How to Freeze Vegetables

When I hit the farmers' market, it's difficult for me to stop myself from buying more than I need—I mean way more. So I freeze extra produce. But it's not as simple as throwing it in the freezer and calling it a day.

Here's how to freeze your market bounty.

Freezing whole vegetables can harm their texture. This happens when ice crystals form, rupturing cell walls. The faster water freezes, the smaller the crystals it forms, so small or thin vegetables—peas, corn kernels, green beans—freeze best. Cutting larger vegetables into smaller, uniform shapes (about ½ inch or less) can speed the freezing process and minimize texture loss, as can freezing them in a single layer on a wide baking sheet or large plate.

Before freezing, blanch the vegetables in boiling water. This helps maintain bright color and fresh flavor by deactivating enzymes that would cause them to turn drab during thawing. Plunge vegetables into boiling salted water for a few moments.

Spread the blanched veggies on a rimmed baking sheet, and place in the freezer until frozen.

Once frozen, transfer to zip-top freezer bags with the air pressed out before sealing. Even freezer bags allow some transfer of gases, which can lead to freezer burn, so for storage longer than two months, it's best to double-bag. Make sure to label the bags with the packing date.

Bonus for following all these steps: Small, blanched frozen veggies thaw in just a few moments under warm running water directly in their bags.

Kenji López-Alt is the chief creative officer of Serious Eats, where he writes The Food Lab, unraveling the science of home cooking.