Food Preservation
Introduction
Given a deep freeze, and a constant supply of electricity, any fool can preserve
practically anything, and provided the maker's instructions are followed (ie
air is excluded from the food and food is not kept too long) the food is nearly
as good as new. But deep freezes are very expensive, and likely to get more
so, and do not last for ever, and are a resource-consuming method of preserving
food. They are, besides, unnecessary, and you can preserve all you need to
preserve perfectly well without them, and it is far more fun.
VEGETABLES
In any climate between tropical and temperate you do not need to preserve
many vegetables, because with good husbandry you can pick fresh vegetables
all the year round, and the fact that you cannot have any one vegetable fresh
every monthh of the year is a good fact. It is excellent, for example, to
have to go without peas for seven or eight months, and then have the real
gastronomic thrill of new peas in June when they arrive. Brussels sprouts,
broccoli, cauliflower, hearted cabbage, `roots' (turnips, swedes, beet), and
above all celery can be made to last right through the winter and it is very
nice not to have to eat them any more when the spring comes.
In cold climates people preserve cabbages by clamping them (putting in a heap
outside, covering with straw or bracken and covering this with earth, but
leaving air holes alow and aloft) or-colder stillkeeping them in the root
cellar. In North America the root cellar is universal, clamping not being
sufficient against the intense cold.
In Eastern Europe another method used is sauerkraut, which is not only a method
of preserving cabbage but is very nice as an end in itself. Wash the inside
of a wood or earthenware crock with vinegar, line it with cabbage leaves,
shred 12 lbs of cabbage, mix with 8 oz salt, thump in tight, cover with whole
cabbage leaves, stir occasionally for first three weeks, then leave covered
until you want it. To use, drain, drop in boiling water, and boil for two
hours.
All 'roots' and potatoes can be clamped in English-style climate-root cellared
in colder. The root cellar must be frost-free, cleaned out well and aired
every summer.
Peas, beans, pulses, soya etc can be well dried in the wind and sun when they
are quite ripe (ie brown and brittle), and either hung in bunches from a roof
(frost doesn't matter with them) or stacked in the dry. Thresh with a flail
or over the back of a chair when you want them, store in bins or crocks.
Onions should be well sun-and-wind dried, strung and hung up, preferably in
the wind but not too much rain.
Tomatoes can be bottled when ripe thus: wash in cold water, put in bottles,
fill with brine of ½ oz salt to a quart of water, put screw tops on loose,
place in large kettle of cold water covering tops and bring slowly to 190°F
or 88°C. Keep at this for half an hour. Haul bottles out of water and
screw tops tight immediately. Kilner Jars, designed for the purpose, are hard
to get now, but OMCS (Old Mother Common Sense) will suggest other methods.
Pouring molten wax or fat on top of food in a bottle seats the contents from
bacteria for example.
The principle of all bottling is to destroy the putrefactive bacteria of the
food by heat-then prevent the entry of more by sealing. Green tomatoes can
be wrapped in soft stuff or tissue and laid in a drawer not touching each
other. Some will ripen and some will go bad. Or they can be chutneyed. A pound
of green tomatoes cut up, half a pound of onions chopped, an ounce of salt,
two teaspoonfuls cayenne pepper, 1½ pints vinegar, 1½ lbs brown
sugar or honey, ½ lb raisins, simmer till it goes thick, and bottle in
hot sterilized jars. You don't need screw-tops-greased paper will do. Chutneys
can be made of nearly anything.
Pickling is done by laying the stuff in salt for a day (to draw some moisture
out), rinsing and covering with cold vinegar. Runner beans: shred and thump
down tight in crock with plenty of dry salt.
FRUIT
Pears can be quartered, put in brine (an ounce of salt to one gallon of water)
for a minute (stops them going brown) then dry on trays at 100°F (38°C)
raising to 150°F (66°C) for five hours. Plums etc can be turned into
prunes by dipping in lye made of one ounce caustic soda in one gallon of water
for a few minutes-then washing very well and laying on trays over stove at
120°F (50°C) raising to 160°F (71°C) very slowly (or they'll
burst). Keep in heat for two days. Soak for 12 hours before using. These are
a rich source of vitamin A. Apples will keep if not bruised and Paid on spore-free
shelves not touching each other, well ventilated, away from frost and at an
even temperature.
