Have you had time to get enough of all the useful substances in the summer? Winter is coming, when the market will no longer have such an assortment of vitamins. In the cold period, our body often overtakes vitamin deficiency, but this can be avoided. How can this be done? Freeze everything that is most valuable, healthy and easy to prepare. One of these delicious, dietary foods is cauliflower. Such a storehouse of vitamins is suitable for many first and second courses. How to freeze cauliflower for the winter at home? Let's take a closer look at this issue.

How to choose the right cauliflower

There are several varieties of cauliflower that are offered to us on the market: Dachnitsa, Pioner, Otechestvennaya. The difference in appearance: some are more voluminous, others are flattened. The leaves of vegetables have a different color, shape, size. And even the colors are not the same: from snow-white to cream shade. Have you already preferred a particular variety? Or wondering which one is better?

The secret to choosing cauliflower is simple - choose a fresh, young head of cabbage. External differences do not affect the taste or juiciness in any way. If you are confused by different shades of leaves, they only say that some heads of cabbage grew in the sun, others in the shade. Pay attention to the freshness of the leaves. If they look like that, fit snugly, then the vegetable is on sale for no more than two days. If you see lethargic, torn, dark foliage - the head of cabbage has been stored for a long time. If you take such a vegetable, the inflorescences will be viscous, soft, not juicy and without a pronounced taste.

Dark spots are not allowed on cauliflower. This is a fungus that in a couple of days will have time to infect the entire head of cabbage, creating many rotten areas. It is not recommended to cook a spoiled vegetable, it is easy for them to be poisoned. If you cannot determine which head of cabbage to choose from two identical in appearance, there is another method. The younger the vegetable, the juicier and heavier it is. Having taken 2 approximately identical heads of cabbage, take the one that weighs more - there is more juice!

Preparing cabbage for freezing

If you chose a fresh, juicy vegetable, then you're halfway done the task! Then follow the instructions:

• Place the head of cabbage in a container of cold salt water to get rid of the insect larvae.
• Before sending the vegetable to the freezer, put it in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, adding lemon juice or acid there.

• While the cauliflower is blanching, prepare a pot of cold water to dip the head of cabbage in right away. This method will preserve the original color, juiciness and all the nutrients of the vegetable.
• After blanching, be sure to dry the entire head of cabbage.
• Start removing leaves, possible spoiled areas, dividing the vegetable into inflorescences of the desired size (it all depends on what kind of dish you will cook in winter). If you are wondering if you can freeze cauliflower whole for the winter, then the answer is yes!

An equally important step is choosing the right container. These can be small, sealed containers that do not take up much freezer space. If you don't have one, get an arsenal of ziplock bags that create a vacuum inside so the cauliflower can keep in the refrigerator for a long time. If you already know how much vegetable you will need for a particular dish, base your choice of containers on the portions required.

The best recipes for freezing cauliflower for the winter

If you previously just chopped this vegetable with a knife and put it in bags, it's time to diversify your culinary notebook with new recipes! To ensure that semi-finished products are suitable for use and do not harm the health of loved ones, determine how many degrees of frost your freezer maintains. This subtlety often becomes a deplorable lesson even for experienced housewives.

If your freezer gives out only -6 degrees, then the shelf life of the head of cabbage should not exceed 2 weeks. It is not worth hoping that the vegetable will continue to retain all the valuable vitamins at such a low degree. If the temperature exceeds -12 degrees, then you have a month and a half to freeze, then you will need to cook something tasty with cauliflower. To avoid confusion, write the freeze date on each container. A temperature of -18 degrees will keep the cauliflower with all its vitamins throughout the year.

Recipe for blanks in bags or barrels

You will need:

• cauliflower - 1 head of cabbage;
• large saucepan;
• salt;
• bags with a clasp.

Freezing stages:

1. Remove all foliage.
2. Cut the vegetable into inflorescences. If in winter you want to cook a vegetable in batter, then leave the average size of the inflorescences. If you want to use cauliflower for borscht and stews, cut into small inflorescences (up to 3-4 cm long).
3. Place the vegetable in a cold saucepan with salt for 5 minutes.
4. Spread out a tea towel. Put the inflorescences on it, waiting until completely dry.
5. Prepare packages. Ideal if you have a kitchen scale. So you can weigh the cauliflower, and then add the vegetable strictly according to the recipe.
6. Fill the bags with inflorescences, remove all the air. A little secret: insert a tube or straw inside, closing the clasp tightly. Suck out the air, then quickly reseal the rest of the bag.
7. Be sure to put dates and roughly calculate how much cauliflower will keep in your chamber, depending on the temperature.

