5 Misconceptions About Frozen Vegetables It’s Time We Stopped Believing

Despite frozen vegetables being popular, there are still a lot of people that are against them. They believe that freezing is the worst way to store vegetables.

5-Minute Crafts is going to bust the most popular myths about frozen vegetables and prove that they are just as good as fresh ones.

Myth № 1: Frozen vegetables are less healthy than fresh ones.

The truth: The biggest myth about frozen foods is this: “Fresh vegetables have more vitamins than frozen ones.” But this isn’t true.

A study published in 2017 compared samples of fresh and frozen vegetables. Vegetables that are going to be frozen are harvested when they have the most minerals and vitamins. The study proved that frozen vegetables have as many, if not more, nutrients than fresh ones.

Myth № 2: Frozen vegetables contain preservatives.

The truth: This myth is easy to bust with simple facts. Freezing doesn’t require any additional actions to keep the food fresh. Before freezing, it’s necessary to get rid of the bacteria using hot water or steam. Conservation is achieved thanks to low temperatures and nothing else.

In fact, preservatives are often used to prolong the shelf life of fresh vegetables.

Myth № 3: Frozen vegetables lose vitamins during defrosting.

The truth: This myth is true only if the rules of defrosting weren’t followed. There are many ways to defrost food, but only some of them are good for vegetables:

• Cooking without defrosting — this method is the safest and the most convenient. Vegetables can be steamed or boiled in salty water. But don’t fry frozen vegetables: you might get burned by the oil.
• Defrosting with cold water — just put the frozen vegetables in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes to keep it cold.
• Defrosting in the fridge — simply take them out of the freezer and leave them in the fridge overnight.

However, according to a 2020 study, frozen vegetables won’t be any good if they were stored for more than 8-12 months.

Myth № 4: Frozen vegetables are not as tasty as fresh ones.

The truth: This myth is popular because we don’t eat frozen vegetables as they are. Fresh vegetables can be peeled and eaten fresh and frozen ones require us to cook them.

But this doesn’t mean they are any less tasty. There are many recipes that will let even the least experienced cooks make frozen carrots really delicious.

Myth № 5: Frozen vegetables are more expensive than fresh ones.

The truth: Frozen vegetables are cheaper because they are easier to make and less expensive to transport and store. That’s why fresh vegetables are usually more expensive than frozen ones.

Besides, frozen vegetables cost the same all year round, while fresh ones rise in price in winter.