Top Tips for Freezing Garden Produce 

I just made a batch of potatoes for freezing (the ones I hit with a fork when digging up, which can't be stored all winter). Chop into large dice, blanch, freeze on cookie sheet for a short time, then put into bags and store. Boil or roast after defrosting. I knew I'd gone a bit overboard with my garden this year when I started looking at a box of 1000 heavy-duty freezer bags online.

Thank you for mentioning the re-use of plastic bags. I have not purchased any for at least 10 years by using bread bags etc. from foods that come from the grocers. It saves loads of money and greatly reduces plastic waste.

Love the idea of freezing sauces into blocks without dedicating a container in the freezer!

You can freeze onions without blanching. If you freeze veg on a tray as you did, you can freeze larger amounts in one bag rather than portion sizes because they will be loose enough to take out what you need.

Small whole chilli peppers freeze very well. Just take one out when you need. Their hard skin makes it easy to dice them after thawing

This is flip flopping amazing. Getting a freezer delivered tomorrow to start storing my harvest!

I freeze my tomatoes whole & thaw, blend and eat. I don’t bother to skin my tomatoes. I also freeze my garlic after I skin them and break them into individual cloves.

How many viewers breathed in when the straw was put in the bag 🤣🤣

If freezing tomatoes, just remove the core on the stem end with a paring knife, rinse, and pop into the freezer bag. When you are ready to use them, just run them quickly under warm water and the skins will peel right off--so much easier. For freezing herbs, pack them into the bottom of a ziplock bag until it is sausage-shaped and about the size of your thumb. Use Ben's straw trick to get out the air, roll it all into a tube, and freeze. When you use them, just pull the "herb sausage" out and use a knife to cut off as much as you need--it is much easier to gauge how much you have.. This also allows you to cut it as fine as you need for that particular recipe--if it's for a stew or a braise, you may just want to cut off as much as you need and toss it in whole--it will separate as it thaws. Put the rest back into the freezer for the next time. Easier than ice cubes!

Love this as I had no idea how to do it and fast too many beans. Even the neighbors have had enough 😂 I also store my herbs in a nice butter and freeze, such as a garlic one, coriander and parsley etc. Perfect addition for pasta and new potatoes as well as many more!

Another way to freeze you veggies is to use a vacuum saver/vacuum sealer. Yes the Vacuum saver/sealer can be expensive to purchase, but it will more than pay for itself in saved food. You can also marinate foods with a vacuum saver/sealer too!

Just got my first ripened tomato, in my first summer gardening! There’s loads more tomatoes on the plant too

That ice cube herb tip is fantastic! Thank you.

Hi you can use masking tape for labelling as it marks well and sticks to most things and is cheap .keep up the good work ,G.

Corn and carrots are my favorite. Thank you for the tomato sauce tip!

I always end up making frozen mash and potato gnocchi for the freezer before my potatoes start to germinate .I also freeze green beans without the blanching process

I just found this older video of yours, very timely as my harvests are getting larger. Thanks Ben , I love your gardening tips now I will use the freezing tips, I just need to find your cooking tips and I’ll have the whole package👍

Thank you so much for this video! It was quite helpful!

Thank you for very useful tips!

Just what I needed. Thanks. I froze a large batch of runner beans a few years ago and didn’t realise I had to blanch so all ruined. Now planning to deliberately over produce to have veg in freezer as backup and out of season.

I have very limited freezer space and I like to freeze pesto flat in freezer bags. I break off bits as need be to add to recipes. It takes less room than cubes. I sometimes "file" these flat items upright in a freezer tray or shoe box. Great tips. Motivating!

Hey, I love that little freezer, built in to your cabinet! Nice!!!

A very useful vid. I don't use ziplock bags all the time by way of economy. Cheap Supermarket freezer bags will do if you slightly twist the necks and SUCK! You can hear and feel the air leaving and then quickly seal of knot the bags and - hey presto - job done! I only use ziplock bags for such as sauces. Still, very helpful vid - Paul

Happy you shared this. Wasn't sure I could freeze and keep things fresh. I'm harvesting daily and starting to run out of people to share with

I've found another great way to preserve tomatoes is by making fermented salsa. When you open up a jar in February, it still tastes like summer!