FISH
Salt herring, mackerel or pilchards by gutting and laying down in dry salt
in barrel or crock. OMCS should tell how much salt. When required pull out
and soak for twelve hours with changes of water if under two months in salt,
progressively longer if salting has been longer. Soak at least 48 hours after
six months' salting. Then cook, or pickle by putting in cold vinegar with
onion and peppercorns etc for a week or two. Pickled fish, such as rollmops
(pickled herrings), will keep a month or so-no longer. For thick white fish
such as cod, split, rip out backbone, pile in dry salt and let brine run away
(cf oily fish where you let the fish lie in its own brine in a tub), After
15 days for a big cod, but less with smaller fish, pull out of heap and lay
the fish in sun and wind (not rain) for a few days. Soak for at least 36 hours
before you cook it.
MEAT
Bacon is the side of a pig, ham is its hind quarters. Rub in dry salt for
three days, then leave bacon heaped in dry salt for two weeks, ham for three.
Hang up. This sounds ridiculously simple but really is all you do. A tiny
pinch of saltpetre sprinkled on the cut part before you salt helps keep the
colour, and a handful of brown sugar rubbed on at that time gives sweetness.
But care and OMCS must be used at all stages, otherwise disaster can ensue.
You can hang in cool smoke for a week, if you want to, after salting.
Pickled pork, beef, mutton: cut meat up and put in brine (salt and water)
which is strong enough to float a potato. Boil the brine to sterilize and
dissolve all salt-then cool. Weigh meat down with a plank with a stone on
it to keep from air. Soak well before cooking. Large hunks of beef (eg silverside)
can be treated this way, then soaked and boiled.
MILK
Summer flush can be preserved for winter by making it into hard cheese, but
you must get good advice or it will be uneatable. Butter can be well salted
and flung hard into a sterilized (scalded then wind-dried) crock or tub, rammed
in hard with the fist to exclude all air. Cover with greaseproof paper and
leave. Wash by squodging in cold water to remove excess salt before eating.
It will
keep all through winter. In a hot climate make ghee.
Simmer the butter gently for an hour, skim the scum off, pour into a sterilized
container and cover. Cook with it.
CORN
(Wheat, barley, oats and rye in England). Either stack it in its straw and
thresh when required, or thresh it in the field with combine harvester and
then artificially dry, or do what the Ancient Britons did-keep it in air-tight
containers, when its own carbon dioxide will preserve it from moulds.
And may you survive the Hungry Gap as our forefathers did of old. .
Storing, Drying, Bottling and Freezing
Many root and green vegetables will stay happily in the ground, but it is often
more convenient to harvest vegetables and store them by clamping, drying or
freezing. Fruits may be bottled or frozen. Home canning is now rarely practised
and it is difficult to find the equipment.
DRY STORAGE
A frostproof shed, cellar or attic can be used for many types of root vegetables
and for fruit, and no equipment is necessary, except for a few old boxes and
some straw.
Apples and Pears: The apples which ripen latest store best. Do not put apples into store immediately after picking, but let them cool and sweat in an airy place before storing. Store in a dark, cool, slightly moist place. Keep different varieties separately and stack them in boxes which have a space between (tomato boxes are ideal as they can be divided by the upstanding corners). Store special eating apples by wrapping them individually in sheets of newspaper before packing into boxes. Pears may be kept in the same way but should be inspected frequently, as they ripen very suddenly. Remove unsound fruit regularly.
Beetroot: Cover with straw, or put into a box covered with sand.Carrots: Lift by mid-November and store in boxes raised
above ground level on bricks in a cool shed.
Marrows and Pumpkins: Store in a cool dry place away from frost.
Marrows may also be cut when ripe, but not old, with plenty of stalk on them.
Seal the stalk end with candle wax. Tie a piece of tape, which will not cut
the skin, round each end of the marrow, and hang in a cool dry place.
Onions: Tie in bunches or plait in strings and hang in an airy place. Parsnips Store under straw in a cool shed. Potatoes: Store in hessian or paper sacks indoors. Turnips Store in a heap under straw or sand in a cool shed.
