My cousin Barbara used to call at dinner time when my sons were young and ask, “If I were a bluefish, how would you cook me?” This time she had an abundance of bluefish that a friend had caught and wanted to know what to do with it.

I was her Betty Crocker; her Julia Child helping her with cooking issues. She should have called before freezing her fresh Brussels sprouts. She had frozen them fresh and wondered why they were inedible.

Blanching — scalding vegetables in boiling water or over steam for a short time then plunging into ice water to stop the cooking process — is a must for almost all vegetables to be frozen. It stops enzyme actions that can cause loss of flavor, color and texture. Blanching cleanses the surface of dirt and organisms, brightens the color, preserves textures and helps preserve vitamins. Obviously, the quality of your frozen vegetables depends on the quality of the fresh item. So only blanch vegetables at peak flavor and texture!

State extension services provide detailed suggestions for blanching and storage time.  Click here (Freezing Veggies) for a detailed pdf from the Colorado State University Extension service.