Freezing Your Extra Project FRESH Produce

Monday September 23, 2019

Do you have Project FRESH coupons left to use? Don't let them expire, use them now!

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency wants to remind WIC participants that your Project FRESH coupons must be used by October 31st. "WIC Project FRESH coupons can only be used to buy eligible, locally grown, fresh, unprepared fruits and vegetables from authorized farmers, farmers' markets and roadside stands." Says Yvonne Atwood, Director of Personal Health and Disease Prevention. "WIC clients are especially encouraged to buy broccoli, carrots, potatoes, squash, peaches, apples and tomatoes."

Project FRESH info and recipes

If you have coupons left, but don't think you'll be able to eat everything before it goes bad - freeze it! See some tips below on freezing fruit and vegetables so that you can stretch your Project FRESH dollars far into the fall and winter months.

Cookie Sheet Method: The key to preventing fruit and vegetables from clumping into unmanageable pieces in your freezer. Freeze small pieces of produce in a single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet. Once the produce is frozen, transport to a freezer bag or reusable container.

Blanching: A cooking process where fruits and/or vegetables are scalded briefly in boiling water then plunged into ice water to stop the cooking process. This helps produce to maintain bright flavors, color, and texture through the freezing process.

Freezing Tips:

• Blanch most veggies

• Remove pits from all stone fruit (cherries, plums, etc.

• Slice large produce into manageable pieces

• Remove as much air as possible from freezer bags and pack reusable containers to the top

• Don’t forget to write a date on all items

Freezing Common Summer Produce:

• Berries: Stock up during the summer when berries are less expensive, higher in vitamin C, and more flavorful! Use the Cookie Sheet Method.

• Peaches, Plums, and Cherries: Remove pits first and slice into bite-sized pieces. Use the cookie sheet method. If you prefer fuzz-peaches, blanch and peel first.

• Zucchini: Quickly blanch and use the Cookie Sheet Method. Zucchini has high water content, making it slightly mushy once thawed, so use it in recipes like lasagna or pureed into a sauce. Or, grate and freeze flat in bags to make zucchini bread!

• Green Beans: Trim and cut beans to desired size, then blanch and use the Cookie Sheet Method.

• Tomatoes: Blanched and peeled tomatoes can be frozen and used in recipes later. However, tomatoes tend to freeze best when already cooked into something like sauce or soup.

• Melon: Cube and use Cookie Sheet Method. Melon does not thaw well for snacking purposes, but can be used in recipes.