CLAMPING
When indoor storage space is scarce, root crops may be stored in outdoor clamps which will take large quantities of vegetables. See that the ground is dry, and only store roots that have grown to maturity and are thoroughly dry. Pile the roots in a ridge and cover them with a 12.5-cm (5-in) layer of dry straw which is completely clean. Put a 15-cm (6-in) layer of sifted soil over the whole clamp, pressing it down firmly. A small vent must be made at the top with either a few strands of straw or a small pipe. Dig a trench around the sides of the clamp for drainage, and rake or fork in some cinders or stones. The trench should be about 15 cm (6 in) below the level of the ground on which the vegetables are standing. Whenever the clamp is opened, it should be sealed again with more straw and soil. The clamp should not be opened in wet or frosty weather.
SALTING
Runner beans can be salted for storage in a large earthenware jar or in a glass preserving jar. Use block cooking salt, not table salt, for this preservation method.
Pick the beans when young and tender and preserve them while very fresh. Wash the beans, dry them in a cloth and slice as for cooking. Put a layer of salt in the container, then beans. Continue in layers, finishing with salt. Press well down and cover for a few days until the beans have sunk down in the container. Top up with more beans and salt and then exclude
the air from the container with an airtight lid or cork. Be liberal with the salt, or the beans will be slimy and useless. About 450 g (1 lb) salt will be needed for each 1.35 kg (3 lb) beans.
Wash the beans very thoroughly in plenty of fresh cold water before use, and leave them to soak for 2 hours in cold water. Do not soak them overnight or they will become tough. Cook in boiling water as usual.
DRYING
Drying needs no special equipment, but food must be dried slowly because it is important that it does dry, not scorch or cook.
Peas and beans, onions and leeks, mushrooms, apples, pears and plums can all be dried in a very low oven, on the slatted shelves of an airing cupboard, or on a shelf over a solid fuel cooker. In a cupboard or over a cooker, the food should be spread out on a wire cake rack and covered lightly with muslin to prevent dust contamination. There should be a constant gentle heat with a current of air to carry away moisture, so that a cupboard or oven door must be left slightly open. The ideal heat for drying is no more than 70°C (I50°F)/Gas 4. All dried foods must be completely cold before being packed into jars or boxes with tightly-fitting lids. They should be stored in a dry, airy, dark place if possible, as light causes colour changes. Any sign of mould indicates that the food was not properly dried, or that the storage place is warm and damp. Do not use dried foods if they seem musty or sour-smelling.
Apples Use firm, juicy, crisp apples which are not over-ripe. Peel and core them, and cut them into 0.5-cm (½-in) rings. Put them in a solution of 25 g (I oz) salt to 2 litres (4 pints) water for 10 minutes. Drain them and thread on thin sticks, and rest the sticks on oven racks so that the apple rings do not touch each other. Dry until the apples are like dry chamois leather but pliable. Cool thoroughly and pack in jars. Soak overnight before using and cook in soaking water.
Mushrooms Use very fresh, open mushrooms for drying and remove the stems. Wipe with a damp cloth, and thread the mushrooms on a fine string with a knot between each to prevent them touching. Hang them in oven from the oven rack, or in a warm airy place which is not steamy, and dry as for other vegetables. When ready for storing, the mushrooms will be like dry chamois leather. Store in Jars. Soak in cold water for a few minutes before frying or grilling, or add to casseroles and soups while still dry.
Onions and Leeks Peel medium-sized onions and cut them into slices about 0.5 cm (½-in) thick. Separate the slices into rings, and use the inner rings for immediate cooking as they are too small for drying. Put the larger rings into fast boiling water for 30 seconds, drain in a colander and chill in cold water. Drain and dry with kitchen paper. Spread them on a rack and dry in the oven. When the rings are crisp and dry, cool and store in jars or boxes. Leeks should be well cleaned and cut in strips before blanching for I5 seconds and drying as for onions. Soak onions and leeks for 30 minutes in cold water before using.
Pears Pears should be firm but ripe, and after peeling they should be cut in halves and the cores removed. Put into salt water as for apples, but for 5 minutes only. Drain and arrange on a wire cake rack covered with muslin, dry in a warm oven until the pears are rubbery but not coloured, and store. Soak overnight before using and cook in soaking water.
Peas and Beans Leave marrowfat peas and haricot beans on the plants until dry and withered. Pull up the plants and hang them in an airy shed. Shell the peas and beans and spread them on a tray in a warm place. When they are completely hard and dry, store in an airtight container in a cool dark place. Soak overnight in cold water before using.
