Freezing Vegetables
Most the the "gluten free" foods I consume are foods that are naturally gluten free, like fruits and vegetables. I especially like fresh, homegrown or locally grown vegetables. When our vegetable garden is producing more than we can eat fresh, I like to store the excess in the freezer. This allows us to enjoy our fresh homegrown vegetables throughout the year. Since we don't grow all of the vegetables we like, I also purchase commercially frozen vegetables throughout the year. I appreciate this convenience, but there is no comparrison between the taste of commercially frozen vegetables and homegrown vegetables, even after they've been frozen. Processing the vegetables for the freezer requires submerging them in boiling water for a short time (blanching) before freezing. This kills any bacteria that may still be on the vegetables after washing and deactivates the enzymes can cause the quality to degrade while the vegetables are in the freezer. Freezing d