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Looking at your latest bountiful harvest, you may realize that you need to learn how to freeze broccoli. This is a great problem to have! When your garden efforts pay off with a bumper crop, you can preserve your vegetables to enjoy year-round. There are several steps required to freeze broccoli, but it’s pretty easy. All you need is a good knife and cutting board, along with a large pot and a large bowl. In this article, you’ll read tips for harvesting broccoli, all you need to know to prep broccoli, and finally, how to freeze broccoli that you grew yourself.
Why freeze broccoli from the garden
Eating “local”—meaning from the garden—is an aspiration for many of us. While season-extension techniques, like floating row cover and cloches, can yield harvests through many months, sometimes you just want to eat more green vegetables in the dead of winter.
To me, this is the best reason to learn how to freeze broccoli. There are other reasons, too:
Freezing excess homegrown vegetables reduces food waste and saves money on groceries.
The time you invest now will pay off in casseroles, soups, stews, stir fries, and maybe even your favorite broccoli au gratin side dish over the winter.
Frozen broccoli from the garden has traveled many fewer miles than frozen broccoli from the grocery store.
Studies have even shown that the nutrient content of frozen broccoli is comparable to that of fresh broccoli.
Tips for harvesting broccoli for freezing
Time your broccoli harvest so you’re picking it at the peak of maturity. An essential piece of how to freeze broccoli for the best flavor and quality to is start with a fresh,
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