Plums Use firm ripe purple plums and dry them whole or in halves with the stones removed. Spread them on a wire rack covered with muslin, with the cut side uppermost to prevent juice running out. The temperature for drying plums should be low so that the pulp dries without the skins hardening too quickly. The fruit is ready when it can be squeezed without any moisture coming out. Cool thoroughly before packing. Soak overnight before using and cook in soaking water.
BOTTLING
There are two main methods of bottling fruit: sterilisation in a water-bath or heating in a moderate oven. (It is not advisable to battle vegetables unless you use a pressure cooker, and complete accuracy is required.)
Packing the Fruit
Pack soft fruit in the bottles as tightly as possible without bruising, and add syrup or water every four layers as packing continues. Pack hard fruit tightly, and fill with syrup or water after packing, giving the bottles a sharp jerk to remove air bubbles. A long-handled wooden spoon is best to pack with.
For tomatoes, use brine made from 15 g (2 oz) salt to 875 ml (1½ pints)water.
For apples, use a syrup made from 225 g (8 oz) sugar to 500 ml (I pint) water; soft fruit and pears can be bottled in heavy syrup using 350 g (12 oz) sugar to 5 00 ml (I pint) water. To make the syrup, dissolve the sugar in half the water, boil for 2 minutes, then add remaining water and strain. Use when cold.
Water-bath Method
Use screw-band bottles, either with glass lids and rubber rings, or with a
metal lid fitted with a rubber ring and a screw-band. If jars with glass lids
are used, new rubber rings must always be used to ensure a satisfactory seal.
A large container is needed for holding the water on the stove. The container
must be deep enough to hold enough water to cover the bottles completely.
A wire or wooden rack, or a thick pad of newspaper, must be used to form a
false bottom to the pan, so that bottles do not come in direct contact with
heat. A thermometer is essential for this method.
After packing firmly, cover the fruit with cold syrup (or tomatoes with brine),
put the lid on, secure it, and loosen the screw-band a quarter of a turn.
The bottles should then be completely covered with cold water, and the pan
covered with a lid or board. Bring the water slowly to the boil, allowing
1 hour for it to rise to 55°C (130°F). Raise the water to the required
temperature, according to the fruit, in 30 minutes, and process for the length
of time required (see page 9o). Remove the jars from the water and tighten
the screw-bands.
Oven Method
Pack in the same way as for the water-bath method. Preheat the oven to I50°C
(300°F)/Gas 2. Pour boiling syrup or brine on the fruit or tomatoes, leaving
2.5 cm (1 in) headspace. Put the lids on top, but not the screwbands. Put
the bottles on a baking tray thickly lined with newspaper, and do not let
the bottles touch each other. Place them in the centre of the oven, process
for the length of time shown below, and then remove from the oven and screw
on the bands.
Testing the Seal
When the screw-bands have been tightened after processing, the jars should
be left for 24 hours. Then take off the bands, and lift the bottles carefully
by the lids. If they are secure, the seal is complete. If the seal is not
complete, the fruit can be re-processed (though it may become rather soft)
or it can be used at once.
| FRUIT | Water-bath temperature |
Time maintained | Oven method 150°C(300°F) Gas 2 |
| Apples | 74°C (165°F) | 10mins | 40mins |
| Blackberries | 74°C (165°F) | 10mins | 40mins |
| Gooseberries | 74°C (165°F) | 10mins | 40mins |
| Raspberries | 74°C (165°F) | 10mins | 40mins |
| Rhubarb | 74°C (165°F) | 10mins | 40mins |
| Strawberries | 74°C (165°F) | 10mins | 40mins |
| Apricots | 83°C (180°F) | 15mins | 50mins |
| Cherries | 83°C (180°F) | 15mins | 50mins |
| Currants | 83°C (180°F) | 15mins | 50mins |
| Damsons | 83°C (180°F) | 15mins | 50mins |
| Greengages | 83°C (180°F) | 15mins | 50mins |
| Plums | 83°C (180°F) | 15mins | 50mins |
| Pears | 88°C (190°F) | 30mins | 70mins |
| Tomatoes in brine | 88°C (190°F) | 30mins | 70mins |
FREEZING
Freezing is the best way of preserving most fruit and vegetables because it retains flavour, colour and texture, and nutritive value. Only freeze young tender vegetables and fresh ripe fruit, and process immediately after harvesting. Harvest regularly each day and freeze produce at once, rather than waiting until a large batch is ready, by which time some vegetables will be tough and stringy, and fruit will be over-ripe. It is recommended that no more than 0.35 kg (3 lb) of fresh produce should be frozen for each 2.8 litres (cubic foot) of freezer space at any one time. It takes about 6 hours to freeze garden produce hard, so it is possible to freeze two batches in one day.