Blanched in salted water

You will need:

• cauliflower - 1 head of cabbage;
• deep saucepan;
• kitchen towel;
• capacity;
• salt.

Blanching steps:

1. Rinse the head of cabbage under drainage water. Wipe it off with your hands, this will remove the pesticides faster.
2. Use a sharp knife to cut off all the foliage. Chop the florets of the same diameter so that the blanching takes place evenly. Remove the top thick stem.
3. Weigh the approximate weight of the cabbage buds. Fill a saucepan with 4 liters of water per 500 grams of vegetables. If you don't have such a large pot, blanch in 2 sets.
4. Put water in a saucepan to boil, at this time, pour the liquid into another container. It's good if you have ice. If not, put the water in the refrigerator for a few minutes.
5. When the water boils, toss in the cauliflower. Cover, wait until it boils completely. Add salt. Soak the cabbage in boiling water for another 3 minutes, and take out. The vegetable should be half-cooked - hard.
6. Place the cabbage in cold water as soon as possible. This will preserve the color, juiciness and rich taste of the vegetable.
7. Dry all inflorescences thoroughly if you do not want the quality of the product to deteriorate due to ice crystals.

Freezing fresh cauliflower and broccoli without boiling

If you haven't figured out how to freeze cauliflower in a non-standard way yet, add broccoli to it. Such assorted vegetables are sold in large supermarkets at cosmic prices. It is suitable for stews, soup, juicy garnish for meat, as well as for the first feeding for babies over 6 months old. You can use the blanching method as the main one, but if there is no time for this, try to do without boiling. For preparation you will need:

• cauliflower - 1 head of cabbage;
• broccoli - 1 head of cabbage;
• large saucepan;
• towel;
• salt.

Stages of preparation for freezing:

1. Rinse both heads of cabbage thoroughly under running water.
2. Remove leaves from cabbage and broccoli. Inspect for possible damaged areas. If available, it is better to remove them.
3. Remove the thick stem from the vegetables, leaving small, uniform buds according to your preferred recipe.
4. Pour boiled water and salt into a large saucepan. Leave the cauliflower and broccoli there for half an hour to get rid of the insect larvae.
5. Dry vegetables on a towel.
6. Take portioned containers or sachets, fold the assorted into them.

Rules for storing cauliflower in the freezer

If you remember a few conditions for defrosting cauliflower, then your dishes will always be the most delicious. For example, if you took a vegetable out of the freezer once, you should consume it during the day. Add a serving to baby soup, scrambled eggs, stew, side dish. It is not advisable to freeze it back, because the cabbage has undergone thermal exposure, and it will no longer be possible to preserve all the vitamins.

In addition, you do not need to blanch the head of cabbage, the vegetable has already passed halfway before freezing. Before preparing a dish, keep in mind that such cabbage cooks faster. If you do not want to get a vegetable that is too soft, like porridge, add it at the very end of cooking. But this is a significant plus for baby puree - if the cabbage is soft along with other ingredients, you will get a homogeneous mass.

Video: how to freeze cauliflower and preserve its properties

If you love to learn new recipes by watching the video, check out this video by an experienced chef and part-time raw foodist. It is shown to be frozen. You will need 1 head of vegetable, citric acid, water, a saucepan, and a tea towel. Look at the step-by-step analysis of all actions in the video master class:

Hardly anyone needs to be convinced of the benefits of cauliflower. It is rich in protein, minerals and vitamins. Today, hundreds of delicious and healthy dishes can be prepared from it. is given as a first feeding for infants and is recommended for people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Only now the season in central Russia of this vegetable is very short, and it is impossible to keep it fresh at home. Therefore, many are interested in the question of whether cauliflower can be frozen or not?

Yes it is possible. At the same time, it will perfectly preserve not only all its useful properties, but will also remain in its original form. But for everything to work out, you need to know a few simple rules about how to go for the winter. And you need to start by choosing the right heads of cabbage. They should be white, without flaws. Before you start freezing cauliflower, you need to wash it and soak it in salted water for 15-20 minutes. This is necessary in order to get rid of unwanted bugs and caterpillars. And be sure to remove the top leaves from the head.

There are 2 ways to freeze the colored whole or by dividing it into inflorescences. In the first case, put the head of cabbage in a suitable plastic bag, remove all air and close tightly. Put in the freezer. At the same time, it is very important to dry the cauliflower well so that excess liquid does not remain inside. This can be done by placing it on a sieve or paper towel. This completes all the preparations.

