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Freeze cauliflower without blanching?

cloudy_christine

12 years ago

I'm making the cauliflower and penne dish Alexa posted on the new recipes thread, and I have an extra half-head of cauliflower. Has anyone just stuck caulflower in the freezer, and if so, how did it turn out? I know it's safe, I'm just wondering how much quality is lost.

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Comments (5)

coconut_nj
12 years ago
I've never had luck with just sticking it in the freezer without blanching. This is probably too late, but I'd have just blanched the half head in the pasta water.
cloudy_christine
Original Author
12 years ago
Not too late, Coconut. So I don't have to blanch it as florets? That would be easier. I thought about using the pasta water, but having to do the cooling after blanching made it a process I'd rather skip while cooking dinner.
Have you blanched and frozen a half-head?
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I think it depends on the veggie, the use of it, and the storage time. In this case corn. For corn, there are several factors. On cob or shucked? Blanched on cob, or blanched after taking off the cob? Freezer store time for a few weeks due to surplus, or stocking up for the winter? Do you IQF, or whole bag freeze? Ziplock bag or vacuum seal bag? Personally, for whole cob freezing.. I prefer to leave it on the cobs and halve the cobs (for easier space storage) and blanche it before IQF and either ziplock sealing for short term or vacuum sealing for long term freezing- unless the corn is less than 12 hours old, then I will often IQF it and vacuum it. But for off the cob, I prefer to shuck the cobs onto cookie sheets, and IQF it without blanching before bagging- again ziplock for short term or vacuum sealing for longer term. If I know I am going to use the corn for creamed corn, I prefer to blanch it on the cob, shuck it, then just put into bags, either ziplock or vacuum. Though most often, I shuck it raw, and oven or smoker dehydrate it, and use the cobs to make corn stock for the freezer. If you really can't hang with unblanched frozen cob corn, shuck those suckers for cream corn, and use the cobs for stock.
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coconut_nj
12 years ago
Yes.. we actually blanch whole heads..you don't really have to cool.. just don't blanch super long and let it go on a baking sheet or something, if you'd prefer to do the florets.
lindac
12 years ago
Blanching is no biggie....just dunk into boiling water and when the water reboils, remove and dunk into a bowl of icewater for a couple of minutes, bag it and freeze.
If I am blanching several things...I keep a bowl nest to the stove, pull the steamer basket out of the boiling water and into the bowl of ice water.....2 minutes, dump the veggie in the steamer basket to drain and the basket gets filled and into the pot which is boiling, add more ice to the cold bowl....and so on.
The reason you blanch before freezing is to stop the enzyme action that makes the cauliflower...or broccoli spoil...they say.
but I freeze whole ears of corn without blanching....and tomatoes....and grapes...
Hmmmmm...???
cloudy_christine
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks Coconut! Good to know.
Linda, I've blanched a lot of things but was looking for shortcuts today.

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