thawing frozen vegetables

[jes]

Sometimes I quickly freeze vegetables (or even fruits) if I don't think that I will use them immediately. I can use them in stir-fry's or I can steam them and they come out just fine...but I have never been able to reconstitute them so that they can be enjoyed raw as they could before freezing. They take on a very soggy texture. Any advice for resolving this ?

 

[Oldvine]

I am convinced that the person that can solve that will be a very rich person. My mother worked in a frozen food processing plant when I was a kid and 60 years later frozen veggies are nearly the same as they were then.

 

[GotGarlic]

That's the nature of freezing. The process of freezing converts the water in food to ice crystals, which breaks the cell walls, softening them. Then when the food is thawed, some of that water is released; it can't be absorbed back into the food. Blanching and rapidly cooling vegetables can minimize the effect. There's lots more information here: GH1501 Quality for Keeps: Freezing Basics | University of Missouri Extension