Gransnet forums

Food

Frozen vegetables

(40 Posts)
Mishap Mon 02-Sept-13 16:52:31

I was very interested in listening to Jamie Oliver's views about this. He reckons that frozen veg are better than "fresh" because they are frozen so quickly after picking; and that some of what you buy fresh in the shops has been languishing on shelves for a while and then in your kitchen; and then it gets thrown away when you cannot use it before it goes limp.

He also, quite reasonably, says that frozen veg avoids waste as you only use the amount you want and the rest goes back in the freezer.

I must say it makes a lot of sense to me as someone who lives in the middle of nowhere in a shop-free area - when I do go to the shops or get a delivery I am always tempted to buy too much to keep us going till the next shop.

I have followed his advice and bought several packetzs of frozen veg and will see how they go.

j08 Mon 02-Sept-13 16:55:43

Some veg seems to freeze better than others. Don't like frozen carrots. And why do they have to put sweet corn in with mixed veg? I don't consider corn to be a veg!

Ana Mon 02-Sept-13 16:56:23

I buy frozen peas, and sometimes green beans, but frozen carrots taste of nothing - same with those packets of mixed frozen veg.

kittylester Mon 02-Sept-13 17:21:27

Carrots keep for ages in the fridge anyway so no point buying frozen. I buy frozen petit pois and sweetcorn but we live near enough to shops to buy fresh veg on a regular basis. I used to have frozen broccoli in when the children were little and I have broad beans in for when DH is out - lovely with new potatoes and lamb chops.

I love french beans, steamed and then stir fried with garlic and tomatoes. smile

merlotgran Mon 02-Sept-13 17:27:39

I find the frozen casserole mixes invaluable in the winter. There's no point preparing onions, leeks, swede, carrots, celery etc., from scratch when there's likely to be just the two of us to feed.

I freeze my surplus veg in the summer and one batch of cauliflower will often looke whiter and plumper than another but broccoli always looks the same.

JessM Mon 02-Sept-13 17:54:58

If corn not a veg jo what is it? A sweetie? It does have a lot of sugars of course, but also loads of fibre.
Peas freeze brilliantly don't they and retain the sweetness that turns to starch if they are hanging around. Steam them, briefly, for the best flavour. Prefer my corn really fresh (green leaves around it) or tinned.
The other really good one is spinach. If I have a packet of frozen spinach I can just grab a handful (its in kind of nuggets) and add them to curries or soups.

Elegran Mon 02-Sept-13 18:10:38

Those packs of frozen spinach nuggets are good for sag aloo.

Stansgran Mon 02-Sept-13 18:24:37

Mixed frozen peppers are useful

j08 Mon 02-Sept-13 19:16:12

It's a cereal! Why would you think it might be a sweetie? confused

j08 Mon 02-Sept-13 19:16:56

Agree about spinach and frozen peppers.

JessM Mon 02-Sept-13 19:38:36

Well they are exceedingly sweet sometimes. I can see that it counts as a cereal when old and starchy, but maybe not when young, sweet and juicy. Lot of differences between a leathery old bit of dry corn and a succulent kernel of sweetcorn?

kittylester Mon 02-Sept-13 19:48:31

I coin petit pois in a Pyrex bowl with a lid, in the microwave, with no added water!

Ana Mon 02-Sept-13 19:50:38

I'm saying nothing....

kittylester Mon 02-Sept-13 19:51:08

Cook not coin!

Brendawymms Mon 02-Sept-13 20:58:32

Sweet corn is botanically a fruit as its an ovum, ( same as tomato) but is also a grain when a dry seed (!) and a vegetable being a plant that is harvested to be eaten. Well that's according to Google. We live and learn...But Whatever it is it tastes good!

j08 Mon 02-Sept-13 21:03:09

It tastes good when it has butter added. Are we sure it's not the butter that tastes good?

I still can't accept it as a vegetable. A vegetable should have some vitamin C. I think there are likely to be only traces of vitamins in sweetcorn.

merlotgran Mon 02-Sept-13 21:17:52

Plenty of fibre though, jingle grin

j08 Mon 02-Sept-13 21:21:22

Don't want that! (don't need that! blush)

Nelliemoser Mon 02-Sept-13 22:03:08

Most mums of very small children would suggest that sweet corn have no real nutritional value at all given the way in which they pass though the body unchanged.

Penstemmon Mon 02-Sept-13 22:31:41

Is maize a cereal? I suppose it must be..I always think of wheat, barley ad oats etc as a cereal. I enjoy maize as corn on the cob and corn fritters. Not so keen on polenta though! Often add maize kernals to savoury rice dishes and the kids love it as a veg!

annodomini Mon 02-Sept-13 22:40:26

Cornflakes, Penstemmon?

JessM Tue 03-Sept-13 07:11:43

Cornflour is made from maize as well.
re it going through undigested penstemmon - if you have watched the wonderful DVD Flushed Away with GKds as many times as I have you may have noticed that one of the jokes for grownups in the background relates to this. In the scene where it is in the rat town square in the sewers one of the stalls is selling sweetcorn! grin
I think it is good for you if you chew it!

j08 Tue 03-Sept-13 11:50:08

Corn is the least valuable of the cereals.

My Dr Spock book said so.

Ana Tue 03-Sept-13 11:57:51

Popcorn's nice!

j08 Tue 03-Sept-13 12:00:13

shock

Yes it is.