But in the second method, after the cabbage is washed and disassembled into inflorescences, you can freeze it or pre-blanch it. To do this, lower the sieve with it into boiling water (add a little citric acid to it) for 5-6 minutes, and then into cold water. This will help keep the color and shape of the flowers intact. Otherwise, this option of how to freeze cauliflower for the winter is similar to the previous one. Arrange the inflorescences in a tray at a distance from each other and place them in the freezer. Once they are frozen, you can transfer them to a suitable container.

For storing cauliflower in the freezer, you can use ordinary cellophane bags or special bags with a zipper for freezing. Disposable plastic containers are also great. You can buy them at any supermarket. It is also important to observe the storage conditions. The temperature in the freezer should be between -23 and -18 degrees. Since you can freeze cauliflower for the winter only once and cannot be re-frozen, it must be immediately divided into the necessary portions. They should be such that you can use everything at once. With all these tricks, cauliflower can be stored for up to 12 months.

Freezing not only helps to preserve all vitamins, but also gives you the opportunity to pamper yourself with fresh vegetables, even in winter. And best of all for these purposes is frozen with it easily and simply to bring to life. You can simply steam it or make an omelet with it. It will perfectly complement soup, casserole or vegetable stew. Most dishes don't even need to be thawed. And, of course, you can make delicious puree for babies from it.

In the summer and autumn periods, the human body is saturated with useful vitamins and minerals.

But no matter how we try to fill the body with vitamins, nutrients are not retained for a long time. And the body needs to be replenished with them both in summer and in winter.

Using modern freezers, you can freeze meat, fish, cherries, currants, plums, green peas, asparagus beans, carrots. Frozen vegetables and fruits will help housewives prepare nutritious food in winter and spring.

Cauliflower has an edge among vegetables. It is highly valued for its large amount of vitamins, plant minerals.

Cauliflower is a low-calorie product. 100 grams of cabbage contains 2.5 grams of protein, 0.3 grams of fat, 4.2 grams of carbohydrates, only 330 kcal.

Cauliflower is a storehouse of vitamins and minerals:

• vitamin C is three times more than in white cabbage
• contains iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium
• is a source of pectin and vegetable protein
• supports the immune system in spring
• protects against colds
• contains tartronic acid, which burns fat

It is used in cooking for stews, soups, casseroles, as a side dish. Cauliflower can be boiled, fried, stewed. It doesn't take long to cook cabbage dishes.

Housewives are interested in is it possible to freeze cauliflower for the winter and how to freeze it correctly.

Cauliflower is a great food to freeze in the freezer at home. It keeps well at low temperatures. The frozen vegetable retains its appearance, preserving useful elements to the utmost.

How to properly freeze cauliflower for the winter

Preparing cauliflower for freezing

1. Rinse under running water.
2. Soak for 20-25 minutes in saline solution (10 grams of salt per liter of water) to get rid of insects.
3. Cut off the green leaves with a sharp knife.
4. Divide, using a knife, the vegetable into inflorescences, removing the coarse stems.
5. Think in advance about what the frozen inflorescences will be used for and how to cut them, small or large.
6. You can freeze separately several bags with large inflorescences for making puree soup and several with small umbrellas.

To preserve frozen cabbage at home, disposable bags, plastic containers, vacuum bags with a fastener are suitable.

Methods for freezing cauliflower for the winter

Method 1... Freezing of fresh inflorescences without thermal effect.

Method 2... Blanching.

Freezing fresh inflorescences without thermal effect

This is the easiest freezing method and takes very little time to cook.

Blanching

With the help of blanching, substances that negatively affect the vegetable are destroyed in the inflorescences. Under the influence of these substances, the inflorescences, when frozen, become soft, lose their color and aroma.

1. Put the washed cabbage under running water in a bowl with saline solution for 20-25 minutes.
2. Rinse again with water.
3. On a cutting board, with your hands or with a knife, divide the head into inflorescences.
4. Boil water in a large saucepan.
5. Send ready-made inflorescences in boiled water for 2-3 minutes.
6. To prepare complementary foods for an infant, blanch the inflorescences for 5–8 minutes.
7. Send the inflorescences with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water with ice for 3-5 minutes.
8. Put the finished inflorescences on a paper towel after blanching to get rid of excess moisture.
9. Arrange dried pieces on a tray and send for preliminary freezing.
10. Transfer the frozen inflorescences to disposable bags or special plastic containers for food.
11. Send hermetically sealed dishes, bags with removed air back to the freezer for complete freezing.

