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Freeze Fresh: The Ultimate Guide to Preserving 55 Fruits and Vegetables for Maximum Flavor and Versatility
Capturing the peak flavor of freshly harvested produce and preserving it for year-round eating is easier than ever with Freeze Fresh, the ultimate guide to freezing and enjoying more than 55 popular fruits and vegetables. Author Crystal Schmidt shares her time-tested preparation techniques that ensure color, texture, and flavor are retained in the freezer. From familiar favorites like apples, corn, potatoes, and peas to surprises like lettuce, avocado, and citrus fruit, Schmidt details the best ways to prepare each food for the freezer, including pre-cooking, slicing, blanching, and more. She offers more than 100 recipes that freeze well, such as Blueberry Maple Pancake Sauce, Pickled Sliced Beets, Mango Chutney, and Honey Butter Carrot Mash--as well as delicious ways to cook the frozen food after thawing, including Creamy Parmesan Confetti Corn, Tart Cherry Oatmeal Bars, Broccoli Cheese Soup, and Blueberry-Matcha Latte Smoothie. Home cooks and gardeners alike will love discovering how easy and economical it can be to fill your freezer with produce customized to your own tastes and needs.
208 pages, Paperback
First published July 5, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
December 16, 2021
This is a great guide to freezing fresh fruits and vegetables. It goes into how to blanch, flash freeze, etc. and how to use the produce once you've frozen it. Lots of photos. There are some recipes to use some of the products. It covers most common garden produce like blueberries, melons, potatoes, greens, herbs, plums, broccoli, etc.
I was pleased to see things that I forage included like mushrooms and while it's just basic advice to cook first and then freeze, she does mention that it's a good way to use foraged mushrooms and I'm always happy to see foraging acknowledged as a great way to source food. For other wild foods that are not included like gooseberries and elderberries, it's pretty easy to just treat them like similar foods.
I appreciated more detailed information about freezing like the steps for how to easily defrost your chest freezer, how to use frozen fruits in recipes where it may change the liquid and texture, and how to make the most of your freezers. I'd like to see more recipes but it's an excellent guide that will be especially helpful for those who are new to freezing.
(One tip that's not in this book but that I recommend is for blanching asparagus. We forage over 50 pounds of wild asparagus some years and freeze lots to use year round. After snapping off the woody ends, cut it into 1-2 inch sections and separate the tips and very thin pieces in one pile and thicker pieces in the second. Drop the thicker pieces in the boiling water first, give it a full minute, then add your tips and tiny pieces and then in another minute drain. This way you don't have mushy tips and everything is perfect for tossing into the pan for a quick minute to heat.)
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.
I was pleased to see things that I forage included like mushrooms and while it's just basic advice to cook first and then freeze, she does mention that it's a good way to use foraged mushrooms and I'm always happy to see foraging acknowledged as a great way to source food. For other wild foods that are not included like gooseberries and elderberries, it's pretty easy to just treat them like similar foods.
I appreciated more detailed information about freezing like the steps for how to easily defrost your chest freezer, how to use frozen fruits in recipes where it may change the liquid and texture, and how to make the most of your freezers. I'd like to see more recipes but it's an excellent guide that will be especially helpful for those who are new to freezing.
(One tip that's not in this book but that I recommend is for blanching asparagus. We forage over 50 pounds of wild asparagus some years and freeze lots to use year round. After snapping off the woody ends, cut it into 1-2 inch sections and separate the tips and very thin pieces in one pile and thicker pieces in the second. Drop the thicker pieces in the boiling water first, give it a full minute, then add your tips and tiny pieces and then in another minute drain. This way you don't have mushy tips and everything is perfect for tossing into the pan for a quick minute to heat.)
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.
July 20, 2022
I enjoy growing fresh food, but invariably, I grow more than I need or I come across a bulk sale and have to pass it by because I couldn’t possibly use it in time before it went bad. Preserving the extras to have for later makes sense, but I am not one for canning in a heated kitchen. I’ve tried freezing our produce, but with poor results when it comes out. Then I spotted Freeze Fresh and got excited that it might be a good resource to show me where I went wrong and give me even more ideas for what, how, and later what to make with it.
Freeze Fresh begins with an intro to the author and then the advantages of freezing as a method of preservation. She goes into the history and science behind freezing (no worries, this section is short). Then the essential techniques and what supplies are needed. Right away, I realized that I would not be able to go whole hog like the author because, at the present, I only have a small freezer attached to my refrigerator and she speaks of having a separate one dedicated to freezer preservation (in fact she has three). A chest freezer is on my ‘someday’ wish list so I was still very much interested in learning what she had to say.
Then there were good tips for freezing like how to cut up the veggies and fruits, how to array them on pans to have them freeze evenly, how to defrost properly, and even how to get frozen foods back to the consistency needed for some cooking projects like the filling for pies. I was startled to learn that one can freeze in glass containers provided safety precautions are taken. I liked the frugal tips like saving the vegetable scraps, like tips, skins, etc. leftover from cutting them up in a freezer bag to later use in veggie broth rather than tossing or composting them.
The majority of the book is details about the freezing of individual fruits and veggies. I liked being able to flip to the ones I personally grow and chose to read those rather than straight through the sections.
I should mention that the very first section talks about general uses for large groups of fruits and veggies before getting into the individual ones. Her first example is using fruits to make jam that is frozen which is a different method to typical freezer jam which has more added sugar. Now, we’re talking! Healthier and easier. This is where she gives the prepping and freezing technique and shares her recipes that correspond. She then moves on to creating veggie combo packages like cauliflower, broccoli and carrots or making up green juice cubes for smoothies.
The individual fruit and veggie sections not only share about how to prep and freeze the raw produce, but freezing things like juice, sauce, or butters derived from them. I should also mention that these sections include fresh grown herbs and spices including herbal blends ready to go into certain cooking projects to save time later. My eyebrow went up about freezing lettuce, but apparently it’s great in smoothies and soups later. Each section there are her recipes for using the frozen produce. Yum!
In summary, Crystal Schmidt’s Freeze Fresh book gave me confidence to try this preservation method again for better results and made me realize that there were more products that could be frozen than I had even imagined. Her tips and recipes are the bonus that just made it even better. Definitely a food resource I can recommend.
I rec'd an eARC through NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My review posts at Books of My Heart on July 20th.
Freeze Fresh begins with an intro to the author and then the advantages of freezing as a method of preservation. She goes into the history and science behind freezing (no worries, this section is short). Then the essential techniques and what supplies are needed. Right away, I realized that I would not be able to go whole hog like the author because, at the present, I only have a small freezer attached to my refrigerator and she speaks of having a separate one dedicated to freezer preservation (in fact she has three). A chest freezer is on my ‘someday’ wish list so I was still very much interested in learning what she had to say.