Vegetables
Prepare vegetables only just before freezing. Make plenty of extra ice and
store it in the freezer during the peak freezing season, as a great deal is
needed during preparation. Put on the fast-freeze switch 2-3 hours before
freezing.
Wash vegetables thoroughly in cold water, grade them into sizes or cut them
if necessary. It is possible to freeze unblanched vegetables for storage up
to 3 months, but they quickly lose colour, flavour and nutritive value, and
it is a pity to spoil top-quality garden produce by neglecting correct preparation.
It is essential to blanch vegetables if you are going to freeze them for more
than 3 months.
Over-blanching results in flabby, colourless vegetables, and under-blanching
means a colour change and loss of nutritive value. Put 4.5 litres (8 pints)
water into a saucepan, and put a blanching basket in the pan. Bring the water
to the boil and add the vegetables. Only blanch 450g (1 lb) vegetables at
a time. Cover with a lid, and bring the water back to the boil quickly. Start
timing as soon as it boils, and immediately the time is up, take out the blanching
basket. Tip the vegetables into a colander standing in a bowl of cold water
and ice cubes. (Running water from a tap is not cold enough to chill vegetables
properly.) Chill for the same length of time as the vegetables were blanched.
Drain thoroughly and open-freeze or pack at once. Put bags in single layers
in the fast-freeze compartment or, in an older freezer, see that each bag
touches the sides or bottom of the freezer.
Many vegetables can be open-frozen before they are stored in the freezer,
so that they are frozen individually and will flow freely when packed. To
do this, use a baking sheet or tray, or a polythene box lid, or a special
fast-freeze tray with foil lining. Spread out the vegetables in a single layer
and freeze till hard. Pack in bags or rigid containers, excluding air.
Most vegetables keep well for 12 months in the freezer, but about 9 months
is usually the maximum required before new produce is in season again. Salad
vegetables which contain a lot of water, such as lettuce and radishes, are
not suitable for freezing. A few items such as celery, chicory and tomatoes
can be frozen, but are then only useful for cooking and cannot be eaten raw
after freezing. If freezer space is short, freeze the luxury vegetable produce
such as asparagus and artichokes, and peas, beans and courgettes.
Fruit
Fruit does not change its character appreciably during freezing, and frozen
fruit, unlike bottled fruit, will taste freshly picked. Freeze only top-quality
fruit which is perfectly ripe but not over-ripe. Freeze immediately after
picking and work with small quantities which can be prepared quickly.
Wash fruit in ice-chilled water to firm it before processing so that no juice
is lost. Extract any stems or stones carefully to avoid juice loss. Pack fruit
in a variety of ways for best results. An unsweetened dry pack is very satisfactory,
as the fruit can then be used in many different ways. A sweetened dry pack
is good for juicy fruits, but the sugar tends to draw out juice and results
in mushiness in thawing, as well as making the fruit too sweet for some people's
taste and for many recipes. Fruit in syrup is useful for speedy service but
is limited in use for making up into recipes. Fruit purees take up little
space in the freezer and are useful for making ices, mousses and fools later.
Unsweetened Dry Pack Dry fruit after washing and pack in bags or rigid containers. If liked, open-freeze fruit before packing. Any light-coloured fruit which discolours badly should not be packed without sugar, as this helps to retard the action of the enzymes which cause darkening.
Sweetened Dry Pack Mix the required sugar with the fruit
before packing, or arrange layers of fruit and sugar in a rigid pack, starting
with fruit and ending with a sugar layer.
Syrup Pack Syrup for freezing fruit should be made with white
sugar and water. Brown sugar and honey affect the colour and flavour of fruit.
The sugar should be dissolved in boiling water and cooled completely before
use. A little lemon juice or citric or abscorbic acid should be added for
apples, peaches and pears, which discolour easily.
