Last month our local farmer’s market had a fabulous deal on homegrown Brussel Sprouts that I couldn’t resist. They had them for 50% off, so I grabbed 2 bushels of them to process for the winter season. I canned half of them and froze the other half. We love supporting our local farmers and we enjoy eating brussel sprouts a few times every month.
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Freezing them is a really easy process. You always want to preserve FRESH veggies, not ones that have been picked and sat out for days. They should be free of disease and still look crisp. The earlier you process them, the better your results.
How to Blanch and Freeze Brussel Sprouts
Remove all debris by rinsing them for several minutes under cool running water. If necessary, gently use a veggie brush to clean them up. I like to rinse them for 4-5 minutes. I then fill up a large bowl and add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Place them into the saltwater for an additional 5 minutes. An Amish woman once told me that the salted water helps to kill bugs and other things that you can’t see with the naked eye. Not sure if it’s true, but I do it.
Fill up a pan with hot water and bring it to a gentle boil.
Drain water from brussel sprouts and carefully place them into the pot of boiling water. Set a timer and boil them for 2 minutes (for small and medium size) or 3 minutes (for larger size) sprouts. Turn off heat. Carefully pour them into a colander with cold running water flowing over them. You need to cool them down quickly. Some people pour them into a bowl of ice and water. I find that just streaming cold water from the faucet cools them down within 2-3 minutes. You need to stop the cooking time!
Turn off water once they’re cool and let them sit in the colander to air dry for 30-45 minutes. Take a clean cotton towel and pat them dry if neccessary. You want to remove as much “wetness” that you can, so they don’t get ice crystals once frozen.
Pack them into freezer-safe bags. We’re a family of two so I like to pack them into quart-size freezer bags. Purge out the air and zip it close. Label. Place bags into the freezer FLAT to save on freezer space and stack them one on top of the other. That’s it!
When you’re ready to use them just grab a bag out of the freezer and boil or steam as usual.
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Usually we do not have enough left over to blanch and freeze. However, I am very glad to know how to do it just in case the opportunity arises.
We love fresh brussel sprouts in my family. Getting them at the farmers market like you did is a good way to know that they are nice and fresh. You found a good way to enjoy them year round.