Then there were good tips for freezing like how to cut up the veggies and fruits, how to array them on pans to have them freeze evenly, how to defrost properly, and even how to get frozen foods back to the consistency needed for some cooking projects like the filling for pies. I was startled to learn that one can freeze in glass containers provided safety precautions are taken. I liked the frugal tips like saving the vegetable scraps, like tips, skins, etc. leftover from cutting them up in a freezer bag to later use in veggie broth rather than tossing or composting them.
The majority of the book is details about the freezing of individual fruits and veggies. I liked being able to flip to the ones I personally grow and chose to read those rather than straight through the sections.
I should mention that the very first section talks about general uses for large groups of fruits and veggies before getting into the individual ones. Her first example is using fruits to make jam that is frozen which is a different method to typical freezer jam which has more added sugar. Now, we’re talking! Healthier and easier. This is where she gives the prepping and freezing technique and shares her recipes that correspond. She then moves on to creating veggie combo packages like cauliflower, broccoli and carrots or making up green juice cubes for smoothies.
The individual fruit and veggie sections not only share about how to prep and freeze the raw produce, but freezing things like juice, sauce, or butters derived from them. I should also mention that these sections include fresh grown herbs and spices including herbal blends ready to go into certain cooking projects to save time later. My eyebrow went up about freezing lettuce, but apparently it’s great in smoothies and soups later. Each section there are her recipes for using the frozen produce. Yum!
In summary, Crystal Schmidt’s Freeze Fresh book gave me confidence to try this preservation method again for better results and made me realize that there were more products that could be frozen than I had even imagined. Her tips and recipes are the bonus that just made it even better. Definitely a food resource I can recommend.
I rec'd an eARC through NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My review posts at Books of My Heart on July 20th.
May 15, 2022
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Freeze Fresh is an accessibly and clearly written resource guide to freezing fresh produce along with some recipes curated and written by Crystal Schmidt. Due out 19th July 2022 from Storey, it's 208 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
The included tutorials and recipes show how to select, prepare, and pack produce for preservation by freezing to maximize taste and quality. Essential and helpful equipment lists are included and explained very well. When I first started processing our garden produce, my tendency was to process -every- single fruit/vegetable no matter how misshapen, overripe, squishy, or blemished. I hated to 'waste' (compost) -anything- unnecessarily.The author makes a good case for selecting the best fruits and vegetables to freeze and shows how.
The following chapters include processing and recipes grouped alphabetically from apples to zucchini.
The recipes themselves are easy to read and understand. They include a header bar along with yields and a description. Ingredients are listed bullet point in a sidebar. Measurements are given in imperial (US standard) units only. Preparation instructions are enumerated step by step. Substitutions and alternative preparation or serving information are given in highlighted text boxes throughout.
Photography and food styling are very well done and prep and serving pictures are appealing and appropriate.
Five stars. This is a good addition to the home gardener's and smallholder's resource libraries. It's not a replacement for canning encyclopedias like Ball's Blue Book, but it's very good for specifics and tips for freezing produce with a collection of varied and useful recipes for using frozen fruits and veggies.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Freeze Fresh is an accessibly and clearly written resource guide to freezing fresh produce along with some recipes curated and written by Crystal Schmidt. Due out 19th July 2022 from Storey, it's 208 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
The included tutorials and recipes show how to select, prepare, and pack produce for preservation by freezing to maximize taste and quality. Essential and helpful equipment lists are included and explained very well. When I first started processing our garden produce, my tendency was to process -every- single fruit/vegetable no matter how misshapen, overripe, squishy, or blemished. I hated to 'waste' (compost) -anything- unnecessarily.The author makes a good case for selecting the best fruits and vegetables to freeze and shows how.
The following chapters include processing and recipes grouped alphabetically from apples to zucchini.
The recipes themselves are easy to read and understand. They include a header bar along with yields and a description. Ingredients are listed bullet point in a sidebar. Measurements are given in imperial (US standard) units only. Preparation instructions are enumerated step by step. Substitutions and alternative preparation or serving information are given in highlighted text boxes throughout.
Photography and food styling are very well done and prep and serving pictures are appealing and appropriate.
Five stars. This is a good addition to the home gardener's and smallholder's resource libraries. It's not a replacement for canning encyclopedias like Ball's Blue Book, but it's very good for specifics and tips for freezing produce with a collection of varied and useful recipes for using frozen fruits and veggies.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
January 4, 2022
I’m a sucker for a good deal and often get big baskets of fresh produce in season from my local farmers markets. My only regrets are that I sometimes can’t use it all. Then winter comes around and I really wish I had some of those fresh berries, or beans or corn, etc. this book is going to change things now that I better understand what freezes well, what may be better cooked vs just frozen for later, and just how to perfectly prep it for a winter treat.
The author provides great detail in her instructions along with plenty of pictures. In some of them, I felt like I was seeing my Grammy’s containers from her freezer…what great memories they invoked. I’m going to be ready for Summer’s bounty this year and my family will reap the rewards right along with me. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in doing the same. It’s a great resource!
The author provides great detail in her instructions along with plenty of pictures. In some of them, I felt like I was seeing my Grammy’s containers from her freezer…what great memories they invoked. I’m going to be ready for Summer’s bounty this year and my family will reap the rewards right along with me. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in doing the same. It’s a great resource!
April 18, 2024
An absolute treasure trove of practical tips, ideas, and recipes for cooking and preserving all the yummy homegrown fruits and vegetables. Every recipe I have tried so far has been excellent.
December 29, 2022
Helpful and practical resource - now if I only had a chest freezer! #MidwestAdultingGoals
December 18, 2021
Freeze Fresh is an utter revelation! There is really SO much more to freezing fruit in plastic bags! This is a great book for anyone who grows their own fruit & veg, or who pick soft fruits each year at Pick Your Own (PYO) farms. It’s also a must for people who just want to reduce food waste by freezing any excess fruit and vegetables.
I really learned a lot from this book, I hadn’t thought of shredding vegetables prior to freezing, or even making compotes/mashes/pastes to freeze. I also saw vegetables and fruits that I wouldn’t have considered freezing before e.g. cucumbers, melons and grapes, but I will certainly try freezing them.
The book is really well laid out with an explanation of the freezing process, different methods of freezing, the various containers and bags to use for the best results, tips on the best way to prepare fruit & veg for freezing. I also found the useful tips on maximising space in chest freezers (using cardboard crates) really insightful. The photographs of the fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables and cooked recipes are really beautiful.