Syrups are usually prepared in three strengths
Light syrup: 225 g (8 oz) sugar to 500 ml (1 pint)
water
Medium syrup: 350 g (12 oz) sugar to 500 ml (1 pint)
water
Heavy syrup: 450 g (1 lb) sugar to 500 ml (1 pint)
water
Fruit should be packed into rigid containers and covered with syrup, allowing
1cm (½ in) headspace for expansion. For light-coloured fruit, this space
should be filled with crumpled foil or freezer paper to prevent fruit rising
above the syrup and discolouring on contact with the air.
Fruit puree may be either raw or cooked, and should be sweetened
to taste before freezing.
Apples, peaches and pears are particularly subject to darkening during preparation,
storage and thawing. Vitamin C, in the form of lemon juice, citric or ascorbic
acid, helps to prevent this, and can be added to dry sugar packs or syrup.
Fruit puree darkens easily because of the amount of air forced through the
sieve. Fruit keeps well for 12 months in the freezer, but fruit puree may
lose some quality after 4 months.
Only thaw fruit in usable quantities as it quickly darkens and loses flavour
if left to stand once thawed. If possible, thaw fruit in the refrigerator,
allowing 6 hours for 450 g (1 lb) fruit. Unsweetened packs take longer to
thaw than sweetened ones, and dry sugar packs thaw most quickly. Keep fruit
covered until the moment you want to use it if it is likely to discolour (e.g.
peaches and apricots). Fruit is best served when just thawed and still frosty.
Partly thawed fruit can be put into pies or puddings, or can be cooked in
hot syrup. If frozen unsweetened fruit is used for jam, allow 10% more fruit
than called for in a standard recipe, as there is slight pectin loss in the
freezing process.
Vegetables
Artichokes (Globe): Trim the outer leaves and stalks and wash thoroughly, removing the hairy `chokes'. Blanch 7 minutes, with i tablespoon lemon juice in the water. Cool and drain well and pack in rigid containers. If preferred, remove all leaves and blanch hearts for 5 minutes, then pack them in bags or rigid containers.
Artichokes (Jerusalem): Peel and cut into pieces. Soften slightly in butter and cook in chicken stock. Sieve and freeze as puree in rigid containers.
Asparagus: Wash well and remove woody ends and small scales. Cut asparagus into 15-cm (6-in) lengths, and grade according to thickness. Do not tie into bundles, but blanch each size separately. Allow 2 minutes for small spears, 3 for medium, and 4 for large. Cool immediately and drain well. Pack in plastic boxes, in sizes or mixed bundles.
Aubergines: Use tender, mature, medium-sized aubergines. Cut the vegetable, unpeeled, into 2.5-cm (i -in) slices. Blanch 4 minutes, cool, drain and pack in layers separated by clingfilm or freezer paper in rigid containers.
Beans (Broad): Use young small beans with tender skins. Remove from pods and blanch 11 minutes. Open-freeze before packing in bags.
Beans (Dwarf): Use young tender beans about the thickness of a bootlace. Top and tail. Freeze small beans whole, or cut into 2.5-cm (1 -in) pieces. Blanch 3 minutes (whole) or 2 minutes (cut). Cool and pack in bags.
Beans (Runner): Use young beans, no longer than I7.5 cm (7 in). Do not shred finely, but string them and slice thickly in chunks. Blanch 2 minutes, cool and pack in bags.
Beetroot: Use small young beet no more than 7.5 cm (3 in) in diameter. Cook completely, cool quickly and rub off skins. Pack whole, or in slices or dice.
Broccoli and Calabrese: Use compact heads with tender stalks not more than 2.5 cm (1 in) thick. Trim off woody stems and outer leaves. Wash well in salted water for 30 minutes, and rinse in clean water. Blanch 3 minutes (thin stems), 4 minutes (medium stems), or 5 minutes (thick stems). Cool and pack in rigid containers, alternating heads.
Brussels Sprouts: Use small compact sprouts and remove discoloured
leaves. Grade for size and blanch 3 minutes (small) or 4 minutes (medium).
Cool, open-freeze and pack in bags.
Cabbage Shred finely and blanch 11 minutes. Pack in rigid containers.
Carrots: Use small young carrots, remove tops, wash and
scrape well. Leave small ones whole, but slice larger carrots. Blanch 3 minutes
(whole) or 2 minutes (sliced), cool, drain and pack in bags.
