Fennel and its uses
The different parts of the fennel plant are used in a variety of ways: As a medicinal plant and home remedy, fennel is known to many in the form of fennel tea, which helps against abdominal pain and digestive problems, for example. This is brewed from fennel seeds. The fennel green is particularly popular as a spice in Mediterranean cuisine. The vitamin-rich fennel bulb tastes good both raw and cooked, for example in stews or casseroles.
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Prepare the fennel for freezing and refrigerate
When freezing fennel, you have the choice whether you want to put it raw or blanched in the freezer. Blanching has the advantage that it extends the shelf life of the fennel, keeps it visually more appealing and helps to maintain its aroma and vitamin content. If you have to go fast, there's nothing wrong with freezing fennel raw. You should freeze the fennel greens separately and only uncooked.
- Prepare the fennel by cutting off the fennel greens, removing damaged leaves, and slicing or dicing the fennel. The shape depends on the later use.
- Optional: Put the prepared fennel bulb in boiling salted water and blanch it for three minutes.
- The blanching is followed by a short bath in ice water to interrupt the cooking process.
- Have freezer bags or freezer-safe boxes with lids ready and label them with the date of freezing and the contents.
- Put the raw or blanched fennel and the uncooked fennel greens in the freezer containers, press out the air in the freezer bags and seal them carefully.
- Now the packaged fennel goes into the *** freezer compartment at -18 ° C.
Thaw and process the fennel
If you want to use the frozen fennel as raw food, put it in the unopened freezer bag or in the freezer box in the refrigerator the evening before. This allows it to thaw slowly and gently without becoming excessively lax.
Fennel that is to be cooked is best placed frozen in the saucepan, casserole dish or pan. If you defrost it beforehand, it can easily get mushy while cooking. You can also chop the fennel green with a knife when it is frozen and add it to the almost completely cooked dish to season.
You should use up your frozen fennel after twelve months at the latest. The fresher it is, the tastier and richer in vitamins the frozen fennel is.