The added bonus was also having recipes for each fruit/vegetable which can either be frozen as a dish (listed as “For the Freezer”), or using the thawed frozen fruit/vegetable (listed as “For the Table”).
I really can’t wait to try some of the recipes using soft fruits that I’d frozen earlier this summer. And, going forward, I’m going to freeze access fruit and veg in a more imaginative way.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and Storey Publishing for making the book available to me as an ARC for a fair and honest review.
I really learned a lot from this book, I hadn’t thought of shredding vegetables prior to freezing, or even making compotes/mashes/pastes to freeze. I also saw vegetables and fruits that I wouldn’t have considered freezing before e.g. cucumbers, melons and grapes, but I will certainly try freezing them.
The book is really well laid out with an explanation of the freezing process, different methods of freezing, the various containers and bags to use for the best results, tips on the best way to prepare fruit & veg for freezing. I also found the useful tips on maximising space in chest freezers (using cardboard crates) really insightful. The photographs of the fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables and cooked recipes are really beautiful.
The added bonus was also having recipes for each fruit/vegetable which can either be frozen as a dish (listed as “For the Freezer”), or using the thawed frozen fruit/vegetable (listed as “For the Table”).
I really can’t wait to try some of the recipes using soft fruits that I’d frozen earlier this summer. And, going forward, I’m going to freeze access fruit and veg in a more imaginative way.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and Storey Publishing for making the book available to me as an ARC for a fair and honest review.
March 5, 2022
If you have a garden and want an alternative to canning, you need Freeze Fresh. It clearly and concisely explains how to freeze your abundant harvests (or farmer’s market/supermarket sale finds). It covers 55 fruits, vegetables and herbs. It also includes recipes used before freezing and many more using the frozen bounty itself.
I was surprised by what you can freeze. Avocado? Yes! That will save me crying over the brown dried up ones in the bottom of the bag. Celery? Citrus? Surprising, yes! However, the item I can’t wait to make are freezer pickles. Recipes for three types are included.
Freeze Fresh is a great way to avoid food waste while ensuring that fresh produce is always ready in your freezer. 5 stars and a favorite!
Thanks to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
I was surprised by what you can freeze. Avocado? Yes! That will save me crying over the brown dried up ones in the bottom of the bag. Celery? Citrus? Surprising, yes! However, the item I can’t wait to make are freezer pickles. Recipes for three types are included.
Freeze Fresh is a great way to avoid food waste while ensuring that fresh produce is always ready in your freezer. 5 stars and a favorite!
Thanks to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
July 10, 2022
With this book you get much more than the title promises. Apart from the advice on freezing 55 different fruits and vegetables (and herbs, if that is a separate category), there are also quite a few recipes plus a lot of other practical advice. For example, there's a section on buying a freezer - pros and cons of chest freezer vs fridge freezer - and suggestions on how to pack the freezer, depending on which style you opt for. Various techniques like flash freezing and blanching are described in a way even a novice could easily follow.
This book would make a great resource for someone starting out on using freezing as a way of living more sustainably and cheaply, whether growing their own produce or just shopping seasonally or in bulk.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC to read and review.
This book would make a great resource for someone starting out on using freezing as a way of living more sustainably and cheaply, whether growing their own produce or just shopping seasonally or in bulk.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC to read and review.
May 3, 2022
This is such a simple premise but it is delivered in such a friendly, conversational tone, with lots of practical tips and fantastic recipes that you’ll want to either immediately plant something (guilty) or plunder the freezer and start making one of the recipes (guilty again)!
This is one of the few recipe books that honestly made me itch to make something straight away and part of the reason for that is that the author is authentically targeting home cooks. The Ottolenghis of this world make for great aspirational reads and dinner party recipes but it’s the Nigella’s that I return to for the everyday and this book fits right into the same category. Fab.
This is one of the few recipe books that honestly made me itch to make something straight away and part of the reason for that is that the author is authentically targeting home cooks. The Ottolenghis of this world make for great aspirational reads and dinner party recipes but it’s the Nigella’s that I return to for the everyday and this book fits right into the same category. Fab.
April 22, 2024
Whether you grow your own food, buy from a local farmer or want to preserve bulk food that you got a good deal on, this book will guide you through everything you need to know for preserving food for the future.
The information was thoughtfully organized and takes much of the guesswork out for beginners. It offers lots of useful tips as well as delicious and beautiful recipes for using your frozen produce. It makes me want to grow, preserve and enjoy all.the.things!
The information was thoughtfully organized and takes much of the guesswork out for beginners. It offers lots of useful tips as well as delicious and beautiful recipes for using your frozen produce. It makes me want to grow, preserve and enjoy all.the.things!
December 21, 2021
This book does what it says on the tin.
It explains some useful tips when freezing - some bits were genuinely interesting, while others were pretty much common sense.
The best bit of this book was the recipe ideas on what to do with your frozen fruit/veg after.
Overall this book was useful - but it's not something that you NEED as a lot is just common sense.
It explains some useful tips when freezing - some bits were genuinely interesting, while others were pretty much common sense.
The best bit of this book was the recipe ideas on what to do with your frozen fruit/veg after.
Overall this book was useful - but it's not something that you NEED as a lot is just common sense.
September 17, 2023
As someone who had been freezing mass quantities for pretty much ever, I didn’t learn much, but this is the book I wish I’d had when I started. A lot of the recipes are for sweet things, so, if you don’t eat sugar, you won’t get as much there.
December 19, 2021
This book is a perfect resource for anybody trying to save food but especially those wanting to get into food prepping but who don't quite want to stick their foot into the canning pool. We get a brief history of freezers and preserving foods in the cold which I found quite interesting. You also get a great run down of blanching (a skill that becomes very necessary in this book). I also really appreciated how the recipes included in the book made it clear if it was freezer friendly or if you'd have to eat them immediately. A great book to have in your kitchen to help save your groceries.
December 15, 2021
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is an interesting book.
It covers 55 different foods with approximately a page on each. The book talks about how to best freeze each food. There's also information on two different ways to blanch vegetables for freezing and best freezer storage tips.
I was hoping for more recipes in this book. There's a few that look good that I'll likely try. This is a helpful book for meal prepping or getting the most out of your freezer space.
This is an interesting book.
It covers 55 different foods with approximately a page on each. The book talks about how to best freeze each food. There's also information on two different ways to blanch vegetables for freezing and best freezer storage tips.
I was hoping for more recipes in this book. There's a few that look good that I'll likely try. This is a helpful book for meal prepping or getting the most out of your freezer space.
June 10, 2022
As someone who has grown up from a young age with a large garden, I have been freezing produce for years. I love that this book offers something for beginners and those who have been freezing produce for a while. I love the recipes in this book and am excited to try them in my own home. The photography is beautiful.
