I was very interested in listening to Jamie Oliver's views about this. He reckons that frozen veg are better than "fresh" because they are frozen so quickly after picking; and that some of what you buy fresh in the shops has been languishing on shelves for a while and then in your kitchen; and then it gets thrown away when you cannot use it before it goes limp.
He also, quite reasonably, says that frozen veg avoids waste as you only use the amount you want and the rest goes back in the freezer.
I must say it makes a lot of sense to me as someone who lives in the middle of nowhere in a shop-free area - when I do go to the shops or get a delivery I am always tempted to buy too much to keep us going till the next shop.
I have followed his advice and bought several packetzs of frozen veg and will see how they go.
I like the flavour, whether fresh or frozen, Lona, though not everyone would. I also buy a big bag of carrots, chop or slice, blanche and freeze them in small bags. Was it in reality or in the West Wing when and American president got into trouble with broccoli producers when he confessed to not liking it?
I like the flavour, whether fresh or frozen, Lona, though not everyone would. I also buy a big bag of carrots, chop or slice, blanche and freeze them in small bags. Was it in reality or in the West Wing when and American president got into trouble with broccoli producers when he confessed to not liking it?
I need to shop for a week if possible. This is because I live in the countryside and because I have better uses for my time. I buy frozen peas. I freeze my own ratatouille. Each time I try some of the vegetables that have been frozen from fresh and suggested here, I am disappointed.
Brussels sprouts, frozen or fresh - can't stand them! However, I find frozen broccoli to be good value. As I live alone, I can't use fresh broccoli up quickly enough and it goes yellow in the fridge. Frozen, I can use as much or as little as I need.
Runner beans are my favourite veg, but not if they are frozen. I also enjoy fresh brussels - remember in my youth buying a big bag of these and religiously standing for an hour or more preparing them for freezing. Never again! I like the stew-pack of frozen vegetables, I can use just enough for the one meal, or double if I want to freeze down a cooked one.and they make good soups.
Both frozen and fresh veg have their place, I think. Frozen are really useful and I am convinced Jamie is right when he says they are fresher, - but sometimes it's lovely to cook a nice new cauliflower, or whatever. And frozen sprouts are horrible so I always buy fresh.
That's going back a bit! I think all the fibre gets taken out when it is made into cornflakes or cornflour etc - unlike, say wheat that has some protein in it. But hens can live off it. Popcorn a genius way to make money out of a small amount of very cheap ingredient isn't it.
Cornflour is made from maize as well. re it going through undigested penstemmon - if you have watched the wonderful DVD Flushed Away with GKds as many times as I have you may have noticed that one of the jokes for grownups in the background relates to this. In the scene where it is in the rat town square in the sewers one of the stalls is selling sweetcorn! I think it is good for you if you chew it!
Is maize a cereal? I suppose it must be..I always think of wheat, barley ad oats etc as a cereal. I enjoy maize as corn on the cob and corn fritters. Not so keen on polenta though! Often add maize kernals to savoury rice dishes and the kids love it as a veg!
Most mums of very small children would suggest that sweet corn have no real nutritional value at all given the way in which they pass though the body unchanged.