Frozen vegetables are tasty, nutritious and eco-friendly – here’s how to use them like a pro
Don't sneer at freezer essentials like peas and carrots; they're packed with vitamins, good for the environment, and great if you're on a budget
A lot of people turn up their noses at frozen vegetables. Yes, having farm-fresh produce is great, but many have to be delivered within a day of harvest to be at their best. So don’t be so quick to pass on the frozen variety. They are probably a lot better for the environment than the fresh stuff that has to cross hemispheres to get to the table. And they definitely deserve more appreciation.
“A lot of people pooh-pooh them,” says Bruce Weinstein, who has written 32 cookbooks with his husband, Mark Scarbrough. “The convenience factor is ridiculous.”
Frozen veg are also top quality because they’ve picked at the best time, and frozen straight away, instead of artificially ripened.
Here’s what you need to know about putting nutritious frozen vegetables to good use.
Picking the right veg
Lots of people complain about frozen veggies ending up mushy. This is true if you leave them uncooked, Weinstein says. But as cooking is intended to drive off moisture anyway, using frozen vegetables means you’re already a step ahead in eliminating some of the water you’d burn off by cooking.