Tips for Choosing and Freezing Cabbage for Baby Food

• manually divide the head into inflorescences
• use the upper inflorescences for freezing
• put in a bowl with salt water for half an hour
• rinse under running water
• blanch for 10 minutes
• spread out on a tray until completely dry
• to wrap up
• send packaged packages with cabbage to the freezer

How to store cauliflower in the freezer for the winter

Duration of retention in the freezer depends on the temperature.

• At 6 degrees below zero, can be stored for 2 to 4 weeks.
• At a temperature reduced to 12 degrees, store for 3 months.
• At temperatures from -16 degrees and above, keep for 9 months.

You can freeze inflorescences for the winter only once, secondary freezing is not recommended.

To preserve the cauliflower better, draw out all the air from the bags using the inserted straw.

Do not re-blanch frozen blanched flowers. When preparing a dish, one must remember that such inflorescences are prepared faster.

How to defrost properly

In order for frozen cabbage to look beautiful in dishes, you need to defrost it correctly.

1 way. Remove from the freezer and leave to defrost completely at room temperature.

Method 2. Remove from the chamber and put in boiling water or steam.

Do not use microwave for defrosting.

Compliance with the rules for freezing cauliflower for the winter will provide an excellent opportunity to often prepare delicious food in winter.

Not everyone knows how to freeze cauliflower, although it seems that there is nothing complicated here. However, often the result of freezing cauliflower is a large lump of vegetables, which is incredibly difficult to divide into small inflorescences. By following a few simple freezing requirements, you can get a perfectly preserved product. Frozen cabbage is used for making soups, casseroles, vegetable stews.

Ingredients

• good quality cauliflower.

Preparation

For freezing, you need to take a strong, young cauliflower without traces of insect damage, spoilage and rot. Dark spots on the surface of cabbage are a sure sign that this vegetable is best not used for freezing. Give preference to cabbage that has recently been cut from the garden, rather than one that has been stored for a while.

Transfer the cauliflower to a bowl and fill it with cool, clean water, repeat the process several times. This will wash away any insects that may be hiding between leaves or inside inflorescences. After rinsing the cabbage, shake off excess water, then cut off the green leaves. After that, with your hands or with a sharp knife, divide the cabbage forks into small inflorescences, the size
about 3 cm.

Of course, the slicing can be different. Plan in advance what you will cook from frozen cabbage, what dishes are popular in your family. For soup, you can cut the vegetable into smaller pieces, for a casserole or stew - larger.

Before blanching, cabbage can be kept in salted water for 20-30 minutes. The brine is made in this way: add 4 tablespoons to 1 liter of water. salt, stir and place the cabbage inflorescences there. After half an hour, rinse the cauliflower with running water.

To blanch the cauliflower, pour the right amount of water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Transfer the inflorescences to a colander and lower it in a saucepan, hold for 3 minutes. After that, remove the colander from the boiling water and immediately cool the cabbage, you can lower it in a container of ice water. Blanching kills the enzymes responsible for breaking down the flavor and color of cabbage during storage.

It is optimal to freeze cauliflower in small portions - at a time. To do this, give preference to small bags or containers. Transfer the cabbage and, if possible, release the air from them. Before use, the cabbage only needs to be steamed or immersed in boiling water for 1.5 minutes. After that, you can add cabbage to any dish you decide to cook.

Now the season of fresh vegetables is in full swing, so do not forget to prepare for the winter - tasty usefulness in the markets is still worth a penny, and they have a maximum of vitamins. This time we will talk about an excellent product of the pp-list - delicious, dietary cauliflower, or rather, how to freeze cauliflower for the winter correctly in normal home conditions.

Cauliflower and PP

In general, there are hundreds of ways to prepare cauliflower for the winter, freezing is almost the only one that is suitable for adherents of the PP. Preservation, especially with vinegar, sugar, does not fit into the principles of proper nutrition.

After freezing, almost all vitamins and minerals remain in the vegetable. Also, low temperatures do not affect taste, smell and appearance.

Just imagine - outside the window frost, snow, and you cooked delicious mashed potatoes, an appetizing omelet or even! Beauty, after all!

By the way, another reason why I always have cauliflower in the freezer for the winter - freezing this vegetable makes it possible to diversify the list of low-calorie foods well. The calorie content is only 25 kcal per 100 g!

