Freezing Thai Vegs

[Hadrian1]

Hi,

I live in the UK and far from any oriental shops. I was just wandering if I bought some vegetables either on-line of when I next visit a town with an Asian shop would I be able to freeze some of the vegetables I buy without spoiling them. I was thinking of getting:

Aubergines,

Green Peppercorns,

Galangal,

Wild Ginger

Or might somebody here have other suggestions on how to keep these 'fresh' for a minimum of a few weeks?

I read on another forum that this guy buys ginger root.....and the stuff that he has left over he simply shreds and puts in bag and then freezes. Could one put them into some kind of preservative?

Thank you.

[Crossy]

A few good resources with freezing information:-

http://www.allotment.org.uk/allotment_food...us_Freezing.php

http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/mamasays.htm

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf42819959.tip.html

[Swanky]

Why not try growing them instead? ( not the green peppercorns of course). Aubergines or eggplants don't freeze well, they go mushy. I've got a little garden full of coriander, galangal, chillies, lemongrass and other things I cook with including Italian herbs which can hard be hard to get.

Edited October 30, 2008 by Swanky

[tgeezer]

Why not try growing them instead? ( not the green peppercorns of course). Aubergines or eggplants don't freeze well, they go mushy. I've got a little garden full of coriander, galangal, chillies, lemongrass and other things I cook with including Italian herbs which can hard be hard to get.

I grew chillies this year and think that if I kept the heat on in the conservatory they would have gone through into the winter. I took off the last ones and brought them out here to Bangkok, coals to Newcastle, the plant was about three feet high and had plenty of flower and emergeing fruits. Apprently the one I really want 'hairy basil, does not grow in UK, I shall be trying next year though, for grapow moo. which dish I am confident in making. The thing to watch there is the vapour from the chillies and garlic floating up into the eyes when pounding in the pestel mortar. I am told that a food processor does not do a good job on melding the flavours.

[Boo]

my thai husband does a big shop at wing yip Croydon every 2 months or so & stocks up on veg, basil & tofu, he then prepares & then freezes it in sealed tupperware boxes & it keeps surprisingly well. Just clean & chop the veg into he sizes you would cook with then you can just take out what you need. Oh & cook from frozen too, defrosting then cooking leaves most veg wilted.

[Hadrian1]

my thai husband does a big shop at wing yip Croydon every 2 months or so & stocks up on veg, basil & tofu, he then prepares & then freezes it in sealed tupperware boxes & it keeps surprisingly well. Just clean & chop the veg into he sizes you would cook with then you can just take out what you need. Oh & cook from frozen too, defrosting then cooking leaves most veg wilted.

Thank you all for your replies. Does your husband manage to freeze egg plants in this way too?

I grew my own chillies this year.....Thai, Japapeno, Cayenne, and Green Peppers. They all produced Chillies/Peppers from seed and it was a particularly bad year in the UK being very wet. My aubergines weren't at all successfull. I don't have a glass house but started them off in the conservatory. I panted in April which I think was too late as they take quite a while to grow and ripen.

I bought some dried galangal in Thailand once. What is that used for? Do you have to rehydrate it. It was solid.

[Boo]

Galagal is used in soups mostly, it's a bit like ginger, you can grate or slice it & add to soups, curries, it's hard so not sure you need to rehydrate it?

He has frozen eggplant before, they are never as good as fresh but can be ok, just make sure you freeze as soon as you cut them otherwise they turn brown but tbh now he just uses Uk style aubergines & courgettes, they have the same-ish texture & over the years with trial & error knows what to substitute for thai veg. He tried to grow chillis too a few years back but without the sun they just dont' get the same heat so he buys a load at wong yip & freezes them now