The FastDay Forum

I mean, when you don't have a lot of choice like right now and in addition of fresh ones, of course.

Frozen vegs (and fruits) are supposed to be fresher than the fresh ones, which I believe, and they taste great as long as you buy them raw. I prefer frozen peas to canned peas for ex as the canned ones are too sweet for me. I couldn't survive without frozen vegs. Right now I have spinachs, peas, green beans, carrots, cauliflower, courgettes and oinons. They are great to cook and it means being able to eat a different veg almost every day of the week.

I crave brussels spouts, which is strange because it's something I only eat at Christmas, and I was wondering if they are better frozen or canned (forget fresh) ? I am afraid the "juice" in which they swim won't be to my taste...

if i cant do fresh

Peas: frozen
Corn whole : frozen
Corn creamed : canned
Beans : canned
Carrots: canned
Brussels ... can only be fresh. neglected vegetable its amazing

Have you tried steaming your sprouts @Manderley?

I use tinned tomatoes, sweetcorn (we don't use much of that so it saves space in the freezer, beans and chickpeas and the occasional tin of green beans (which I used to drain and cook in butter with loads of garlic; I haven't done THAT for a while!)

Frozen peas all the way for me.

Frozen all the way, except for marrowfat peas or mushy peas. Even with mushy peas I prefer to make them from dried but they take so long to cook. I do prefer the frozen garden peas to either canned pea varieties.

I don't think I have ever seen a canned brussel sprout, just the thought of all that squishiness makes me squirm. I just assume they will be overcooked squishy.

We don't get creamed corn in the UK, so can't comment. I definitely don't like the frozen corn on the cob, they just aren't right after freezing.

Tinned/canned tomatoes, as I have never seen frozen tomatoes.

I prefer frozen - it *is* fresher. Things like peas and beans are frozen within about 30 minutes of picking. I keep peas, broad beans, soya (edamame) beans and chopped spinach in my freezer although I will buy all those fresh when in season.

I keep only tinned tomatoes and (occasionally) sweetcorn in my larder, although now I think about I believe I have a tin of ratatouille lurking there too. And of course I have tins of haricots, canellini and other legumes in the larder too - I can't be done soaking and boiling for hours, unless it's lentils.

Just to add, frozen brussels are horrible - they turn to mush when cooked.

I don't like sprouts much anyway but if I'm going to eat them they need to be fresh and cooked to al dente, never beyond.

[Moogie]

We always seem to lack space in the freezer (due to all my batch cooking), so most of our veg is fresh bought as and when but I do always have a bag of frozen peas.

We don't use much cannned veg, but moreso than frozen - primarily beans (baked, kidney), sweetcorn (what can I say, I love green giant!) and chopped tomatoes. I've usually got some canned fruit too - but always the stuff in its own juice, not syrup. Love a nice tin of pineapple or peaches

The trouble is here we can't have "unit" fresh sprouts, they come in a pack and I am the only one to eat them. So I would prefer to not have to eat them all week long, that's why I try to find another way

I agree with you Julianna, forgotten vegs are really brilliant. I have a love story with salsifis and they are the most ugly looking veg I ever saw

Just for fun I went to a supermarket of frozen which sells high quality frozen food and only with fruits and vegs, I would have for 80 euros, about the same amount in pounds, and would have 15kg fruits and vegs in my frreezer

I think I am addicted

About the tomatoes, I think the canned chopped ones are great to cook, I always have 2 or 3 of them and I have what we call here maïscédoine wchich is mix vegs and sweetcorn and it's great hot or cold. I have also a mixture of mushrooms great to put in an omelette for a quick dinner

Only whole frozen veg I eat is peas. However I do juice and freeze left over greens like spinach, cucumber and kale into baby food pots and add them to smoothies which makes the process rather easy!
Only canned veg I eat is tomatoes. Sometimes use canned pulses put prefer dried ones.
On fruit, I do buy frozen berries for smoothies in the winter and also freeze fruit like left over pineapple and bananas again for smoothies or banana bread.

Hi Manderley i love the steam bags of frozen veg ..just pop in microwave..so easy,no bubbling pans and steamy kitchens! Been eating tons of veg recently as seem to have acquired a craving for it,which is out of character....another welcome 5:2 side effect! X

If I can't get fresh from farms I prefer frozen for most veg - I do keep canned tomatoes, and some canned beans (navy, kidney) for variety when time is short ..

[Moogie]

Hi Manderley i love the steam bags of frozen veg ..just pop in microwave..so easy,no bubbling pans and steamy kitchens! Been eating tons of veg recently as seem to have acquired a craving for it,which is out of character....another welcome 5:2 side effect! X

Doh! Why have I never looked for these? I always buy a fresh bag, I bet frozen is a bit cheaper and of course will keep for longer. No more worrying whether my little local Co-op has steaming veg. Woohoo!

Slightly off track here, but when I have leftover veg from dinner, if I'm not turning it into 'bubble and squeak' it goes in a pot in the freezer. When there is enough I make it into a vegetable soup. Just bung in the pan with some stock if needed (the left over gravy is added too), bring to the boil, and blitz with the stick blender. Homemade veg soup, well nearly veg depending on the stock/gravy situation.

Living on a boat my storage resources are limited, so I buy mostly fresh vegetables, but I use a lot of tinned tomatoes (in their various forms) and always have tins eg kidney beans, baked beans, green beans, carrots in store. My freezer compartment just about holds an ice cube tray and so isn't geared for freezing.

[Betsysgr8]

If I can't have fresh then frozen. I have my home canned tomatoes and a few cans of diced/seasoned tomatoes, canned beans (for salads) but mostly use dried beans when making soup. I mostly make everything from fresh.