Lifestyle

Best Ways To Freeze Basil

December 27, 2020 by Harshitha Leave a Comment

Best Ways To Freeze Basil

Freezing basil can be very useful as basil is mostly a summer plant and its leaves dry completely in the winter. The soil needs to be warmed up nicely, and then only basil can grow in it. To solve this problem, freeze basil in your house during the summer, and you can have fresh green basil leaves throughout the year.

Basil is an herb obtained from the plant Ocimumbasilicum L. (sweet basil) and is from the mint family. The plant is small in size and grows up to 100cm. It is widely popular in Asia, America, and Africa.

It is very much loved in India as well for its aroma and medicinal values. Basil is a kitchen herb and is mostly grown in houses in small pots or vessels. The plant does not require much effort to grow and is very low maintenance but is extremely sensitive to frost. It best grows in warm and humid conditions.

For most of India and the world, the winters are chilling cold, and hence the plant dries down easily. Thus, the leaves of this plant can be collected and stored for around a year by following the methods we will discuss now.

Methods To Freeze Basil

Out of so many methods available online, only a few are useful. Here we will get to know about the tried and tested ones that are beneficial.

Also, it is very important to know that we must not lose the qualities and medicinal values while freezing the basil. These methods also ensure that and hence are reliable.

1. Blanched Leaves –

Blanching is a process in which a vegetable or herb is immersed in boiling water for 2-3 minutes and then is immediately transferred to an ice water bath.

For basil leaves, collect the leaves and clean them. Then put them in boiling water for 5-10 seconds, which is enough for basil. Transfer the blanched leaves into an ice water bath. Dry the leaves thoroughly and flash freeze them for about a day. The leaves are then ready to be stored.

Though it is one of the easiest processes, the drawback is that the leaves are very delicate, and hence if they are kept in the boiling water for few more seconds, they turn brown and lose their smell.

2. Washed Leaves –

In this method, collect and clean the leaves. Wash it with normal water and lay it on a tray to dry them completely. Freeze them for a day or half until they are firm enough to be stored. Then transfer the leaves to a freezer bag and make it airtight.

This method again doesn’t require much work, but they thaw very quickly. Comparing blanched and unblanched leaves, the blanched one stay fresh for a longer time.

3. Directly Freezing the Leaves –

As mentioned in the ‘Washed Leaves’ method, follow the same procedure. Wash the leaves and dry them completely, then directly store them in a ziplock bag without flash-freezing them.

Unblanched leaves are frozen best using this method. The leaves stay in their natural green colour for a longer time, and also this method is very easy.

4. Chopped and Oil Coated Leaves –

This method is one of the most popular methods to freeze basil. It is widely used, and people review it to be very useful in storing basil.

In this method, we need to wash and dry the leaves as earlier. Then we have to chop the leaves coarsely in a food processor, or a knife can work as well. The chopped leaves are then sprinkled with a little amount of olive oil.

The leaves and olive oil are then mixed well so that each of the pieces gets well coated with the oil. Then we have to take an ice tray and put the mixture in the tray, add a little water, and freeze.

The cubes once frozen can be transferred in a freezer bag or a ziplock bag. The cubes’ size will vary according to the size of the tray and so, try to have an idea as one tablespoon of fresh basil leaves is equivalent to how many cubes.

It is a full-proof method to freeze basil if you want that natural green colour of the leaves even after many days.

Tips To Perfectly Freeze Basil

Though the methods mentioned above are easy to follow, sometimes it becomes a bit tricky to get your frozen basil perfectly. To ace, the method of freezing basil, follow these simple tips and it can work wonders.

The leaves need to be removed from the main stem or from a thick stem to use them and pulling the leaves off the stem using fingers is the best way to do so.
Use a colander to wash the leaves thoroughly to get rid of all the dirt and even chemicals, if any. A salad spinner can also be used for this step.
Well, most of the time, it is hard to maintain the bright green colour for a long time but, the ‘Chopped and Oil Coated Leaves’ method works wonders in that case.
All the methods discussed here are for freezing basil. But, in case you decide to store them in the cupboard, which is at room temperatures, then make sure that oil is not added to it and if you do so, the chances of food poisoning increases.
For using the frozen basil in dishes where heat will be used, there is no need to thaw the frozen leaves separately. It can be directly put into the dish, and it will melt there only.
The cube form of frozen basil is much easier to use in soups and stews than in any other dish. So better to choose the method to freeze basil according to the use and the dish you will make.

