To go with the Recipe thread, I thought we could add one about crop preservation.

I do not can a good bit, due to space restrictions. But I do freeze a lot--I chop squash into cubes and freeze on big pans before packing into freezer bags. I do the same with chard stems. I blanch the leaves, squeeze water out and freeze as little softball-sized vegetable goodness.

Add 'em here.

Howdy Meg 😀
Your thread sounds good to me 👍!
Give us all different kinds of ideals, or new ways of freezing, or ???

I like my food saver, vacuum sealer.
I'LL take my long green beans, whole, dry, raw, and unwashed. Fold them in half, flat in bag. Vacuum them. Flat ! Makes for space saver 👍!!! I find, all kinds of places, to slide them into 😀😀😀
Ttfn girl.
😎😎😎

Philip, interested in your words on green beans and vacuum sealer. How do the beans turn out? Do they lose their "green"? I have a lot of green beans each year and am never happy with the "blanch & freeze" method. How do they compare to "fresh" ones? Cheers.

I've never had luck with green beans either, but I have a different answer. A friend has embraced vegetarianism and I will donate what we can't eat.

Good idea for a thread, Meg !

Arlene. Frank. 👍😀
Happy to oblige, and get a little more detailed.👍👍👍
First, I only grow Chinese Long Green Beans, there solid inside, may make a difference .
I don't wash ! water is, "THE ENEMY", makes frost inside bag.
I only put about a one inch bundle in each bag, in a curl, and maybe spread them a bit. Bag will be about an inch thick, or less. Center of bag will actually be empty.
Less veges ! Better ! So, about one pound, to the big bags, no more than one inch thick.
My theory is. To let, "food saver, brand" vacuum bag sealer, get as much air out of bag as possible ! Then freeze !

Air is, second ENEMY, It has moisture in it.

Hears a picture of some year old, frozen, snow peas. They look more yellow in picture, because of flash of camera.

WHEW ?🤔???
Now, did I cover everything ?
OH ! I, always wash after they defrost.

Enjoy 😎😎😎
I have to eat these dudes. This year's snow peas are starting to bloom.

I prefer Chinese long beans as well :)--they make great quick pickles for sandwiches. This year I am doing two types-red and green.

I have thought about a vacuum sealer. My sister loved hers. Food Saving for thought!

Phillip--Do you need to freeze with the space-saver bags? Hmmm....

Arlene--a good reminder--I need to start taking veg to the food kitchen. They can eat it. I used to take it out to my Moms/Brothers, but they do not cook so it was of no real use to them.

I tried to blanch and then freeze zucchini, both cubed and spiralized. Neither did very well once defrosted. Unblanched spiralized zucchini did not freeze well either. But we use the zucchini in soups and stews all winter, so it gets used.

I also do a blanch on roma tomatoes, rough chop, and then pack them in freezer bags.

Yes, Meg. You freeze after sealing any food/s in bags. FoodSaver is the "Brand" of food sealer I have. It works better than my old, Seal A Meal, "Brand"
There's special freezer bags, you need to buy, they come in boxes of individual bags, or rolls to make your own custom size bags.