Cauliflower: Use firm heads with close white curds. Freeze
very small heads whole, break larger heads into sprigs. Wash thoroughly. Blanch
3 minutes, with the juice of i lemon in the blanching water. Cool and pack
in bags.
Celeriac: Cut into slices and blanch 3 minutes, adding a
little lemon juice to the water. Cool and pack in bags. If preferred, cook
celeriac in a little water and freeze it as a puree. Celeriac cannot be used
in salads after freezing.
Celery: Use tender, crisp stalks and remove strings. Wash well, cut
into 2.5-cm (1-in) lengths and blanch 3 minutes. Cool and drain and pack dry
in bags. If preferred, pack in some of the blanching liquid which can be used
for later cooking. Leave 5cm (2 in) headspace in rigid containers. Celery
cannot be used raw after freezing, but is useful to serve as a vegetable,
or to add to stews and soups.
Chicory: Use compact heads with yellow tips. Trim stalks
and remove any bruised outside leaves. Put the juice of a lemon in the water,
and blanch 2 minutes. Cool and drain very thoroughly before packing in rigid
containers. Chicory cannot be used for salads after freezing.
Herbs: Pick soft-leaved herbs (basil, chervil, chives, mint, parsley, tarragon) when young. Wash and pack in sprigs in bags. If preferred, chop herbs finely and pack into ice-cube trays with a spoonful of water. Freeze and transfer the frozen cubes to bags for storage. This method is particularly satisfactory for mint and parsley. Frozen herbs become limp on thawing and are not suitable to use as sprigs for garnishing.
Kale: Use young, tender, lightly curled kale, and discard
discoloured or tough leaves. Wash very well and pull leaves from stems. Blanch
i minute and drain well after cooling. If liked, chop leaves for easier packing
in bags, but do this after blanching.
Leeks: Use young even-sized leeks, remove coarse outer leaves
and trim off green tops. Wash in cold running water. Cut larger leeks into
i-cm (2-in) rings, but leave small ones whole. Blanch 3 minutes (whole), 2
minutes (sliced). Pack in rigid containers or in bags, but overwrap bags as
leeks
smell strongly.
Marrows and Courgettes: Large older marrows are best cooked and frozen as puree. Cut tender young courgettes, or very small marrows into 0.5-cm (4-in) slices without peeling. Blanch 1minute, or toss slices in hot butter until tender. Open-freeze blanched slices and pack in bags. Pack fried slices in rigid containers.
Mushrooms: Grade mushrooms for size, and wipe them, but do not peel. Pack in bags, packing stalks separately if liked. Small button mushrooms can be cooked in butter (75 g (3 oz) butter to 450 g (1 lb) mushrooms) for 5 minutes, then packed in rigid containers for freezing.
Onions: Peel small onions and leave them whole, but peel and chop larger ones. Blanch 3 minutes (whole), 2 minutes (chopped), cool and drain and pack in bags, but overwrap bags as onions smell strongly.
Parsnips: Old parsnips are best cooked and frozen as puree. Young parsnips should be peeled and cut into thin strips or dice. Blanch 2 minutes, cool, drain and pack in bags.
Peas: Use young, tender sweet peas. Blanch 1minute and pack in bags. If preferred, peas may be open-frozen before packing. Sugar peas (mange tout) should be frozen while the pods are still flat. Top, tail and string them and blanch 2 minutes. Cool, drain and pack in bags.
Peppers: Use firm, plump, glossy peppers. Wash and dry them,
cut off stems, and remove seeds and membranes. Cut in halves, slices or dice.
Blanch 3 minutes (halves), 2 minutes (slices or dice), cool, drain and pack
in
bags.
Potatoes: Do not freeze potatoes blanched in water, or plainly boiled old potatoes. Cooked jacket potatoes, roast, creamed and duchesse potatoes, and potato croquettes may be frozen. Chips must not be frozen raw or boiled in water, but should be fried in clean fat until soft but not coloured before draining, cooling and packing in bags. New potatoes are best scraped, graded for size, and slightly undercooked. Drain and toss in butter and pack in boil-in-bags (for serving, put the whole bag in boiling water, remove from heat and leave io minutes).