I received an early access to this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I received an early access to this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
July 10, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.
I really try to review cookbooks by cooking at least 1 thing out of the book, and then judging the ease of the cookbook based on that. I don't think it is fair to judge a cookbook on its theoretical merits - how easy it is to read, how many different types of recipes there are, what kinds of ingredients are needed, etc. Because I don't cook as much as I would like, I try to give some leniancy due to this as well, since people who cook more might have an easier time, but I feel that cookbooks should have at least some all-levels friendly recipes. That is the basic mindset for me writing this review.
I requested this book because I really wanted to find ways to use more fruits and vegetables without them going bad - since it gets really expensive to buy produce and it can be cheaper to buy in bulk, but then it can go bad before I use it. Again, not necessarily the best cook, and my lifestyle isn't always conducive to cooking meals every day. Unfortunately the aspect of this cookbook that was telling me how to freeze/store produce was mostly things I already knew/could easily look up, so that wasn't super helpful compared to what I was expecting. What I did get from this cookbook was a lot of recipes on how to prepare ingredients into things, to then freeze, to then pull out and cook with, or to take things and freeze them, and then pull them out and cook with them and have them ready to eat. This made making a recipe really hard because it was a 2-day process minimum if I wanted to try making a recipe so that things could freeze, and I had to find something I wanted to cook more than just trying to freeze produce.
I ended up trying to make the pizza sauce recipe, and the biggest issue I had was that it called for 12 cups of deseeded cherry tomatoes. Do you have any idea how many tomatoes that is? I didn't. I did learn how to deseed tomatoes, and I learned that I could replace cherry tomatoes with paste tomatoes for this recipe, but then I was on my own. I spent forever trying to look up how many tomatoes I needed to buy, what kind of tomatoes paste tomatoes were, and then realized that I had to roast the tomatoes for 90 minutes after deseeding them before I could even start the next part of the process. I learned that paste tomatoes are another name for Roma tomatoes, and so I bought four large Roma tomatoes based on my best conversion, and that ended up making 1/12 of the recipe, which meant I had to 12th everything else - which I couldn't do since part of it called for a teaspoon of things, which is incredibly hard to divide, so I just measured with my heart. Once the sauce was ready it was supposed to sit overnight in the fridge before freezing, which would then be used for cooking.
Moral of the story is that conversions in this book are incredibly difficult, and there wasn't really a good guide for that. This is not necessarily the most user-friendly book when it comes to preparing things unless you have a lot of time and are preparing things for far in advance and have a lot of produce on hand. While the pizza sauce turned out delicious and we all enjoyed it, it was 3 hours worth of work to make and then we didn't even get to eat it until the next day, and it barely made enough for 3 slices of matzah pizza. I don't know if I did something wrong, but that is a different issue. I think this is a great book for people who have a lot more skills than I do, and maybe some day when I have more time I will be able to use this book in a lot better ways.
I really try to review cookbooks by cooking at least 1 thing out of the book, and then judging the ease of the cookbook based on that. I don't think it is fair to judge a cookbook on its theoretical merits - how easy it is to read, how many different types of recipes there are, what kinds of ingredients are needed, etc. Because I don't cook as much as I would like, I try to give some leniancy due to this as well, since people who cook more might have an easier time, but I feel that cookbooks should have at least some all-levels friendly recipes. That is the basic mindset for me writing this review.
I requested this book because I really wanted to find ways to use more fruits and vegetables without them going bad - since it gets really expensive to buy produce and it can be cheaper to buy in bulk, but then it can go bad before I use it. Again, not necessarily the best cook, and my lifestyle isn't always conducive to cooking meals every day. Unfortunately the aspect of this cookbook that was telling me how to freeze/store produce was mostly things I already knew/could easily look up, so that wasn't super helpful compared to what I was expecting. What I did get from this cookbook was a lot of recipes on how to prepare ingredients into things, to then freeze, to then pull out and cook with, or to take things and freeze them, and then pull them out and cook with them and have them ready to eat. This made making a recipe really hard because it was a 2-day process minimum if I wanted to try making a recipe so that things could freeze, and I had to find something I wanted to cook more than just trying to freeze produce.
I ended up trying to make the pizza sauce recipe, and the biggest issue I had was that it called for 12 cups of deseeded cherry tomatoes. Do you have any idea how many tomatoes that is? I didn't. I did learn how to deseed tomatoes, and I learned that I could replace cherry tomatoes with paste tomatoes for this recipe, but then I was on my own. I spent forever trying to look up how many tomatoes I needed to buy, what kind of tomatoes paste tomatoes were, and then realized that I had to roast the tomatoes for 90 minutes after deseeding them before I could even start the next part of the process. I learned that paste tomatoes are another name for Roma tomatoes, and so I bought four large Roma tomatoes based on my best conversion, and that ended up making 1/12 of the recipe, which meant I had to 12th everything else - which I couldn't do since part of it called for a teaspoon of things, which is incredibly hard to divide, so I just measured with my heart. Once the sauce was ready it was supposed to sit overnight in the fridge before freezing, which would then be used for cooking.
Moral of the story is that conversions in this book are incredibly difficult, and there wasn't really a good guide for that. This is not necessarily the most user-friendly book when it comes to preparing things unless you have a lot of time and are preparing things for far in advance and have a lot of produce on hand. While the pizza sauce turned out delicious and we all enjoyed it, it was 3 hours worth of work to make and then we didn't even get to eat it until the next day, and it barely made enough for 3 slices of matzah pizza. I don't know if I did something wrong, but that is a different issue. I think this is a great book for people who have a lot more skills than I do, and maybe some day when I have more time I will be able to use this book in a lot better ways.
April 17, 2022
Freeze Fresh is a wondrous compendium of practical freezing ideas whether for produce you have grown yourself or bought in a market or store. The photography is spectacular and the information is written simply and in a friendly encouraging tone. The book contains information on produce freezing techniques, 100 recipes which freeze well and utilizing 55 fruit and vegetables in the best specific way (for example, when some produce thaws it becomes mushy; Crystal Schmidt gives tips on how to use it in its mushy state). She discusses food safety, thawing, freezing in various containers (including glass jars), reasons for freezing, freezers themselves and how our ancestors preserved food. Have you frozen garlic cloves, beets, figs, mushrooms, cucumbers or asparagus? Why not, right? No idea why my freezing repertoire has been lackluster...but that is changing, starting today. It seems there is more produce one can freeze than can't! Inspired, I froze apple slices and celery slices.
Schmidt's explanations and directions make so much sense! Just makes me wonder why this hasn't been done before?! But it has now, thankfully. She is systematic and thorough without being the slightest bit overwhelming. This is so doable for any gardening/cooking/preserving level.