The fact that regular consumption of cauliflower prevents vitamin deficiencies, gastrointestinal disorders and even malignant processes (there is a unique substance in this fruit), I will not say anything, even if more experienced ones tell about the benefits and harms. Here is a short educational video:

Freezing according to all the rules: choosing and preparing

So how to freeze cauliflower properly? It would seem that there is nothing difficult here - I cut off the inflorescences and into the freezer. But no, choosing and preparing cauliflower for freezing is very important:

• only dense, fresh white or slightly creamy specimens are suitable;
• ideally, the heads should be “hidden” in the leaves, but just the presence of small leaves is already good - it is easy to determine freshness by them;
• the younger the roach, the juicier and tastier it is;
• if there are at least a little dark spots on the inflorescences, do not take it, this is rot, which will very quickly hit the entire head. Or immediately cut out these areas and freeze.

The initial preparation of cauliflower is simple:

1. remove leaves, disassemble into inflorescences, rinse. The optimal size of the "piece" is 2-3 cm;
2. pour cold salt water for 20 minutes (about 1 tablespoon of salt for 1 liter), so that the bugs, if there are any, all crawl out;
3. once again rinse and dry on towels or in a sieve (colander).

Let me remind you that everything about cauliflower - how to freeze, how to prepare - is quite applicable to broccoli.

Which freezing method to choose

Inexperienced housewives and pd-shniks always have a lot of questions related to the process of freezing this vegetable - is it necessary to blanch the cauliflower before freezing, or is it better to cook, how to freeze the cauliflower so that it does not darken and does not lose its taste, how to make it so that remove the unpleasant smell of boiled vegetables ...

I'll tell you right away - no dancing with tambourines is needed in this matter! Everything is logical and understandable.

Recipes for freezing cauliflower for the winter are few in number - already boiled, blanched or raw inflorescences are sent to the freezer.

Each method has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages.

Freeze raw. Is it possible and how?

Freezing raw cauliflower or broccoli - the fastest way to harvest for the winter, but only it has a lot of disadvantages. After defrosting, you still have to boil the vegetable, and the taste may deteriorate. This is especially true if the freezer or refrigerator is without a No Frost system and antibacterial protection. The damp place will take a little more.

The process can be described in two phrases:

1. prepared (washed, dried) inflorescences are poured into a bag;
2. we send it to the shelf in the freezer.

You can freeze it by first spreading it out on a plank and then packing it in a bag. It is convenient to do this if you prepare vegetable mixtures, combining, for example, with zucchini, carrots, green peas - an excellent ready-made basis for delicious soups and stews turns out.

Freeze boiled cauliflower

This blank recipe is considered a classic.

It is convenient, simple and straightforward - before you freeze cauliflower or broccoli in the freezer, you need to boil it.

Then it is easy to use this already cooked one.

What you need:

• water - 3 l
• salt - 2 tsp
• citric acid - 1/3 tsp

How to do:

1. Boil water in a deep saucepan, add salt and acid. Cauliflower will not darken with lemon, nor will its taste change.
2. We send the prepared inflorescences to boiling water. How much to cook cauliflower before freezing, decide for yourself - 5 minutes will be enough (it turns out more crunchy). If 10 minutes - then after defrosting, you can even eat right away, adding, for example, to some salads.
3. Throw the boiled blank into a colander, let the water drain, cool it and send it to the freezer shelves, packing it in pouches or bags.

Why do you need to boil water first, and then just lower the inflorescences? So less usefulness will go into the broth.

Blanching method

Freezing with pre-blanching is the optimal yield.

What you need:

• cauliflower - 2-3 medium heads
• water - 5-6 l
• salt - 3-4 tsp
• citric acid - 1/3 tsp
• ice - by eye.

How to blanch:

1. At first, the process resembles boiling - boil water, add salt and acid.
2. Lower the prepared cauliflower or broccoli inflorescences.
3. But further it is already different. After boiling again, cook for no longer than 3 minutes.
4. At this time, we collect cold water in a separate bowl, add ice.
5. We take the boiled inflorescences out of boiling water with a slotted spoon and immediately transfer them to cold water.
6. After 2 minutes, lay out the chilled pieces on a towel, and then freeze.

It is better to boil broccoli and cauliflower in enamel pans - their coating is inert and will not react in any way to the acids that make up the composition.

It is better to store frozen vegetables in the freezer no longer than 9 months, then both useful and taste properties deteriorate.

Before cooking frozen cauliflower, it is not necessary to defrost it, unless you fry it in batter (which is not very suitable for a pn-shnik).