Can you freeze Brussels sprouts? The answer is of course, yes. Brussels sprouts are like any other vegetables and you can freeze them just like you do to other sprouts. There are many reasons as to why you would consider freezing Brussels sprouts.
You may purchase Brussels sprouts during summer for your winter stock, and freezing them is the best chance of them living in the winter time. Your residential home may be far away from your green grocer store and therefore you want to reduce your trips to the store, therefore, freezing is your best choice.
Freezing Brussels sprouts preserves the vegetables’ freshness. You don’t have to throw away excess vegetable after your meal. If you can’t use up all your Brussels sprouts during a meal, you can freeze them and enjoy them later on.
Now, freezing Brussels sprouts is one thing but does it really makes sense to do it? Yes because you may buy your vegetables with an intention of using them for a later day. It is common for many people to buy foodstuff in bulks.
Likewise, when you are expecting visitors it is advisable to buy your supplies for the day in advance. If brussels sprouts are on the list, you can buy them a few days before the red-letter day and freeze them for the big occasion.
Many people are okay with eating frozen foods especially when they are not so keen on tastes. Brussels sprouts get a bit mushy when thawed. If you don’t mind the taste, then you can go ahead and freeze them.
Brussels sprout has a long shelf life meaning that it can last for long without necessarily being inside a freezer. This is the main reason why some people are reluctant to freeze their Brussels sprouts. Now let’s take a look at how can you freeze Brussels sprouts below:
How to Freeze Brussels Sprouts?
Freezing Brussels sprout is not a hard task. You need to be aware of the freezing process and the rest is simple. There are several freezing methods. You can either choose to the full or sliced vegetables or freeze them for a cooked meal.
Prepping Brussels Sprouts
You may also choose to blanch them before freezing or freeze them without blanching. Select the firm and compact Brussels sprouts and ensure they are green. Ensure that the heads and leaves are free from insects. It is important to clean them to drive out any insect or bugs hiding in the sprout.
Water Blanching the Brussels Sprouts
Soak them for about 30 minutes in a salt and vinegar solution. Once you get rid of insects, trim the heads and get rid of the coarse outer leaves. Sort the heads size-wise into small, medium and large heads.
Water-blanch the Brussels sprouts. For the small ones, blanch them for 3 minutes, 4 minutes for medium-sized and 5 minutes for the large.
Freezing these vegetables without blanching gives them a lifetime of 2 months. With blanching, you increase their lifetime to 12-14 months. Blanching protects your sprouts from the growth of yeast, molds, bacteria and other harmful microorganisms.
After blanching, you are too cool the by placing them into a cool water bath present with ice. Store the sprouts in a resealable plastic bag or an airtight plastic container then stick in the freezer. Keep the temperature at 0oF to extend the vegetables’ shelf life to 12 months.
How to Defrost Frozen Brussels Sprouts?
Thawing process is a short process that is designed to soften the frozen sprouts. Brussels sprouts need as little as 5 minutes to thaw them. The thawing process is all about warming the frozen vegetables to make them suitable for consumption.
Thawing, however, has some effects on Brussels sprouts. Your vegetables will have a change in texture. They lose their crunch capabilities and become tender. This may not go down well with people who are very keen on the taste.
Thawing may also cause discoloration to the Brussels sprouts. These vegetables may lose their characteristic green color and become a little bit yellowish. Another thing that may change is the general taste. Freezing and thawing have effects on the general taste of the vegetables.
However, these changes do not happen every time you freeze and thaw your Brussels sprouts. It all depends on the entire freezing and thawing process. Moreover, at times they are not noticeable and you can enjoy your entire meal without noting a single change in taste or color in the Brussels sprouts.
Summary
It takes a little prep to freeze Brussels sprouts but the extra effort is worth it. You can maximize your favorite vegetables with zero waste. Now that you know how can you freeze Brussels sprouts, there is no need to worry about your excess vegetables. Just stick them in the freezer for later use, it’s that easy!