Uses Of Frozen Basil

Basil is one such herb which is famous for its fragrance. It is widely used in Italian food. Dishes like pesto is made with basil. Soups, stew, chicken, salad, pizza all go well with basil, and delicious dishes can be made by combining the items with basil leaves.

Also, Mediterranean countries like India use basil in their cuisines.

How To Freeze Green Beans Efficiently And Use Them All Year

December 27, 2020 by Harshitha Leave a Comment

How To Efficiently Freeze Green Beans And Use Them All Year

Green bean is a famous vegetable that is around for a very long time. Mostly every country or culture uses this green vegetable in their dishes. But unfortunately, people cannot grow green beans on any day of the year. Mostly in India, it grows in the wintertime.

There is a concept of using green beans throughout the year by freezing it. Though the different culture has different ways of doing that more or less, the core idea remains the same. In this blog, let’s discuss how to freeze the green beans the right way.

The Right way

There are some ways you can freeze your green beans in order to use them in the future. We should avoid the methods which include mixing artificial ingredients in heavy load. Blanching is a famous way that many people use to freeze this vegetable.

Blanching is important because it prevents any buildup of any external factor before freezing. It also helps to keep the original color and texture of the beans.

Preparing the beans

Preparation is a must before anything. Freezing beans is no different. At first, what you need is a bowl of cool tap water. You need to gently wash your beans with the cool water. Remember to use specifically cold water. After washing the next part is cutting the end of the beans.

If your knife skill is good enough, then there will be not much trouble cutting the end of the beans. Use a small number of beans at a time. Be sure to use a sharp knife. Repeat the process until there are no beans.

In some beans, there is a stringy fibre. Stay sure to remove this from your beans. You will not want those strings into your frozen beans.

Cutting the beans into required pieces

The next step is quite simple here. What you need to do is to cut your vegetable into pieces. How big each and every piece totally depends upon you. There are various recipes, and the different recipe requires different uses of beans. So either you can keep it whole, or you can cut before freezing.

You can also keep the beans whole before freezing and cut them after freezing.

Blanching

The term blanching is just a fancy word for boiling. Many people don’t know what to do with this. But it is a very useful technique in terms of freezing any vegetables. We talked about blanching in the early part of our discussion. Now let us talk in detail.

Blanching simply means boiling vegetables after cutting and quickly bring them into cold water. But if your bean pieces are not even then different pieces will need different times. Like smaller beans will need a smaller time window while bigger pieces will need more boiling time.

While you are boiling your beans, inside you will need a bowl filled with cold water. Cool the beans by keeping them in the cold water after boiling. You need to work simultaneously here. Generally smaller beans need two minutes, and bigger pieces need to take about four minutes to boil.

Cooling in cold water makes the beans keep their green color. Keep them in cold water for around three minutes. After that drain them off the water.

Preparation before the freezing

There is also a certain amount of preparation before freezing. After bringing the beans out of cold water, You need to spread the beans before freezing. Make sure the beans don’t touch or overlap each other. It is very important to keep them that way.

Put your chilled beans in a freezer-friendly container. This container can be anything that supports freezing. You can use freezer bags or freezer-friendly jar. Always try to compact the beans. Leave some space behind in the container. If you are using a jar, it is mandatory to leave some space behind.

Irrespective of what you are using to store your vegetable, always make sure that they are completely dry. Before keeping freezing beans, you need to press out the air too. And the last part includes sealing them completely.

You can use freezer tapes too. This makes sure that the seal around your container is tight. Lastly, put the dates and other information on your freezer bags. Freezing before is important to prevent all the beans from becoming a chunk of beans.

Freezing and timing

Now comes the main part that is freezing. Mainly it is the easiest step. But there are some rules here too. Try to add layers of bags or containers to make them freeze quickly. And also try to keep some space to circulate some air between them.

When the beans are solidly frozen, you can place them near each other. Try to use the beans within eight months of freezing. It can be used after the particular time limit also, but the quality decreases as time passes.

Other ways of freezing Green Beans

There is a way less famous for freezing beans. However, both of these methods use almost the same method. But boiling in hot water is not an option here. Instead of boiling your beans in cold water, you need to first cut them as mentioned in the early steps. Then clean them in plain water.

