Frozen Veggies 101
March 16, 2012
Whatever the weather, it’s always vegetable season inside your freezer. Discover the wonder of frozen veggies—from Arctic-inspired beginnings to thoroughly modern benefits—with this essential guide.
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Frozen Veggie Roots
Though farmers, fishermen, and hunters have found ways to preserve their food for thousands of years, the modern method of “flash freezing” was invented by pioneer Clarence Frank Birdseye II in the 1920’s. While traveling through the Arctic, he observed Eskimos using ice, wind, and temperature to freeze just-caught fish almost instantly to retain freshness—and was inspired to apply the same biological process to vegetables. The result revolutionized the frozen food industry, and made Birds Eye® vegetables a household name.
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Inside the Freezing Process
After being harvested at the peak of ripeness, fresh-picked vegetables are delivered within hours to be cleaned and quick-steamed to lock in color, nutrition, and taste. The vegetables are finally flash-frozen—each whole or cut piece of vegetable to zero degrees Fahrenheit or colder within minutes—before being checked by quality inspectors.
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