, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon | Chop | None | Freeze on tray before packing. |
| Mushrooms | Slice. Sauté 2 cups (500 mL) mushrooms in 2 tbsp (25 mL) butter for 4 minutes. | None | Drain and pack. |
| Onions | Remove outer skin, root and stem ends. Chop. | None | Pack or freeze on tray before packing. |
| Parsnips | Remove stem and root ends. Peel. Cut in 1-inch (2.5 cm) fingers or 1/2-inch (1 cm) slices. | Fingers - 1 minute Slices - 1 minute |
Chill, drain and pack. |
| Rutabaga | Peel, dice and blanch. | 2 minutes | Chill, drain and pack. |
| Peas, shelled | Shell | 2 minutes | Chill, drain and pack. |
| Peas, snow or sugar snap | Remove stems. | 1 ½ to 2 minutes | Chill, drain and pack. |
| Peppers-green, red, yellow or orange | Remove stem and seeds. Cut into halves, quarters, slices, slivers or dice. | None | Pack |
| Potatoes** | Please refer to bottom of chart. | ||
| Pumpkin | Cut or break apart, remove seeds and fibres. Cut in chunks. Steam, boil or bake until tender. Cool and scoop from rind. Mash or sieve. | None | Pack |
| Spinach, chard, other greens | Wash thoroughly. Discard tough stems. Separate leaves from stalks in 5-inch (10 cm) lengths. | 2 minutes | Chill, drain and pack. |
| Squash-summer | Cut in 1/2 inch (1 cm) slices. | 2 minutes | Chill and drain. Freeze on tray before packing. |
| Squash-winter | Cut in serving-size pieces. Steam until tender. | None | Pack |
| Squash-acorn | Cut in chunks. Steam, boil or bake until tender. Cool, scoop from rind and mash. | None | Pack |
| Squash-butternut | Peel and dice. Cook and mash. |
None | Pack |
| Squash-Hubbard | Cook and mash. | None | Pack |
| Tomatoes | Peel by dipping in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds. Cool in cold water. Gently slip off skin. Cut in quarters. Add 1 tsp (5 mL) salt, dash pepper and 1 tsp (5 mL) sugar to 2 lb (1 kg) tomatoes. Cook gently until tender (5 to 6 minutes). | None | Pack |
* To remove insects that may be present in broccoli, Brussels sprouts or cauliflower, immerse prepared vegetable for 15 minutes in 1 quart (1 L) water and 2 tbsp (25 mL) salt. Rinse thoroughly.
**Do not freeze boiled or plain baked potatoes. Freeze mashed potatoes by shaping into mounds or patties, freeze on baking sheet, then package in freezer bags or freezer wrap. Store for 1 month only. To cook, place on baking sheet, brush with melted butter or margarine and bake at 425° (220°C) until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