This step is happening because one needs to get all the dirt out of the vegetables. Now drying is the next step. Usually, drying takes a bit of time here. It takes about twenty minutes to completely dry the beans. You can use either one paper towel or a normal towel.

Now the next step is even simpler. You need to freeze them. Follow the guidelines for freezing. We were talking about them earlier in the blog. You have followed the instructions.

If you intend to defrost them and use them in your dishes, then the idea is also the same. Defrost them using boiling water. Directly applying is not what a tasty and urgent dish needs. Try to avoid that. But if you feel you are in a hurry then go with your luck.

Gifts for people who have everything

December 26, 2020 by Harshitha Leave a Comment

Gifts for people who have everything

Thanksgiving is the best way to thank someone who is very close to you and also the best way to give your loved one’s beautiful things. It is always fun to wrap the gifts so that your friends and loved ones are surprised to receive the package. You’d love to shop for various products and make a parcel. But what’s not fun is the part where you need to find the best gifts for people who have everything.

Christmas is all about giving something to the kids, to your neighbours and even to those who probably do not need these gifts. You can be someone’s Santa this Christmas! The toughest part is to select a gift. Now, it is quite possible that the gift which you have purchased might already be owned by someone. So does it mean that you would ask out for gifts that your friends want? No definitely not!

Thankfully, there are so many gifting options now available both online and offline stores. Let us take a quick look at the best gifts for people who have everything. These are small yet thoughtful gifts that you can present to your friends or family. Surprise them with these little yet priceless gestures and be their Santa.

Best Gifts for People Who Have Everything –

1. Hand Sanitizers – in 2020,

with the current situation of COVID 19, the best gifting option is to give a hand sanitizer. Stack up your Santa bag with these little bottles this year. This is the best choice to give. And with so many cute looking bottles of hand sanitizer, your friends won’t deny this gift. It is indeed a thoughtful and useful gift.

2. Wake-Up Light

So, you may be one of those who have to wake up early in the morning for your office meeting. Indeed this meeting is part of work from home, but waking up in the wee hours is not an easy task. We all need an alarm clock with us to wake the heck out of us. But when the winters set in, the sun is not on its usual time. This unusual and really thoughtful gift will be loved by all.

The wake-up light with an alarm clock works with the sensors. It has a morning timer in it by which it will beep when there is even the slightest light inside your room. It likewise works as a nightlight, a morning timer, and accompanies seven characteristic sounds to make napping off simpler than any time in recent memory. So, now you need not worry; this intelligent wake-up light cum alarm will surely wake the heck out of you.

3. Smaller than normal Link Smartphone Printer

Another unusual gift is this mini printer that can be attached to your mobile phone. Isn’t this a very thoughtful gift for all the professionals? This first-class device will let your calm picture taker companion carry their snaps into the actual domain and take their isolated imagination higher than ever. Printers are re-invented with the latest and new techniques of getting connected with your mobile phones.

4. Face Mask

It never hurts to have another mask. And a mask that too as a gift, this is one of the biggest life saviours of 2020. You can give various kinds of masks to your loved ones. There are masks that are hand-painted, customized masks, masks with social messages and whatnot. This indeed is the best gifting option in 2020 for those who literally have everything.

5. Mini Blossom Pot

Bonsais and mini plants are loved by all. With this engendering unit from Bloomscape, the individual whose space is smaller than normal wilderness can impart the delight to friends and family. It accompanies a stylish cement terrazzo and a bit by bit manages the best way to cut a bit of one plant infant to get another filling in the blink of an eye.

6. Face Masks

Other best gifting items are these sheet masks. Girls of all ages love these sheet masks. Girls love to pamper themselves at night. So why not give your girlfriend, your sisters, your friends or your aunts these sheet masks. The best part is that these sheet masks are super affordable and not one, not two or three, but can stack up against your bag with these sheet masks. No girl will ever say no to these sheet masks.

Besides these, there are several other gifting options available for those who literally have everything. Now you cannot match the value of your gift with the things they have. But these cute little gestures would please one and all. If your friend/neighbor is a vegan, then you could probably give them some gifts that are vegan. Or you could possibly give them a portrait of animals or their pets. After all, all vegans are animal lovers. And these small little things show how much you care for them.

How to Freeze Zucchini

December 26, 2020 by Harshitha Leave a Comment

How to Freeze Zucchini?