Spinach: Use young tender leaves without heavy ribs. Strip leaves from stems, and remove bruised or discoloured leaves. Wash very well and blanch 2 minutes, shaking the blanching basket so the leaves do not mat together. Cool quickly and press out excess moisture. Pack in bags or rigid containers. Do not add any water during reheating.
Squashes and Pumpkins: Cook the flesh in very little water until soft. Mash well and freeze as puree in rigid containers.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes cannot be used for salads after freezing as they become soft, but they are very useful for cooking. Wipe whole tomatoes, grade for size and freeze in bags (the skins will drop off when thawed). If preferred, cut tomatoes in half and open-freeze before packing (these halves are useful for grilling or frying). Tomatoes may also be skinned, cored and simmered in their own juice before sieving and freezing as puree.
Turnips and Swedes: Peel and cut in dice and blanch 2½ minutes. Cool, drain and pack in bags. It may be more convenient to cook turnips and swedes completely, sieve them and freeze them as puree, as they are so often eaten in that form.
Fruit
Apples: Peel, core and drop in cold water. Cut in slices
and pack in bags or rigid containers. Use dry sugar pack (225 g (8 oz) sugar
to 900 g (2 lb) fruit) or medium syrup. `Fluffy' cooking apples are better
cooked, sweetened and frozen as puree.
Apricots: Wash firm ripe fruit, cut in halves and take out
stones. Drop in boiling water for 30 seconds and chill in cold water. Pack
at once in rigid containers. Use dry sugar pack (225 g (8 oz) sugar to 900
g (2 lb) fruit) or medium syrup adding 4 teaspoon ascorbic acid.
Blackberries: Use fully-ripe, dark glossy berries. Open-freeze and pack unsweetened in bags. If preferred, use dry sugar pack (225 g (8 oz) sugar to 900 g (2 lb) fruit) or heavy syrup, or pack as sweetened puree.
Cherries: Use sweet or sour varieties and leave in ice-cold
water for 1hour before freezing. Dry cherries and remove stones. Pack in rigid
containers. Use dry sugar pack (225 g (8 oz) sugar to 900 g (2 lb) fruit),
medium syrup (sweet fruit) or heavy syrup (sour fruit).
Currants: Strip stems from currants and wash fruit in ice-cold water.
Dry well and pack in bags or rigid containers. Use unsweetened pack, dry sugar
pack (450 g (1 lb) sugar to 900 g (2 lb) fruit), or medium syrup. Blackcurrants
may be cooked, sweetened and packed as puree.
Figs: Wash in ice-cold water and remove stems without bruising. Pack peeled or unpeeled in dry unsweetened pack, or in light syrup.
Gooseberries: Wash in ice-cold water and dry. Pack in bags or rigid containers, with dry unsweetened pack or medium syrup. Alternatively, freeze gooseberries as a cooked, sweetened puree.
Grapes: Peel, halve, and remove seeds, then pack in light syrup in rigid containers.
Peaches: Peel, halve and remove stones, and brush fruit with lemon juice. Work quickly as this fruit discolours easily. Pack in halves or slices in medium syrup with 4 teaspoon ascorbic acid.
Pears: Use strongly-flavoured ripe pears. Peel and quarter fruit and remove cores. Dip pieces in lemon juice and poach in light syrup for 12 minutes. Drain pears, cool, and pack in cold syrup in rigid containers.
Plums: Wash in ice-cold water, dry well and remove stones. Whole raw plums may be packed unsweetened in bags. If preferred, use dry sugar pack for halved plums (225 g (8 oz) sugar to 900 g (2 lb) fruit) or medium syrup.
Raspberries and Loganberries: Wash in ice-cold water and drain well. Open-freeze and pack unsweetened in bags. If preferred, use dry sugar pack (225 g (8 oz) sugar to 900 g (2 lb) fruit) or light syrup. Fresh berries may be sieved, sweetened and frozen as puree.
Rhubarb: Use young pink sticks, and freeze either raw or cooked. Wash, trim and cut in lengths. Pack long sticks in foil or polythene bags, or cut in 2.5-cm (1-in) lengths and pack unsweetened in bags. If preferred, pack in medium syrup in rigid containers, or cook, sweeten and pack as puree.
Strawberries: Remove hulls, wash in ice-cold water and dry well. Openfreeze and pack unsweetened in polythene bags. If preferred, pack in medium syrup, or as raw sweetened puree.