Why Your Homemade Frozen Vegetables Do Not Taste as Good as Their Pre-Packaged Varieties

Some people swear by food cooked at home. They consider it the healthier and tastier alternative to the food prepared in restaurants and commercial kitchens. However, beating the taste and flavours of food prepared in commercial kitchens can be tough. The chefs in commercial kitchens have superior-grade appliances that aid in the food preparation and cooking process. They also possess years of expertise in preparing and presenting a myriad of dishes. These factors contribute towards making a dish more flavourful and sumptuous.

Similarly, some people do not purchase frozen fruits and vegetables from malls and supermarkets. Instead, they buy these food items from the markets and pack them appropriately. Thereafter, they store these packed fruits and vegetables in their freezers for use in the near future. However, these people invariably find that the pre-packaged frozen vegetables sold at supermarkets tastes much better than the frozen vegetables these individuals have packed at home. The reasons behind this occurrence will not be difficult to ascertain and understand.

When you visit the local farmer’s market, you will come across various fruits and vegetables. More often than not, farmers would have picked this produce within the last 24 – 72 hours. During that time, the transportation of the produce would have taken place from the farm to the local grocery store. You could confirm this by consulting the farmer or the seller at the store. Some people shop for vegetables and fruits at a supermarket or big box store. In such situations, it could be more than likely that the harvesting of the fruits and vegetables could have taken place up to two weeks beforehand.

This time gap from the time of harvesting to the time the produce reaches the market holds true for most conventional and organic fruits and vegetables. It goes without saying that with each passing day between the time of harvest to consumption, the nutritional value of the fruit or vegetable will deteriorate. In addition, the taste and overall texture of the produce will deteriorate as well. Therefore, when you buy these fruits and vegetables and freeze them, you will be dealing with old or dated produce. Such fruits and vegetables will hardly taste great when you defrost them subsequently.

In contrast, you will probably find an enviable range of dried and frozen food products at any reputed fine food supplier’s facility in the country. In the case of frozen produce, farmers will harvest the fruit or vegetable. Thereafter, without any delay, farmers will steam blanch the produce. The exposure of the produce to high heat levels serves to prevent the enzymes from making the produce ripen any further. It also serves to kill off any harmful bacteria and microorganisms. After blanching the produce, the farmers will flash-freeze it. Oftentimes, the blanching and flash-freezing takes place within hours of each other. Both activities will usually take place within 24 hours. Because of this, the preservation of the taste and nutritional value of the fruits and vegetables takes place at its peak.

In many cases, farmers use commercial flash-freezing techniques to preserve the taste and nutritional value of their produce. Naturally, these appliances and equipment cost thousands of dollars. As such, regular homeowners and consumers will not be able to afford these appliances. These appliances and equipment enable farmers to slow freeze or cryogenically freeze their produce. These freezing techniques keep the produce in extremely cold temperature ranges. The instantaneous freezing results in the emergence of tiny ice crystals in the produce. These crystals play an essential role in ensuring that the fruit or vegetable maintains its cellular structure. Thereafter, farmers will package and store the frozen produce in airtight containers. This ensures that the produce retain their taste and texture. In contrast, not many homeowners will pack and store their homemade frozen vegetables and fruits in as careful a manner. For these reasons, pre-packaged frozen produce will always taste superior to its homemade variety.

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