Imagine yourself with a dozen zucchinis – you would try to prepare something delicious from it, isn’t it? Now, imagine yourself with not a dozen or two but kilos of zucchinis, what would you do? You can prepare something out of it for a day, then another alternate day but for how long will you be able to store it?

You could make zucchini muffins, then the next day you could prepare zucchini soup, you can also prepare some sweets out of zucchini, followed by some noodles, salad and whatnot. But for how long will you keep incorporating this particular ingredient?

Winters are in full swing, so how about freezing the zucchini your kitchen garden is giving you. Your kitchen garden, your hands and your life is full of this amazing food. Now let us freeze zucchini for you in these simple steps.

How to freeze Zucchini at home?

Chop it

First things first, chop your zucchini into the various sizes you want. Prepare bags of chopped zucchinis of different sizes. This will make your work easier and you would not have to re-chop your veggie once it is frozen.

Blanch Before Freezing

The next step is to blanch your vegetable. The main trick lies in this crucial step. You do not have to blanch it for several minutes. Dipping it in hot boiling water for a minute would do your work. This means that you do not soften the zucchini too much so that it gets spoiled while cooking. The surface subsequent to freezing actually isn’t exactly equivalent to when the zucchini was new, yet blanching implies the pieces will remain quite firm even after you defrost it.

More than that, it helps to cook the zucchini to an extreme and can make it soft subsequent to defrosting, regardless of your earnest attempts. All you need to do is to let the water come to bubble boil. In the meanwhile, keep your chopped veggies in a bowl ready. Let the water boil for a couple of minutes. Put the chopped zucchini into it for exactly one minute. Count it on your fingertips or put a timer for a minute. Switch off the knob of your gas-stove and strain your veggies. Your blanched zucchini is ready to be put into the freezer.

Don’t Add Salt

Quite often many chefs prescribe adding some salt to the water prior to blanching to give the vegetables some additional flavor on their way to the table. But in case of zucchini, the salt ingested into the vegetable would mellow the cell dividers and make the zucchini soft. So hold the salt for the time being; rather add it when you make your main dish.

Freeze It Twice

If you freeze the zucchini subsequent to blanching, it will freeze hard ice over the zucchini. So the trick is to hold the zucchini for some time before you put it into the freezer. Let it cool at room temperature, or you could even put the zucchini into the refrigerator for better results. This will ensure that there is no ice frozen on the veggies when you take it out.

At the same time, you can also put zucchini onto a silicone mat separately, just for better freezing. This freezes each block of zucchini exclusively, so they can be put away as a free pack in a cooler sack or compartment — a lot simpler to scoop out precisely what you need for your formula. In addition to the modest pieces, defrost all it rapidly during cooking.

Cooking With Frozen Zucchini

Frozen zucchini is the best to be used in any kind of recipe. There is no need to thaw the slices. You could simply and directly use frozen zucchini into your fried rice pot, soup pot, can use it directly in cold salads and sandwiches and can also make steamed veggies with frozen zucchini.

Conclusion

The only time taken is while chopping zucchini. Once blanched and frozen, it will not take any time in cooking. Try this at home and see how easy your effective cooking becomes with zucchini. Your veggies are now all frozen and ready to be taken out and be served. So are you ready to serve great food with frozen zucchini?

How To Freeze Kale

December 26, 2020 by Harshitha Leave a Comment

How To Freeze Kale

Kale is a nutrient-rich, green leafy winter vegetable. It contains a wide range of nutrients, including fibres, calcium, vitamins C and K, iron, and many antioxidants. These help to prevent various health problems.

Frozen Kale can be used as ingredients to multiple dishes, and there are many ways to freeze Kale. Previously Kale was preserved with salt and left to ferment when freezing Kale was not an option. The flavours and nutritional content can vary between types. Younger leaves and summer leaves tend to be less bitter and fibrous.

Kale Benefits:

Kale is beneficial for health. It contains substances like glucosinolates which help in the prevention of cancer. Compounds like bile acid sequestrants lower blood cholesterol levels and the various vitamins are healthy for the heart.

Kale also helps in diabetes treatment and promotes digestion, vision, and immunity. It is known antioxidants benefit and anti-inflammatory properties. It is beneficial for skin and hair. Check out more kale benefits.

Steps For Freezing Kale

There are different types of Kale of which Curly Kale the most common variety. It has a typical flavour of pepper. Lacinato kale also called the Tuscan Kale or Tuscan cabbage, or Dinosaur kale has dark green and narrow leaves. Redbor kale has ruffled leaves ranges from deep red to purple. Russian Kale has flat and fringed leaves and is rare. It is also known as Siberian Kale.