Love your videos. Watched all of them. Wish there was one every day. 🌻💗🌻💗

Thanks for this. I have a large amount of dwarf and French beans at the allotment and my family don't wish to eat them everyday. I will try your freezing method.

That straw tip is a great idea!! Will definitely be using that.

You are full of fresh vibration of gardening.... 👍👍 Love your videos.

Really enjoy your short and concise videos I find them really useful, thanks for sharing stay safe David 👍

Thank you, this was very helpful.

Beautiful garden and well presentation, thanks for sharing to us such an amazing informative and educational looking forward to see more posting

Great ideas. Thank you!

Love the tips with herbs & sauces :) Thank you :)

Amazing tips thanku!!

really useful video full of great, straight to the point, hints and tips. Thankyou

Lovely, useful tips! Thank you!

Brilliant video great info I will definitely take your advice! Loved the use of the straw!👍☘️☘️☘️

Thank you. This was very informative.

Dehydrating is also a good way to preserve fruits and some veggies. The machines aren't too expensive but you can also just leave small pieces of fruit or veggie in an oven set as low as it can go.

Thanks for the info! Very helpful right now! Harvest, what a wonder time of year! 🥰

Another top notch vid with awesome advice from the gardening legend! Cheers dude 🍻 😎

Great advice, thank you

This is our second year with your program. Our output was up significantly this year and we felt so supported by all your great advice. We even did succession planning for the first time ever. Will definitely try out the freezer tips. Thanks for all the expertise and the enthusiasm!

I have lots of wild garlic pesto 'ice' cubes in the freezer.

Thank you!!

Thanks!

Very good straightforward video.Thanks

I love the straw idea.

Thanks, I enjoyed your video. I have frozen blackberries, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, pineapple, green beans, field peas, and tomato sauce right now.

As usual, great content and enjoyable presentation

Thanks for the great tips 👍

Helpful! Thank you!

Great idea to freeze herbs! Thank you! I will try this with ones that I mix into cocktails - especially blended or muddled ones. It will even reduce dilution if I use a few of them as ice cubes in those mixed drinks afterwards.

Loved the idea of using a straw to take out the rest of the air! I have issues with the freezer burn and will try this. I am looking forward to making your Tomato Chutney recipe (canning) today!! Great videos, always informative and to the point, thank you!

A real keeper video! Full of good ideas. Thx!

Great video! I freeze basil topping the ice cubes trays with tomato juice not water - perfect for all the winter stews, pasta sauces and casseroles.

Thanks for your epic videos.

Thank you for all the useful tips. I have saved yr videi. The best tip for me was remiving the corn. At the moment my freezer is full of corn on the cob. After watching yr video I am going to buy some more and do what u reccommeded. For the next few weeks corn on the cob is cheap then it doubles in price. Kind refards👍🌞🍓🍒🌽🥬😀🌺🍏🍎🍉🍌🍇🍍🥑🥥🥦

best way to save space in your freezer is to can your crops!

Great info...!! Thanks.

Great info thanks!

Great video, thanks!

For years I have frozen paste tomatoes straight out of the garden until I get enough to can a batch. Then I run them under very warm water and the skins slip off. I then put them in a colander and as they thaw they release a lot of water (that I don't have to try to cook down to reduce). When they are thawed I just can them as usual.

Great advice

Amazing!

I love the little freezer with the drawers - who makes it and about how much is it? Loved your space-saving ideas. You are never too old to learn! Many thanks! An afterthought: I have tried to pressure can my beautiful beets. They look good going into the canner, but when they come out they are pale pink. I never cut off the roots and I also blanch prior to canning. What in the world am I doing wrong? Can beets be frozen like other veggies in your videos? Would love to know. Thanks again.

great video :)

I washed my okra, dried them and froze them whole. I keep adding to the bag as I cut more. Hope that works.