Amongst the 100 included recipes using said frozen produce are "Lazy" Chocolate-Covered Frozen Banana Slices, Seedy Beet Crackers, Caesar Roasted Broccoli (am making this tomorrow), Cabbage Roll Soup, Honey-Butter Carrot Mash, Cherry Butter, Grandma's Sweet Freezer Pickles, Fig Cookie Smoothie, Garlic-Sesame Green Beans, Salted Caramel Pear Butter and Garlic Herb Blend in Greek Meatballs.
Whether you are starting out with freezing fresh fruit and vegetables or have done it for years, you will certainly experience many aha moments here and put much of what you learn into practice. Fresh Freeze should be required reading for every Home Economics student; heck, for everyone! It is almost a three-in-one book. It is pure gold for gardeners, foragers and preservers such as myself.
My sincere thank you to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for the privilege of reading/learning from this epic book! I could not possibly be happier with a book on this topic.
Schmidt's explanations and directions make so much sense! Just makes me wonder why this hasn't been done before?! But it has now, thankfully. She is systematic and thorough without being the slightest bit overwhelming. This is so doable for any gardening/cooking/preserving level.
Amongst the 100 included recipes using said frozen produce are "Lazy" Chocolate-Covered Frozen Banana Slices, Seedy Beet Crackers, Caesar Roasted Broccoli (am making this tomorrow), Cabbage Roll Soup, Honey-Butter Carrot Mash, Cherry Butter, Grandma's Sweet Freezer Pickles, Fig Cookie Smoothie, Garlic-Sesame Green Beans, Salted Caramel Pear Butter and Garlic Herb Blend in Greek Meatballs.
Whether you are starting out with freezing fresh fruit and vegetables or have done it for years, you will certainly experience many aha moments here and put much of what you learn into practice. Fresh Freeze should be required reading for every Home Economics student; heck, for everyone! It is almost a three-in-one book. It is pure gold for gardeners, foragers and preservers such as myself.
My sincere thank you to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for the privilege of reading/learning from this epic book! I could not possibly be happier with a book on this topic.
March 26, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review. (Publish Date: July 19, 2022)
“Freeze Fresh” by Crystal Schmidt is a beautiful and valuable guide on how to properly prep and freeze fresh produce for year-round eating.
This book instantly appealed to me, because I have been dabbling with freezing some produce and other foods to keep them from going bad before I’m ready to use them. It seems like prices continue to be rising on producing each week I visit the grocery store, so I was looking for a cost-effective and less wasteful solution. I was amazed by this book’s attractively simple presentation, the abundance of helpful photos, and the easy-to-follow instructions. I also loved finding several recipes scattered throughout the book with ideas on how to use your frozen produce year-round!
The “Freezing Produce from A to Z” guide in this book included everything from favorites like apples, bananas, berries, and green beans to unexpected items like avocados, cucumbers, mushrooms, and tomatoes. The author fully explains how to prep and freeze each item, so there’s completely no guesswork! I never thought about grating fruits and veggies before freezing them, but it makes perfect sense for produce you would use when cooking anyway. Ever have a recipe that calls for lemon zest and you don’t have any fresh lemons on hand? Now, you can freeze any citrus zest and have it ready to go in your freezer for any recipe!
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone wanting to save money and learn how to properly freeze fresh produce. I hate having to throw away what was once perfectly fine fruits and veggies due to lack of time and use, but this book was the solution I so desperately needed! I definitely plan to purchase this book and will be using it regularly this summer when my home garden is overflowing with produce.
“Freeze Fresh” by Crystal Schmidt is a beautiful and valuable guide on how to properly prep and freeze fresh produce for year-round eating.
This book instantly appealed to me, because I have been dabbling with freezing some produce and other foods to keep them from going bad before I’m ready to use them. It seems like prices continue to be rising on producing each week I visit the grocery store, so I was looking for a cost-effective and less wasteful solution. I was amazed by this book’s attractively simple presentation, the abundance of helpful photos, and the easy-to-follow instructions. I also loved finding several recipes scattered throughout the book with ideas on how to use your frozen produce year-round!
The “Freezing Produce from A to Z” guide in this book included everything from favorites like apples, bananas, berries, and green beans to unexpected items like avocados, cucumbers, mushrooms, and tomatoes. The author fully explains how to prep and freeze each item, so there’s completely no guesswork! I never thought about grating fruits and veggies before freezing them, but it makes perfect sense for produce you would use when cooking anyway. Ever have a recipe that calls for lemon zest and you don’t have any fresh lemons on hand? Now, you can freeze any citrus zest and have it ready to go in your freezer for any recipe!
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone wanting to save money and learn how to properly freeze fresh produce. I hate having to throw away what was once perfectly fine fruits and veggies due to lack of time and use, but this book was the solution I so desperately needed! I definitely plan to purchase this book and will be using it regularly this summer when my home garden is overflowing with produce.
July 20, 2022
Freeze Fresh is an amazing book with everything you would need to get started on your food preservation journey. The author begins with a little history about growing your own food and how people preserved it in the past. I love to begin a book like this with a look at how it started and what has changed since, it makes me so grateful for modern practices! In the first half of the book we find different techniques showing how to freeze food for the best quality when defrosted. So much detailed information is shared on how to prevent freezer burn, what containers to use, helpful tools that will make the process easier for you. I learned SO much in these sections and the information was presented in a way that was not overwhelming and it was very easy to understand. I can’t wait to put what I have learned to use.
Once we get through all the tools/techniques, there is the section on “Freezing Produce From A-Z” which literally walks you through how to freeze every kind of produce you can imagine in multiple ways. This is a complete game changer for me! I have never even thought about trying some of the options our author gives us in this book. We then get to the last section of the book which is recipes that can be frozen, and they all look delicious!
What I appreciated most about this book is that the information is given in a way that is not overwhelming, it's exciting and organized, and makes me really believe I will be able to do all the things listed in this book. I am so excited to try out some of these new techniques I have read about. There are pictures all throughout the book that make it colorful and lively, and break up reading so much text. The pictures also provide an example of what the author is teaching in that section.
What a wonderful resource to anyone who is lucky enough to pick up this book, I will be buying some for friends and family as I know anyone who receives it will enjoy it!
Once we get through all the tools/techniques, there is the section on “Freezing Produce From A-Z” which literally walks you through how to freeze every kind of produce you can imagine in multiple ways. This is a complete game changer for me! I have never even thought about trying some of the options our author gives us in this book. We then get to the last section of the book which is recipes that can be frozen, and they all look delicious!
