Cauliflower & broccoli

How to Freeze Broccoli Properly

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: January 16, 2017
How to Freeze Broccoli Properly
Image: www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co

Broccoli is a delicious and highly nutritious vegetable that is full of health benefits. Making it a part of our diet is an excellent way to eat fiber and antioxidants, which we need to keep our bodies healthy. And of course, the best way to have it is fresh, but sometimes we need to freeze a portion to use on another occasion, in those cases it is important to do it properly to preserve all its vitamins and freshness. At OneHowTo we show you how to freeze broccoli easily.

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Steps to follow:
1

The first thing to do before you start to freeze broccoli is to properly clean it in order to preserve it. It is best to remove all the outer leaves that are not usually eaten, and place the broccoli in a bowl of cold water missed with plenty of salt for a few minutes.

This cleaning process will get rid of the soil and any insects that are on this vegetable.

2

Then cut off the broccoli heads in the size you want. If necessary, use a knife to do this.

3

Before freezing broccoli it is important to lightly cook it, for this you can either boil or steam it.

Boil some water and once it has reached the boiling point, add the broccoli and cook for 3 minutes only. It is very important to respect this time to preserve the most of all this vegetable's vitamins. Remove from heat and cool with plenty of water. If you choose to steam it, do it for 5 minutes.

4

Once your broccoli has cooled you can go to freeze it. For this you can use a container with a tight lid or a freezer bag to help you keep the food in the good condition.

When you want to eat the frozen broccoli you don't need to thaw it beforehand, you can cook it straightaway.

5

With romanesco Broccoli, the procedure is pretty similar. Break the vegetable in small florets, soak them in 4 tbsp salt per gallon of water for less than a minute and quickly blanch the florets for 3 minutes. Strain the romanesco broccoli and leave them in cold water to cool. Once cooled down, drain again and make sure you get rid of the excess water with some absorbent kitchen paper.Now you can package them in the freezer, properly sealed, for any time you need to use this delicious vegetable!

If you want to read similar articles to How to Freeze Broccoli Properly, we recommend you visit our Food & drink category.

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Karen
I cut into some young-seeming, nice green broccoli, and found the stems strangely soft (not slimy) on the inside. I read from your very helpful article that soft stems are a sign of spoilage, still, I wondered, since this appeared young and fresh, whether it might have gotten frozen, then thawed enroute? Thanks!
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Karen,

It is possible, but you will be able to tell they are spoiled if they are properly lifeless. A little soft inside shouldn0t be a problem, but if you see any signs of bacteria, it's best to err on the side of caution.
Image: www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co
How to Freeze Broccoli Properly