First Way: Without Blanching

Usually, Kale is frozen after blanching. You can freeze Kale even without blanching, but it will add a bitter flavour. Unblanched kale leaves can be used in stews and soups. Make sure you don’t keep it for a long time and use this frozen Kale within one to two months. You must freeze Kale following the various steps given below. This process does not require plucking of the leaves or separating them from the stems. Here you can preserve big chunks of kale.

For the Kale to last to 8-12 months as frozen, you should first blanch the leaves and stems.
You must blanch the leaves for 2.5 minutes and cover the pot of boiling water with a lid to stem-heat floating leaves.
Follow the same process for blanching the stems but continue doing this for 3 minutes.
You might not follow this step of boiling at your wish. But you must wash the kale leaves and stems properly before jumping on to the next step.
Put these leaves and stems in ice water for a while.
Take these leaves out from the ice water using a strainer.
Use a towel or a dry cloth to dry these. The process of drying is vital.
Roll the towel up that contains these leaves and squeeze out the excess water.
You can put a small quantity of this dried-up Kale in cookie sheets.
Freeze them.
After this, put this frozen Kale in bulk and put it in a freezer bag.
Make sure you remove the air before sealing the freezer bag.
Flatten bags before sealing to create kale portions for quick thawing.
Freeze the Kale and use it in your recipes later.

Second Way: Separating Leaves

There is an alternative way to freezing Kale. You have to separate the leaves from the stem here. For this process of freezing kale, you’ll require many tools and must follow various steps.

Materials Required:

A bunch of fresh Kale of curly variety
Ice
Water

Tools Required:

A cutting board
A large knife, which is typically used by chefs
Saucepan with a lid
Colander, to strain out the water
A large mixing bowl
Towels
Tongs
Greased muffin tin or cookie sheets (must fit inside the freezer)
Freezer bags

Method:

Remove the kale leaves from the stem. Use your fingers to pinch the stem firmly at the base of the leaves. Quickly detach the leaves from the stem hereafter. Thus, the leaves will be separated.
Chop the kale into small pieces using a chef’s knife. You can also remove the thick stem part.
Use a colander to rinse the kale leaves thoroughly. Make sure it is dirt-free after removing the excess water.
Place your rinsed Kale in a saucepan on the stove. Put an adequate quantity of water to fill the bottom of the pan. Then submerge the Kale about half inches. Turn on the burner after placing the lid of the saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Steam your kale until it’s tender for about two to three minutes. Make sure they are not entirely soft, or else it will wilt.
In the meantime, take ice water in a large bowl with equal proportions of ice and water. You will need a sufficient amount of ice because it will melt when you add the hot Kale in it. You’ll need that right after the Kale is cooked in the saucepan.
Take out this Kale from saucepan when it is still bright green and tender. Drain out the excess water in the colander as you did previously.
Quickly place your Kale in the ice water. This will halt the process of cooking and will retain the properties and nutrients of the Kale. About the next two minutes in the ice water leave the kale leaves, until they are cold enough when you touch.
Take a pair of tongs to place these cooked kale leaves in a dry towel. This will help them dry out completely. You can remove the excess water using a salad spinner. Make sure these leaves are thoroughly dried before the process of freezing.
Grease or spray a muffin tin and then divide the kale leaves into twelve or suitable portions, once these are dried. Gently press each of these portions into compartments of the muffin tin. You can also use cookie sheets in place of a muffin tin for your convenience.
After this, put the entire amount of Kale in the freezer and freeze for about two to three hours. By this time, the Kale will become firm.
To keep these kale leaves, you will need airtight containers or freezer bags. Once your Kale is entirely frozen, put this in the freezer bags or boxes to preserve well. Get as much as air out of the container or the freezer bag before you store.
You can use this Kale for six months once appropriately preserved.

Conclusion

Kale has various properties that are beneficial for health, skin, and hair. You can add kale to your everyday diet plan, make smoothies and shakes out of kale. You can put kale in salads and soups and also use kale as pizza toppings or in your roasted chicken recipes.

Frozen kale can be used for a long time if you can adequately maintain the process of freezing kale. Always make sure the container in which you are preserving this kale must be airtight and nicely sealed. You can blanch the kale leaves if you have enough time or according to your convenience.