[intro music]
Hi.
I'm Kathy Savoie, extension educator with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
Today we're going to talk about how you can take advantage of all those great local Maine
greens that are available in your own backyard, farmers' market, or farm stand.
In general, greens are loaded with nutrients, including vitamin A and K, folic, calcium,
iron, many fito chemicals, and fiber.
Freezing is a simple, inexpensive, and very quick method of food preservation.
Greens such as spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens, collard, kale, turnip or mustard greens,
freeze very well.
[silence] Blanching pot.
Ice bath.
Colander.
Salad spinner.
Paper towels.
Towel.
Tray.
Cutting board.
And knife.
Materials to freeze in need to be moisture vapor resistant, durable and leak-proof, not
become brittle and crack at low temperatures.
And also protect foods from developing off flavors or odors.
They also need to be easy to seal and easy to mark.
Many greens are widely available and easy to find here in Maine.
They include, spinach, beet greens, kale, dinosaur variety, kale, curly type variety,
Swiss chard, and a braising greens mix.
Select young tender greens.
Wash thoroughly and cut off woody stems.
You can either leave greens whole or chopped.
Plan ahead and consider how you will be using the frozen product.
Blanching, scalding vegetables in boiling water or steam for a specific amount of time
is a must for almost all vegetables before they're frozen.
Exceptions include tomatoes, peppers, and onions.
Blanching stops enzyme action which can cause loss of flavor, loss of color, and texture.
Blanching helps remove surface dirt and organisms, brightens the color and helps stop the loss
of vitamins.
Greens require two minutes of water blanching, with the exception of collards, that require
three minutes.
Use a blancher pot which has a blanching basket and cover.
Or fit a wire basket into a large pot with a lid.
Work in small batches and use one gallon of water per pound of prepared vegetables.
Lower vegetables into vigorously boiling water.
Once the water returns to a boil start counting the blanching time.
As soon as the blanching is complete, quickly cool greens to stop the cooking process.
Plunge greens into an ice bath for the same amount of time they were blanched for, two
minutes.
To improve the quality of your frozen product, remove water by spinning in a salad spinner,
placing on paper towels or clean towels.
Excess water creates clumped greens that are hard to break up and use, and can cause a
loss of quality.
Pack into freezer grade material.
Remove as much air as possible and leave a half an inch of head space for the expansion
that occurs during freezing.
Label, date, and freeze in your freezer that's set at zero degrees.
Greens can be frozen using the tray method in individual clumps.
Greens and other frozen vegetables should be used within eight months.
Frozen greens can be used in your favorite recipes, including soups, stews, casseroles,
gumbos, or even simply served as a side dish to accompany any of your meals.
UMaine Cooperative Extension is your go-to resource for the latest USDA recommendations
for home canning, freezing, and drying.
Check out our website for food preservation information, including hands-on, preserving
the harvest workshops near you, publications from our "Let's Preserve" series, books, pressure
gauge testing services, and more.
[exit music]