Canned vs frozen

[LeatherneckPA]

Oooh baby!! I'm gonna start a war!! Not on purpose, but I bet it happens.

I grew up in a house of four boys and anywhere from 2-6 foster kids at any given time. Feeding that horde was not cheap. But Dad was a depression baby and so was very frugal. Breads, cakes, pies etc all came from the day-old store. In our basement we had three large chest freezers. One for meat, one for baked foods, and one for veggies. The only canned veggies we ever ate was corn. And I'm sure my prejudice against canned veggies stems from those mushy, tasteless, over cooked veggies served in school cafeterias to this day.

This summer starts a grand experiment at our house with our first backyard flock of chickens. And since I retire this summer I am planning a pretty large garden with the intent of preserving a large part of our winter veggies. My question is, should I go canned or frozen?

I do not want to spend the winter eating pale, pasty, mushy canned veggies. I want something crisp and full of flavor. I want veggies that are going to not only withstand the cooking process but actually contribute to the flavor and texture of the meals they are added to. My interest in possibly canning them is to reduce my dependence upon electricity and the fossil fuels that create it.

Hence the title, canned vs frozen.

[lostinthewoods]

leather,

If you've got the space to freeze them then I would do whatever you're most comfortable with and works best for you. There is something to be said for frozen veggies.

IMHO... Some things like tomatoes, green beans, spinach, corn, squash, cucumbers (as pickles) even potatoes are great canned. You can also turn all those great tasty summertime veggies into soups and stews that can be canned. Then all you have to do is dump the jar into a microwave safe bowl and viola, dinner. You know what they say about opinions though.

If it were me I think I would have to can your veggies. With the exception of stir fry veggies (bell peppers and onions, broccoli, etc.). I do agree about the dependence on electricity. If they're canned you never have to worry about the lights going out.


just my thoughts

lost

[sbemt456]

OK, you ask for opinions so here is mine.We have raised a garden and butchered since we have been married (27) yrs, and we prefer canned to frozen veggies with the exception of corn which IMHO is better frozen. What ever I am canning at the time I may have a small amount left not enough for another canning, I will freeze that for soup and such as to not let any go to waste. Folks my age laugh at me when they see all the canning I do, thinking it is cheaper ,easier and better to buy it, but what if you fall on hard times and cant is my response. We in past years have had lenghthy power outages here and it makes my a little nervous to think of losing a lot of food, that is the one reason I can most of mine, and when I am in a hurry to get a meal on the table I shop in my pantry and freezer for home made not for store bought with God only knows what in it. People will tell you they dont have time to can and raise their own food, but from experience I worked 2 -40hr a week jobs at one time and still did it, wasnt easy by any means but it got done. I am so excited that spring is close, my hubby just bought me a new 30 qt pressure canner that I cant wait tot use. As for you and canned or frozen, if you are worried about power being off for the freezer you might invest in a generator to run it as we have, but to me canning is just easier to do.Good luck!

[hillbillygal]

We can our veggies and freeze the meat. I just started canning meat this year and like having it ready to use out of the can. I also feel like I'm getting a better return of my time since our canned food is good indefinitely as long as the seal remains intact. So, I'm a canning fan.

[theresehirko]

I was a big fan of freezing as that was what my mom and dad did for my entire life. Summer was a busy time in our house with the garden and my dad fishing every weekend. When Katrina hit, we had a freezer full of fish, steaks, vegetables, etc. We lost everything. Plus there was no food to be had in our area for two weeks as no one had power. There was no gasoline to run generators, and no clean water. Luckily for us, we have a gas stove and could still cook our canned goods and make biscuits and cornbread on the stove. We also went through our camping stash and "72 hour" kit. As soon as the mess passed and the stores were open again, i bought a pressure canner and have been happily canning since then. We use our freezer as a temporary storage and don't rely on it for long-term anymore.