I did about 20 ears of corn in those ziploc steaming bags, you can get three in a bag. The corn came out crisp and froze very well. Usually it comes out mushy from the boiling water blanching. I love those bags!! I even cooked my corn on the cob for supper in them, no more waiting for the water to boil.

Diane

Microwaves are not good heating sources for blanching. They are very uneven cooking devices and are very difficult to evenly control a blanching heat. Usually a steam blanch or a boiling water blanch will do the best job. When I freeze the vegetables, and want to cook up a batch later on, I fill a covered ceramic casserole dish or other microwavable container and do NOT add any water. Essentually, your actually steaming the frozen vegetable, so it will retain a lot of its flavor. I also usually lightly salt the vegetable prior to cooking. Once cooked, I drain out any water and add butter or other seasoning. I found that some kinds of green string beans don't seem to taste or hold up as well as fresh. You will never get a really crisp vegetable after its been blanched and frozen. Freezing is always going to destroy some of the delicate cells of the vegetable, no matter how its blanched and frozen. The closest I have come to fresh taste and texture are for things like peas, lima beans, and yellow waxed beans, as well as corn off the cob. Attempting to blanch a whole cob in the microwave is extremely diffcult as it can over cook in some areas and other areas can still be quite raw. Blanching is supposed to be even heat that is applied quickly and then the item is quickly brought back down to cold again. If its left to cool on its own, it tends to continue to cook, and give poor texture results when its finally cooked to be served. A good example of somthing that should not be microwaved as a blanching is broccoli, its tender buds would quickly over cook, while the thicker stems would not get much of a blanching. You could fry the items in oil, as you would with partially cooked french fries, but if your looking for a very healthy fried veggie it isn't as good for you compared to one prepared without any added fat. My brother used to fry fresh string beans, and they would always soften, but did retain their bright green color. I have decided that when I grow beans, its going to be yellow waxed beans from now on as they show the best taste after a freeze. Unless you have a LOT of freezer space, freezing whole corn on the cob isn't going to save you any space. Besides that, corn, once picked should be blanched and frozen very quickly soon after its removed from the cob. If left on the cob the corn tends to lose a lot of its flavor back into the cob again. Ever eaten corn on the cob thats picked and cooked the same day, compared with corn thats been stored in the fridge a few days. Some newer strains or corn counteract that effect by the breeding of corn that is super sweet to begin with. I have found that these super sweet varieties lack actual corn flavor, and offer only a more sugary taste, which I don't like.

Bejay,
The microwave is not recommended for blanching.
Can I blanch in my microwave oven?
Microwave blanching may not be as effective as other methods, since research has shown that some enzymes may not be inactivated. This could result in off flavors and loss of texture and color. Those wishing to run the risk of low quality vegetables by microwave blanching should be sure to work in small quantities, using the directions for their specific microwave oven. Microwave blanching will not save time or energy.

Interesting!

I did ask about it for corn, since, like Diane, I have become a convert to cooking my corn on the cob for supper in the microwave. I don't bother with the steamer bags --- I take off the outermost layer of husk and then just cook it in its own wrapping. About three minutes on high in my machine is perfect!

Now, the corn I froze this year I ended up not blanching at all. So presumably none of the enzymes were deactivated. I'll report on the quality when I eat some!

Zabby

Microwave blanching:

Some may prefer to use Microwave blanching.

1. Adequate blanching depends on sufficient energy to inactivate the enzymes that cause

darkening, softening, flavor changes and vitamin losses. Older microwaves may put out

1000 watts of power on "high", while newer ones may put out 600-700 watts on high. Some of the very small microwaves put out only 350 watts of power on "high".

Check your microwave instruction manual for the maximum power output of your oven.

Look to see what percentage of the maximum power output your oven puts out on other

settings. If your oven puts out 1000 watts on "high", you will need to use a power selection that gives you 60 or 70% power (to give 600 to 700 watts) for microwave blanching.

2. Microwave blanching is easy for small batches of vegetables, but not recommended for larger quantities. For some foods, microwave blanching is relatively rapid; however for many, the blanching time is as long as blanching in boiling water on the conventional range and you can only blanch a small amount of vegetable at a time.

How to microwave blanch:

1. Use microwave-safe covered glass casserole dish.

2. Put vegetables and water into dish and cover.

3. Microwave at 600-700 watts for specified time.

4. Remove dish from oven, drain water and chill vegetables in ice water for 1 minute. Chilling can be done in a colander or vegetables can be placed in a freezer bag and the bag can be submerged in ice water.

5. Press out air, seal, label, freeze.

Call Robin at U of I Extension at 309-663-8306 for blanching times for particular vegetables.