We were like beans and carrots

I have got a lot of carrots- three Ziploc bags full in fact. I also have two bags of beans.


What am I going to do with all of them? I can't eat them all, and if I can't eat them, they go bad. I learned this lesson last year... I thought to myself, "why don't I just freeze them?" So I Googled "how to freeze carrots/beans" I thought I could just put them in a bag and BAM I was done. Nope, wrong. Apparently you have to blanch the vegetable first.

After reading the directions, I decided there was no way I was going to stand at the counter for a day chopping carrots and beans. So I went to good ol' Wal-Mart and bought a slicer.


Tomorrow, I will get this done. Yes, tomorrow...


***Note- prepare the carrots and beans separately***

Directions for Freezing carrots/beans

Ingredients and Equipment

* fresh carrots/beans - any quantity. One handful per serving.
* ziploc type freezer bags
* 1 Large pot of boiling water
* 2 large bowls, one filled with cold water and ice.
* 1 sharp knife

Instructions

Step 1 - Get yer carrots/Beans!- Start with fresh carrots/beans - as fresh as you can get.

Step 2 - Wash the carrots/beans!

Step 3 - Peel the carrots and cut the beans, trim the ends and cut into smaller pieces.

Step 4 - Get the pots ready- Get the pot of boiling water ready (about 2/3 filled) and a LARGE bowl with ice and cold water.

Step 5 - Blanch the carrots and beans.

All fruits and vegetables contain enzymes and bacteria that, over time, break down the destroy nutrients and change the color, flavor, and texture of food during frozen storage. Carrots requires a brief heat treatment, called blanching, in boiling water or steam, to destroy the enzymes before freezing.

Blanch for the following amount of time:
*small whole carrots 5 minutes
*diced or sliced 2 minutes
*lengthwise strips 2 minutes
*Beans- 3 minutes

The duration is intended to be just long enough to stop the action of the enzymes and kill the bacteria.

Begin counting the blanching time as soon as you place the carrots in the boiling water. Cover the kettle and boil at a high temperature for the required length of time. You may use the same blanching water several times (up to 5). Be sure to add more hot water from the tap from time to time to keep the water level at the required height.

Step 6 - Cool the carrots/beans- Cool carrots immediately in ice water. Drain thoroughly.

After vegetables are blanched, cool them quickly to prevent overcooking. Plunge the carrots into a large quantity of ice-cold water (keep adding more ice to it). A good rule of thumb: Cool for the same amount of time as the blanch step.

Step 7 - Bag the carrots/beans- Place food in a Ziploc bags, zip the top shut but leave enough space to insert the tip of a soda straw. When straw is in place, remove air by sucking the air out. To remove straw, press straw closed where inserted and finish pressing the bag closed as you remove straw.

Step 8 - Done!- Pop them into the freezer!