# Frozen veggies vs fresh?



## NisAznMonk (May 12, 2006)

When I read about eating "fresh" vegetables I think of heads of lettuce and tomatoes...that sort of thing.  Will frozen vegetables be sufficient?


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## Haggis (May 12, 2006)

Frozen vegetable will suffice.

Of course, not all vegetables can be bought frozen...


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## Claire (May 12, 2006)

I agree that  you can find sufficient nutrition through frozen foods and they are a godsend.  That said, who wants life without salads?  Both, to me, are necessities of life.


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## GB (May 12, 2006)

Fozen veggies are better than no veggies. They are not as amazing as fresh, but that is OK. Frozen can still provaide penty of nutrients and flavor.


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## BreezyCooking (May 12, 2006)

There was an extremely interesting article in The New York Times Food Section a few months ago where comparisons were made between the quality of fresh vegetables versus frozen.

Surprisingly enough, the quality of many frozen vegetables was actually better than their fresh counterpart in the supermarket.  In fact, they took a poll of a number of upscale NY restaurants & found that most of them use frozen vegetables routinely.

Some of the top vegetables to buy frozen included green peas, lima beans, green beans, corn, & spinach.


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## jennyema (May 12, 2006)

Yep, frozen vegetables are generally just as good for you nutritionally as fresh and, like Breezy said, are often of higher quality than fresh.  This is because they flash freeze the veggies right after they are picked, thus preserving freshness.

Canned vegetables are a whole 'nother story, though.


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## mish (May 12, 2006)

NisAznMonk said:
			
		

> When I read about eating "fresh" vegetables I think of heads of lettuce and tomatoes...that sort of thing. Will frozen vegetables be sufficient?


 
Welcome to DC NisAznMonk.

Fresh is always best, when you can get it, in season. Lettuce and leafy veggies, should only be fresh - not frozen. Lettuce does not freeze well and will be soggy/slimy. Tomatoes are best fresh or use sun-dried. Some veggies are okay frozen, but imo, can lose nutrients in the freezer over time, fridge settings, and can pick up the smell of other foods freezing around it. Re 'sufficient' - frozen vs fresh, that also depends on the recipe. Consider a food saver to keep fresh veggies fresh & buy them at their peak.

When I can, I prefer buying at Farmer's markets rather than the super market. Markets, as I understand it, can wax veggies like cukes, etc. to make them look appealing to sell, and perhaps rotate the old stuff to the front.

I'm okay with frozen, but go to your freezer, open the door and take a good whif.  Consider also, ice cream is sitting next to poultry, meat, etc alongside the veggies.  In a nutshell -fresh is best, frozen's okay too.


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## kimbaby (May 12, 2006)

In my humble opion only... Most frozen veggies are just as good as fresh, however there are some that are not as good frozen for an example,
potatoes, i would rather have fresh potatoes and squash oh and asparagus too...
and certain others...


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## SizzlininIN (May 12, 2006)

kimbaby said:
			
		

> In my humble opion only... Most frozen veggies are just as good as fresh, however there are some that are not as good frozen for an example,
> potatoes, i would rather have fresh potatoes and squash oh and asparagus too...
> and certain others...


 
I agree with kimbaby on this too.  I think its all a trial and error thing for you as far as taste.  As I've mentioned before I'd always used canned corn when fresh wasn't available.  I'd tried frozen (generic brand) and didn't care for it at all and went back to canned.  I then tried a brandname frozen corn and since then I've been hooked......its as close to fresh as I could ever come. 

Now as far as frozen green beans.....I didn't have any luck with that in the past either but haven't tried the brandname yet.......something I do plan on doing as it may turn out the same as the corn situation.

Mish is right on with the farmers market......I love going to these vs going to the produce section in the grocery store.  I just recently put in my own garden and for those things I'm not able to grow I will be hitting the farmers market for.


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## RPCookin (May 13, 2006)

Keep in mind that there are levels of frozen veggies too.  I have found that some brands are almost indistinguishable from fresh, while others seem to be little more than the packaged sweepings from the floor of the warehouse.  I use a lot of store brand items to save money on the grocery bill, but frozen veggies are not one of those.  I will pay the premium for quality.... locally an excellent brand is C & W.  

As far as picking up other odors... can't see how that could possibly happen when they are sealed in plastic bags at the packaging plant. The only issue I've ever had from keeping them too long is getting freezer burn... I try to rotate them and use them within a couple of months of purchase.

But I still prefer fresh when what I want is in season and I have time to plan ahead and go to the market.


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## BreezyCooking (May 13, 2006)

I definitely agree about odors not being an issue with frozen vegetables. Can't see that happening unless the bag/box is broken & you have other odorifous things in there also in broken bags. In that case, clean out your freezer!! Lol!! Freezer burn, however, can be an issue if you don't use things in a timely fashion, & it can also alter the taste of the product, so perhaps that is what you are finding.

Around here in VA, my favorite brand of frozen veggie is "Hanover". Their Petite Whole Green Beans & Petite Brussel Sprouts in particular are FABULOUS!! The brussel sprouts are especially good - never bitter or mushy; always sweet & tender.


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## cloudybutnice (May 20, 2006)

We're fortunate in that we are able to grow a lot of our own vegetables. There is nothing better than picking from the garden then cooking/eating/freezing them within the hour. I've had varying degrees of success with the freezing. Noteably carrots were a disaster but broad beans and sweetcorn a success. Haven't noticed much difference in flavour possibly because of the short length of time between picking and freezing. I think frozen veg are an excellent alternative to fresh, but the quality probably depends on how they were grown and then treated after harvesting.


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## buckytom (May 20, 2006)

mmmmmm, frozen floor sweepings....


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## Run_Out (May 20, 2006)

I agree on frozen veggies, spinach for sure. Canned tomatoes are great. I think the only negative is the amount of sodium found in can foods, I buy the low sodium brands and I think they are very good.

Later


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## Ishbel (May 20, 2006)

The only frozen veg that I use are garden peas (think they are called English peas in the US).  In my opinion, no other frozen veg tastes anywhere near as good as freshly prepared veg.  So many, for instance, courgettes are merely soggy messes when cooked from frozen.


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## BreezyCooking (May 20, 2006)

Yes - the New York Times article I mentioned in an earlier post did say that while frozen cubes of winter squashes, like butternut, etc., were perfectly good frozen, summer squashes like courgettes (zucchinis) & yellow squash should be passed by.


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## Ishbel (May 21, 2006)

I have a cousin who delights in using frozen veg in her stews and casseroles - onions, swede, turnip and parsnip.  They tend to all taste the same and she cooks them far too long.   Not a nice experience


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## Robo410 (May 21, 2006)

personal preference: peas, limas, spinach work ok frozen
tomatoes (if you are going to cook them) and some beans (white beans, pinto, black beans) are ok canned.
Corn can be ok either way, but fresh picked is best.
Almost anyting else is much better fresh.


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