Vegetables must be frozen when young, tender and at the peak of perfection. They should be prepared in small quantities and prepared as soon as they are picked, preferably in the early morning. Vegetables should be blanched before processing as this stops the chemical action of enzymes in the vegetable. If these are not stopped quickly, the vegetable will deteriorate and it will lose it's flavour, colour and nutritional value.

How to Blanch vegetables

Blanching is carried out by the means of plunging fresh vegetables into a pan of boiling water. Vegetables can be placed into a special blancher or into a muslim bag before being placed into the water.

Place 8 pints of water into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Lower the vegetables into the pan and cover tightly. Bring back to the boil. Blanching times are calculated from the time when the water returns back to boiling point. When done, vegetables should be removed immediately, drained, and then cooled by plunging them into iced water. Drain the veg again, pack and freeze quickly.

Artichokes (globe) - Remove outer leaves, wash thoroughly. Trim stems and remove "chokes". Blanch for 7 minutes in water with lemon juice added. Pack in boxes when drained and cool.

Asparagus - Remove woody portions and small scales. Wash well. Blanch small spears for 2 minutes, medium spears for 3 minutes and larger ones for 4 minutes. Pack in boxes or foil when drained and cooled.

Broad Beans - Shell beans, blanch for 1½ minutes. Pack in bags.

Beetroot - Use beet under 3 inches in diameter. Boil until tender, skin and cool. Pack in cartons.

Broccoli - Use compact, tender heads, trim and wash in salt water. Blanch for 3-5 minutes (depending on thickness of stalks). Pack in bags.

Brussels Sprouts - Clean and wash compact sprouts. Blanch for 3-4 minutes, depending on the size. Pack in bags.

Cabbage (Red & Green) - Wash and shred finely, Blanch for 1½ minutes. Pack in bags. Do not use raw for salads.

Carrots - Wash and scrape very young carrots, leave whole. Blanch for 3 minutes. Pack in bags.

Cauliflower - Wash and break into small sprigs. Add lemon to blanching water and blanch for 3 minutes. Pack into bags.

Celery - Scrub crisp, young stalks, cut into 1 inch lengths. Blanch for 3 minutes. Pack in bags or rigid containers, covering with blanching water. Do not use raw, but only in cooked dishes.

Corn on the Cob - Use fresh young cobs and blanch between 4-8 minutes, depending on the size. Pack individially in freezer bags or foil. Kernels can be scraped from the cob and packed in cartons.

French Beans - Top and tail, leave small beans whole, but cut larger ones into 1 inch pieces. Blanch whole beans for 3 minutes, cut ones for 2 minutes. Pack in bags.

Herbs - Wash herbs and cut very finely. Pack into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, wrap cubes in foil and pack into bags. Parsley, mint and chives all freeze very well.

Kale - Use young tender, tightly curled kale. Remove stems from leaves and blanch for 1 minute. Pack tightly into bags.

Mushrooms - Wipe fresh mushrooms, but do not peel. Blanch for 1½ minutes, adding lemon juice to the water. Pack cups dowin in cotainers, leaving headspace between each mushroom.

Onions - Peel and then chop or slice the onions. Blanch for 2 minutes and pack, overwrapping to eliminate the smell. Use in cooked dishes.

Parsnips - Peel young parsnips and cut into 1½ inch dice. Blanch for 2 minutes and pack into bags.

Peas - Shell young peas when they are sweet. Blanch for 1 minute and pack into bags.

Potatoes - Scrape new potatoes, blanch for 4 minutes and pack in polythene bags. Mash can be frozen in bags or cartons. Chips should be blanched in clean, odourless fat, drained on paper, cooled and packed into bags.

Runner Beans - Cut beans into pieces, blanch for 2 minutes. Pack in bags.

Spinach - Use young tender spinach and remove stems. Wash thoroughly and blanch for 2 minutes. Press out excess moisture and freeze in bags or containers.

Tomatoes - Wipe small, whole tomatoes and pack into bags. Use only for cooking. Tomatoes simmered in their own juice may be pulped and put through a sieve, packed in containers.

Turnips - Cut small, young, mild parsnips into ½ inch dice. Blanch for 2½ minutes. Pack in containers.