What I appreciated most about this book is that the information is given in a way that is not overwhelming, it's exciting and organized, and makes me really believe I will be able to do all the things listed in this book. I am so excited to try out some of these new techniques I have read about. There are pictures all throughout the book that make it colorful and lively, and break up reading so much text. The pictures also provide an example of what the author is teaching in that section.
What a wonderful resource to anyone who is lucky enough to pick up this book, I will be buying some for friends and family as I know anyone who receives it will enjoy it!
January 3, 2022
#FreezeFresh #NetGalley.
Publisher: Storey Publishing
Release Date: July 19, 2022
The Promise (Descr from Publisher):
The Ultimate Guide to PRESERVING 55 FRUITS AND VEGETABLES for Maximum Flaver and Versatility
(From the book’s subtitle - the publisher left the description blank on NetGalley)
The Expectation (mine after reading the promise, etc):
I read the reviews already posted for this and so I know not to be expecting a recipe book: but I wasn’t anyway. I expect this to be a how-to book. I hope to gain some knowledge and confidence in freezing fruits & vegetables.
Quote from book:
For me, growing food is grounding; it makes me feel connected and whole. I share a lot of our life on social media and on my website, and I find great joy in inspiring others with what we're growing, eating, and preserving. I wish that more people could experience growing their own food; I truly think it could change the world.
What I connected with:
I love the bright colors / photos. Also, the simple instructions. And explanations about what works and what doesn’t! Easy to follow & understand; and then do!
What I struggled with:
I didn’t expect this to be a recipe book like some reviewers seem to have expected. However as I was reading through the book, I kept thinking “Does she have a companion recipe book?” That would be awesome!
What I learned:
That freezing food isn’t as difficult as my own overthinking led me to believe it would be.
How it transformed me in some way:
I am now way more confident about taking on freezing vegetables and fruits that I never would have considered freezing before! That’s a big win!
I would definitely recommend this to friends and family & want a hard copy for my own personal chef library!
*I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.
Publisher: Storey Publishing
Release Date: July 19, 2022
The Promise (Descr from Publisher):
The Ultimate Guide to PRESERVING 55 FRUITS AND VEGETABLES for Maximum Flaver and Versatility
(From the book’s subtitle - the publisher left the description blank on NetGalley)
The Expectation (mine after reading the promise, etc):
I read the reviews already posted for this and so I know not to be expecting a recipe book: but I wasn’t anyway. I expect this to be a how-to book. I hope to gain some knowledge and confidence in freezing fruits & vegetables.
Quote from book:
For me, growing food is grounding; it makes me feel connected and whole. I share a lot of our life on social media and on my website, and I find great joy in inspiring others with what we're growing, eating, and preserving. I wish that more people could experience growing their own food; I truly think it could change the world.
What I connected with:
I love the bright colors / photos. Also, the simple instructions. And explanations about what works and what doesn’t! Easy to follow & understand; and then do!
What I struggled with:
I didn’t expect this to be a recipe book like some reviewers seem to have expected. However as I was reading through the book, I kept thinking “Does she have a companion recipe book?” That would be awesome!
What I learned:
That freezing food isn’t as difficult as my own overthinking led me to believe it would be.
How it transformed me in some way:
I am now way more confident about taking on freezing vegetables and fruits that I never would have considered freezing before! That’s a big win!
I would definitely recommend this to friends and family & want a hard copy for my own personal chef library!
*I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.
July 5, 2022
I have had freezer disasters and I know I am not alone. But that is because I did not have this really well designed and useful book at hand.
It is very informative about freezing in general and this provides a really good basis for understanding the techniques that will turn a freezer disaster into a freezer paradise. And I found the whole section about freezing specific types of foods - apples, peas, beans, tomatoes, ginger, potatoes, mangoes, raspberries, plums, cucumber, herbs, corn, etc - very useful, interesting and often surprising. Everything is presented very clearly and pictures are great. The idea of including recipes one can make with the frozen foods is really nice and can inspire to create your own. I found them all attractive and some are definitely on my list to make like the sunbaked strawberry jam, the freezer pickles, or the pot of vegetable scraps to make my own broth.
This book is definitely one for fans of vegetable gardens. Everything grows at once in the summer and there is only so much one can eat fresh. Freezing homegrown vegetable brings your summer vegetable garden on the plate all year long. But even for those like me who do not have a garden, we often can get nice vegetables and fruits from friends, family or the local farm stall and knowing how to freeze them properly will make a big difference to your winter meals.
I am confident now my freezing disaster days are behind me because this book will definitely stay at hand in my kitchen.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for giving me the pleasure to read this book on an advance reader copy and many thanks to Crystal Schmidt for giving me the key to freezer paradise.
It is very informative about freezing in general and this provides a really good basis for understanding the techniques that will turn a freezer disaster into a freezer paradise. And I found the whole section about freezing specific types of foods - apples, peas, beans, tomatoes, ginger, potatoes, mangoes, raspberries, plums, cucumber, herbs, corn, etc - very useful, interesting and often surprising. Everything is presented very clearly and pictures are great. The idea of including recipes one can make with the frozen foods is really nice and can inspire to create your own. I found them all attractive and some are definitely on my list to make like the sunbaked strawberry jam, the freezer pickles, or the pot of vegetable scraps to make my own broth.
This book is definitely one for fans of vegetable gardens. Everything grows at once in the summer and there is only so much one can eat fresh. Freezing homegrown vegetable brings your summer vegetable garden on the plate all year long. But even for those like me who do not have a garden, we often can get nice vegetables and fruits from friends, family or the local farm stall and knowing how to freeze them properly will make a big difference to your winter meals.
I am confident now my freezing disaster days are behind me because this book will definitely stay at hand in my kitchen.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for giving me the pleasure to read this book on an advance reader copy and many thanks to Crystal Schmidt for giving me the key to freezer paradise.
August 17, 2022
Freeze Fresh: The Ultimate Guide to Preserving 55 Fruits and Vegetables for Maximum Flavor and Versatility is a reference/cookbook that belongs in every kitchen. With food prices skyrocketing, it’s especially important to eliminate waste and preserve the food that we have either grown or purchased.
This excellent book outlines the techniques of freezing fruits and vegetables so that they are usable in recipes. The information is well-written and easy to understand. There are 55 different fruits and vegetables featured, and the author explains how to freeze them successfully. Some readers will find that fruits and vegetables that they previously thought weren’t freezable (like cucumbers and lettuce), actually are. Schmidt also includes recipes for using the frozen products. The recipes are for dishes people will actually want to make; they are written in the traditional manner, and can be easily made by both beginning and advanced cooks. Recipes include appetizers, salads, soups, side dishes, jams and jellies, main dishes, and desserts. The information is timely and the techniques for freezing have been modernized to make it easier than past practices. There are also beautiful photographs of step-by-step instructions, as well as the fruits and vegetables and also the recipes.
