Should Brussels sprouts spoil very quickly. If it is to be stored longer, this is possible in the freezer if prepared accordingly.
Brussels sprouts are a typical autumn and winter vegetable. It tastes best when it notices the first frost in the ground from November. This takes away the bitter substances and gives it a special sweetness.
However, before you can enjoy it, it has to be carefully cleaned. If you have bought too much or if the harvest turned out to be above average, the right storage is important. Because at room temperature, the Brussels sprouts would wilt quickly and even in the refrigerator they only keep for up to eight days. You can also freeze the Brussels sprouts and keep them for about a year. With the following tips you can do this very easily.
How to properly clean Brussels sprouts?
Unfortunately, preparing Brussels sprouts for cooking or freezing is a time-consuming task. But it's worth it, because winter vegetables have become increasingly popular in recent years. The reason for this is that new breeds have been created and the bitter substances have been reduced.
First you have to clean each Brussels sprouts head under running water. All sand residues and other dirt are removed in this way, because nothing is worse than sand between your teeth when you eat.
The stalk is then generously removed from the Brussels sprouts with a sharp knife. You can then easily remove the outer leaves of the vegetables, which often have stubborn dirt and frost spots. You should end up with a clean cabbage floret.
Finally, the lower end of the cut must be cut crosswise with a sharp knife. The reason is that the hard interface would require a longer cooking time than the tender leaves. Cooking water gets inside through the incision and ensures that the stalk cooks faster. Thus, there is a uniform cooking time for the entire Brussels sprouts.
After this procedure, the Brussels sprouts are ready to be boiled, steamed or even frozen.
Why should Brussels sprouts be blanched before freezing?
Blanching means simmering the vegetables for 1 to 2 minutesboiling water is placed. This stops the enzymes responsible for nutrient loss. In short: the vegetables stay fresh longer and retain their colour.
After 2 minutes at the latest, the Brussels sprouts should be removed from the boiling water with a slotted spoon. To stop the cooking process immediately, the vegetables must be chilled in ice water. A regular bowl of cold water and ice cubes will do the trick.
How do you freeze Brussels sprouts?
If you want to freeze your Brussels sprouts after blanching, you should dry the individual florets well. You can use a dry and clean tea towel for this. To be on the safe side, let the Brussels sprouts dry out uncovered on the table for a few more minutes.
So that the individual sprouts do not freeze together, they must be shock-frozen. For this, the green heads are placed next to each other on a sheet at a sufficient distance.
Then place the tray in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Now the outer leaves are briefly frozen.
After this procedure, you can portion the Brussels sprouts heads as usual in a bag or freezer box. The advantage is that you can freeze larger portions and only thaw part of them later. There is very little risk of the individual florets freezing together.
If you use a fresh storage box for freezing, it must have a lid that closes well. The frozen goods must be packed absolutely airtight.
If you use a freezer bag for freezing, you must remove the air inside as much as possible. If necessary, you can suck out the air with a straw and close the bag tightly shortly afterwards.
How do you defrost Brussels sprouts?
Thanks to the good preparatory work of cleaning and blanching, defrosting is very easy. It practically doesn't happen at all.
To cook frozen Brussels sprouts, you can add them to boiling s alted water while they are frozen. It's that easy. Depending on your taste, the cooking time is between 10 and 13 minutes.
With a cooking time of 10 minutes, the Brussels sprouts are al dente. If you prefer something softer, it can cook in water for up to 13 minutes.