Tips for storing frozen vegetables without reducing their nutrition & bull; hello healthy

Sometimes cooking with frozen vegetables is more practical. You don't need to increase cooking time to wash and chop vegetables, just take them out of the refrigerator and you can immediately process them into various dishes. However, are frozen vegetables still the same quality as fresh vegetables? How to store frozen vegetables properly so as not to reduce their nutritional content?

Frozen vegetables versus fresh vegetables, which is better?

Before knowing tips for storing frozen vegetables (frozen vegetables), some of you may often doubt the nutritional content in it.

In fact, frozen vegetables have almost the same nutritional value as fresh vegetables.

Keep in mind, vegetables that have been harvested will lose moisture, starch, and sugar slowly. Quoted from Dr. Weil, for example, spinach that is not frozen will lose half of its folate content after eight days.

The content of vitamins and minerals will also decrease if the vegetables are exposed to heat and light for too long.

Even though the vitamin content is still reduced, the proper freezing process will later retain various nutrients such as minerals, fiber, and carbohydrates in vegetables longer than when the vegetables are left at room temperature.

Frozen vegetables are also guaranteed to be clean. Before starting to freeze, the ripe vegetables will be picked and washed immediately.

Vegetables are boiled in hot water for a few minutes to kill bacteria and enzymes that can spoil food. After going through the process, then the vegetables are frozen.

Tips for storing frozen vegetables

Although the quality of frozen vegetables is almost as good as fresh vegetables, the texture of frozen vegetables is more easily damaged if you do not store and process them properly.

Therefore, here are tips that you can follow to maintain nutrition without destroying the texture.

Choose the right vegetables for freezing

You can usually buy pre-packaged frozen vegetables right away at the supermarket. Unfortunately, there is very little variety of frozen vegetables available. You may need to freeze other vegetable supplies yourself.

But keep in mind, not all vegetables you can store frozen. The reason is, there are several vegetables whose color and taste will change after being frozen, such as cabbage, lettuce, cucumber, radish, certain types of potatoes, and small leafy vegetables such as parsley and celery.

The vegetables above have a higher humidity level, so when they start to thaw they will appear limp and give off a different aroma.

Choose the right storage container

The next tip to do when storing frozen vegetables is to use the right container.

Containers must be airtight, moisture resistant, durable, easy to close, and not brittle when placed at low temperatures. The container must protect the vegetables from oxidation which can change their structure.

This includes when you buy frozen vegetables from the supermarket, after unpacking them move the contents into an airtight container to avoid frosting on the outside.

Some that you can choose between are containers freezer of plastic, special bags freezer, or a glass jar. Don't forget to give the container an expiration date.

If you use a bag ziploc or a bag freezer, Fill the container to the brim and press lightly to let out any remaining air in it.

Avoid storing frozen vegetables for too long

Even though frozen vegetables last a long time, that doesn't mean you can leave them in for too long freezer.

The freezing process will only slow down the growth of microorganisms that can damage the quality of the food, but it doesn't actually stop their activity.

The recommended storage time for vegetables is 8-12 months at an ambient temperature of -17 ° C. So that vegetables still taste fresh when eaten, it's better to use them in a period of time that is faster than the recommended limit.