No matter what vegetables and fruits readers favor, there is something here for everyone. This book is highly recommended and is not only a good reference, but also a great cookbook. It belongs on every cookbook shelf.
Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.
This excellent book outlines the techniques of freezing fruits and vegetables so that they are usable in recipes. The information is well-written and easy to understand. There are 55 different fruits and vegetables featured, and the author explains how to freeze them successfully. Some readers will find that fruits and vegetables that they previously thought weren’t freezable (like cucumbers and lettuce), actually are. Schmidt also includes recipes for using the frozen products. The recipes are for dishes people will actually want to make; they are written in the traditional manner, and can be easily made by both beginning and advanced cooks. Recipes include appetizers, salads, soups, side dishes, jams and jellies, main dishes, and desserts. The information is timely and the techniques for freezing have been modernized to make it easier than past practices. There are also beautiful photographs of step-by-step instructions, as well as the fruits and vegetables and also the recipes.
No matter what vegetables and fruits readers favor, there is something here for everyone. This book is highly recommended and is not only a good reference, but also a great cookbook. It belongs on every cookbook shelf.
Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.
February 5, 2022
[Review of uncorrected page proofs for NetGalley; Foreword & Index not provided]
I just sat reading the table of contents over and over for the longest time--things I never considered freezing. Schmidt lives and gardens in Wisconsin so her growing season vs. mine in NC are vastly different. She's freezing things I can get fresh just any old time but once I read her tips and recipes I started thinking about all of the food waste I have. Being able to readily get more onions isn't necessarily a great thing. I was just reading this title to review it but I found myself making notes and hoping I'd remember to change some habits (veggie scrap bag in the freezer for stock--heck yeah).
In addition to instructions for prepping and freezing around 50 fruits, vegetables, and herbs (again, genius), Schmidt also includes consumer tips about purchasing a freezer and provides great practical tips about various freezing methods, the merits of various types of containers, supplies & tools, and thawing instructions. I grew up in a family that gardened and preserved and I've (often unwillingly) participated in canning & freezing since childhood. I picked up tons of helpful tips from Fresh Freeze. But this book will also serve beginners. My fave thing: she offers great advice for small batch preserving.
I just sat reading the table of contents over and over for the longest time--things I never considered freezing. Schmidt lives and gardens in Wisconsin so her growing season vs. mine in NC are vastly different. She's freezing things I can get fresh just any old time but once I read her tips and recipes I started thinking about all of the food waste I have. Being able to readily get more onions isn't necessarily a great thing. I was just reading this title to review it but I found myself making notes and hoping I'd remember to change some habits (veggie scrap bag in the freezer for stock--heck yeah).
In addition to instructions for prepping and freezing around 50 fruits, vegetables, and herbs (again, genius), Schmidt also includes consumer tips about purchasing a freezer and provides great practical tips about various freezing methods, the merits of various types of containers, supplies & tools, and thawing instructions. I grew up in a family that gardened and preserved and I've (often unwillingly) participated in canning & freezing since childhood. I picked up tons of helpful tips from Fresh Freeze. But this book will also serve beginners. My fave thing: she offers great advice for small batch preserving.
June 7, 2022
Title: Freeze Fresh: The Ultimate Guide to Preserving 55 Fruits and Vegetables 🌽 🌶 for Maximum Flavor and Versatility
Author: Crystal Schmidt
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Publication date: July 5, 2022
Review:
This is a beautifully laid out, informative "ultimate guide" for farmers, home gardeners, and anyone with trees in their yard that give you a bounty of avocados, mango, lychee, or in our case guava, calamansi and tangerines. There are also great tips on freezers, organization and recipes that let you use the frozen fruits and vegetables.
If this is how I lived now, instead of in an apartment with an over the refrigerator freezer, this is definitely worth trying. I love this lifestyle of growing food, giving away or preserving the food by canning, dehydrating or now fresh freezing. It is the Mother Earth lifestyle that I have always dreamed of. But then the plethora of insects in Hawaii paired with my very skillful knack at killing plants, as well as the whole empty nest stage of my life means that the reality is not the dream. Still, I like to look at the pictures. I like to look at the recipes. I like to imagine someone I know finding peace in the process of preserving their rhubarb and zoodles for a different season. This book will help you fulfill that dream. For me, it is just wishful wandering into a different world.
Author: Crystal Schmidt
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Publication date: July 5, 2022
Review:
This is a beautifully laid out, informative "ultimate guide" for farmers, home gardeners, and anyone with trees in their yard that give you a bounty of avocados, mango, lychee, or in our case guava, calamansi and tangerines. There are also great tips on freezers, organization and recipes that let you use the frozen fruits and vegetables.
If this is how I lived now, instead of in an apartment with an over the refrigerator freezer, this is definitely worth trying. I love this lifestyle of growing food, giving away or preserving the food by canning, dehydrating or now fresh freezing. It is the Mother Earth lifestyle that I have always dreamed of. But then the plethora of insects in Hawaii paired with my very skillful knack at killing plants, as well as the whole empty nest stage of my life means that the reality is not the dream. Still, I like to look at the pictures. I like to look at the recipes. I like to imagine someone I know finding peace in the process of preserving their rhubarb and zoodles for a different season. This book will help you fulfill that dream. For me, it is just wishful wandering into a different world.
December 31, 2021
This is a guide to preserving 55 fruits and vegetables.
The book covers the freezing basics and then in alphabetical order it shows you what to do with your fruit and veg. It explains how to steam, boil or flash freeze produce. Also, it covers what to store the produce in, organization, how long products are good for in the freezer, and what kitchen tools are required.
In the A-Z section, not only does it explain how to freeze the produce, the book also gives a number of recipes that can be made to be frozen, such as apple pie filling, plus recipes to make with the fruit or vegetable that has come out of the freezer. The recipes that are included use imperial measurements.
There were quite a few items that I hadn't thought could be frozen, such as cucumber and melon, or making your own zoodles. There are definitely many ideas in this book and it would be a great way to make produce last longer rather than send it to the landfill.
This reminds me of my childhood where my mother would pick the fruit and vegetables in our garden, rhubarb and beans were quite a favourite in our home, and freeze them, alongside the blackberries we had walked up the south downs to collect in the late summer.
I received this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
The book covers the freezing basics and then in alphabetical order it shows you what to do with your fruit and veg. It explains how to steam, boil or flash freeze produce. Also, it covers what to store the produce in, organization, how long products are good for in the freezer, and what kitchen tools are required.