Submerge the zip lock bag up to the top in water, to get rid of the air

Nice!

I just freeze herbs like basil leaves on a tray and then stick into bags. I never blanch; I simply freeze. It saves a lot of work and I don't see a great difference. A good tip for tomatoes: cut off the stem end and freeze, then run under warm water and squeeze...the tomato pops right out and then puree or stew for sauces and then freeze in batches. If I grow corn, I'll try your method...it look good.

Just finished an epic two day two month worth fill the freezer. Ran out of space so had to beg a neighbour to use some of their freezer space but still have some veg which need processing. Tge broccoli I bought on Thursday have started to yellow so probably going to turn them into soup.

Like many other people you cut off BOTH ends of green beans! WHY? The blossom end is perfect and does not need to be removed. Perhaps people want them to look just like the ones out of the can!

I have been freezing my herbs like sage, marjoram & thyme but I didn’t chop it, Just froze it whole so it can be added to soups and stews for flavor

We need a video on putting veggies up by canning them. As there just isn’t enough space in the freezer for all of the veggies. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

I bake, double wrap in foil, and freeze loaves of zucchini bread. When I want one I just take it out the night before and let it thaw on the counter. I’d love other advice for zucchini!

Cut off my corn raw and scrape cob. For each dozen add 1T water, 4T butter and 1t salt. Heat on medium , stirring very frequently til comes to simmer. Simmer for three minutes stirring frequently. Can add another T of water if corn really dry. Then put corn in room temperature pan or bowl and place container in sink full of ice water. Stir occasionally. When cooled off put in freezer container. Delicious

What kind of recipes do you use the cilantro/coriander ice cubes in? Thanks; love your videos!

Will you plz do a how to grow brocoli video?

What about tomatoes, squash, eggplant, & okra. Thanks for showing me how to freeze my herbs. I have lots of tomatoes coming in & it’s a lot of trouble to can them. I’ve already done my corn.

Great video. What's best way to freeze potatoes please. Loads of desires. Thanks

Fab !

I make pesto with no cheese and freeze in ice cube trays, also fresh herbs pulse with olive oil in ice cube trays. strawberries, rhubarb and blueberries so far this year, will make tomato sauce for the freezer in plastic bags, lay flat and freeze. For chard, blanch strain and freeze in bags or pulse and freeze in cubes for smoothies. Apple sauce in jars, jam in jars and freeze.

I have an Excalibur dehydrator and make jars and jars of "soup mix." One of the best thing about winter is soup cooked on the wood stove.

Really useful, thank you. If I don’t take the corn kernels off the cob, how long would you suggest blanching them for please?

Hmmm I like this video except I won’t have much to freeze as I was hit with massive zucchini fungus and pests this year so I haven’t had much to harvest except the tomatoes are coming on so maybe able to make some sauces.

the greatest way to get all the air out of a zip-lock bag is to submerge the bag into water just below the zip-lock. Then simple zip it closed and you are ready.

Have you ever looked at canning with mason jars iive been looking for a while now soups stock veg fruit sauces to keep the freezer free also in stead of a straw to eradicate air/oxygen put your berries in food bags and dip them in water to the seal and then seal

What variety are those beans? So skinny!!! I grew bush beans for the first time this year (pole bean lover) and love my Dragon Tongues, but those looked like legit!

Great video, was needed for those "not in the know".

Can I freeze my chard stalks so I can make chard stalk hummus throughout Autumn?

Hello you have a great channel full of previous information,what camera do you use?And microphone?

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Say what you want about Ikea... but their bags are awesome!!!

Hello GrowVeg! I'm planning to grow some snap peas, and I have a question... I have soaked them for 18 straight hours. Is this suitable, and will the seeds germinate when in soil, or will they fail to? Please respond soon, Thank You🙏🙏

I freeze in paper bags and never have issues (or maybe I do and I literally don't notice :P )

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Excellent timing as always. Pro tip: Suck and seal machine......