In the A-Z section, not only does it explain how to freeze the produce, the book also gives a number of recipes that can be made to be frozen, such as apple pie filling, plus recipes to make with the fruit or vegetable that has come out of the freezer. The recipes that are included use imperial measurements.
There were quite a few items that I hadn't thought could be frozen, such as cucumber and melon, or making your own zoodles. There are definitely many ideas in this book and it would be a great way to make produce last longer rather than send it to the landfill.
This reminds me of my childhood where my mother would pick the fruit and vegetables in our garden, rhubarb and beans were quite a favourite in our home, and freeze them, alongside the blackberries we had walked up the south downs to collect in the late summer.
I received this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
January 5, 2022
This is a really informative and in-depth book about how to freeze a wide variety of fresh foods. It begins with all the information you would ever need to know about freezers, how to freeze and how to get the best out of your freezer. It then goes on to list all the 55 fruits and vegetables and explains clearly how to freeze them, and how to use them. There are several lovely recipes for each food item, and there are definitely some that I will try. This book is for someone who wants to invest time and effort in freezing and cooking, and wants to learn from the vast experience and skills of the author. I was surprised at some of the ingredients that could be frozen, and I think I will try freezing some of them. It was also helpful that she explained the best containers/bags to use for each item, and the different ways of defrosting each item. However, I know that I could cook some of these recipes from shop-bought frozen ingredients - they probably won't be as nice as the home frozen fresh fruit and veg, but some of these recipes look so delicious, that I'm sure the end result will be great.
Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
April 26, 2022
I really enjoyed this book - it was actually very helpful, having just got into doing bulk meals and staying on top of food waste which was common in our household until now, this book has acted as an aid to help up with that educating me in the knowledge of freezing food.
I've invested quite smartly in some freezer bags, even separating food in boxes to help with space as our freezer size isn't a great amount.
This book gave me lots of ideas on how to start organising more and reducing the size, bulky veggies do take up a lot of room so shredding them gives a whole new load of room for me. I originally stayed far away from compote and things like that but now I have a slight idea of what I'm doing this will help, I now have a Ninja Foodie which makes things like that far more easier for someone like me and this has given me more time and reduced food costs which is brilliant at a time like this!
I particularly liked the beginning part which was interesting and touched on a time before modern freezing and I think this where we need extra education to generations such as mine, who has only ever known there to be a fridge or freezer, now we have a pantry and live in and older house this has opened the world up to me on what will keep and for how long.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read a FREE ARC in return for my review, I'll definitely be going out to buy this book and it's honestly going to be one for the kitchen shelf for me!
I've invested quite smartly in some freezer bags, even separating food in boxes to help with space as our freezer size isn't a great amount.
This book gave me lots of ideas on how to start organising more and reducing the size, bulky veggies do take up a lot of room so shredding them gives a whole new load of room for me. I originally stayed far away from compote and things like that but now I have a slight idea of what I'm doing this will help, I now have a Ninja Foodie which makes things like that far more easier for someone like me and this has given me more time and reduced food costs which is brilliant at a time like this!
I particularly liked the beginning part which was interesting and touched on a time before modern freezing and I think this where we need extra education to generations such as mine, who has only ever known there to be a fridge or freezer, now we have a pantry and live in and older house this has opened the world up to me on what will keep and for how long.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read a FREE ARC in return for my review, I'll definitely be going out to buy this book and it's honestly going to be one for the kitchen shelf for me!
January 14, 2022
This is a great guide not only for all of us urban farmers that get a little too excited in the spring and end up drowning in tomatoes by the end of summer, but also for anyone that would like to make their leftover produce go a little farther. I appreciated the thorough introduction to freezing as a method of preservation as well as the science and history behind it. As the author states, freezing can be an alternative to canning when you have too much to use, but not enough to haul out the canning paraphernalia, a situation I am often in. I love the idea of having a broth bowl in the freezer to deposit my food scraps instead of the trash.
My favorite feature of this book are the recipes. Once you’ve followed the instructions and have produced 5 lbs of lovingly frozen shredded carrots, there are hints and tips for use as well as a couple of full recipes that look delicious. Plus, the beautiful pictures are making my fingers itch to plant tomatoes again!
Thanks for Netgalley and Crystal Schmidt for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
My favorite feature of this book are the recipes. Once you’ve followed the instructions and have produced 5 lbs of lovingly frozen shredded carrots, there are hints and tips for use as well as a couple of full recipes that look delicious. Plus, the beautiful pictures are making my fingers itch to plant tomatoes again!
Thanks for Netgalley and Crystal Schmidt for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
May 12, 2022
I was interested in filling the gaps in my freezing knowledge. Recently, I had surgery and had a need to freeze meals for the family while I recovered. I soon learned there are big gaps from knowing how to freeze bagged corn and freezing meals. This book delivered on filling those gaps!
This is a great guide to freezing fresh fruits and vegetables. The author provides great details about food prep time, freezing, what containers to use, and defrosting our items, cooking time.
I'm a visual learner, so I loved how many pictures were provided with detailed instructions. I better understand what freezes well, what may be better cooked before it is frozen, and how long to defrost items before cooking. The latter bit was what I was struggling to achieve correctly.
I loved that the author provides a recipe section and how to use the food we've frozen. Her instructions use basic language, simple directions, with a quick prep time. This allows us as parents to spend less time in the kitchen, and more time with the family.
Summer is coming. Each year, we try to find fun family activities to keep kids entertained when on summer break. If you haven't gone strawberries or apple picking with your kiddos,mine love it. There are a lot of jobs they can help with once the fruits or vegetables are home. Learning can be fun, and reducing waste is important. These fun memories will reappear when you make a nice fruit pie during the holiday and they helped.
Thanks to Netgalley and Storey Publishing for providing me with an ARC book for an honest review.
This is a great guide to freezing fresh fruits and vegetables. The author provides great details about food prep time, freezing, what containers to use, and defrosting our items, cooking time.
I'm a visual learner, so I loved how many pictures were provided with detailed instructions. I better understand what freezes well, what may be better cooked before it is frozen, and how long to defrost items before cooking. The latter bit was what I was struggling to achieve correctly.
I loved that the author provides a recipe section and how to use the food we've frozen. Her instructions use basic language, simple directions, with a quick prep time. This allows us as parents to spend less time in the kitchen, and more time with the family.
Summer is coming. Each year, we try to find fun family activities to keep kids entertained when on summer break. If you haven't gone strawberries or apple picking with your kiddos,mine love it. There are a lot of jobs they can help with once the fruits or vegetables are home. Learning can be fun, and reducing waste is important. These fun memories will reappear when you make a nice fruit pie during the holiday and they helped.
Thanks to Netgalley and Storey Publishing for providing me with an ARC book for an honest review.
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