Don't Buy Frozen Veggies Without Checking For This Major Red Flag

Frozen vegetables have been quietly working their way into the good graces of food experts and consumers alike; Ree Drummond actually prefers to buy her veggies frozen, and Bobby Flay picks frozen peas over fresh in certain instances. Frozen vegetables are a widely-available and affordable option, they can be more nutritious than fresh in some cases, and they typically last for months compared to their fresh counterparts — which can go bad before you know it. If you frequent the freezer aisle more often for your produce, however, you should know what to look (and feel for) when you're picking out the right bag. Namely, be on the lookout for lumps or clumps in your bagged vegetables, as that is indication that they could be freezer burned already.

When frozen food loses moisture (typically due to a fluctuation in temperature or prolonged exposure to air), this can change its original texture to one that is dryer and less flavorful. The moisture that gets drawn out then freezes on top of the food, which is why you see a layer of ice crystals form. Frozen vegetables that have thawed and then refrozen can get clumped together with the freezer burn frost, hence why you want to avoid those bags. 

What else do you need to consider when buying frozen vegetables? We've mentioned bagged vegetables only so far, for the simple reason that you ought to eschew the boxed variety. Not only will this type of packaging take up more room in your freezer, it's also more difficult to feel for those freezer burned lumps through the cardboard. You should also consider making a big reach for the bags you want — vegetables that are sitting closer to the door of the freezer are more likely to be freezer burned, due to their proximity to the warm store air every time someone opens it. Further, you might want to read the labels of any potential frozen vegetables, to ensure they're just that: All vegetable, no additional ingredients.

If you get your veggies home, discover that you missed a few lumps, and now have freezer burned broccoli or green beans, it's not the end of the world. While they might not taste the best on their own, these veggies can still be used in anything that adds moisture back into them, like soups or casseroles. Not only can the additional liquid help reconstitute the texture somewhat, all of the other ingredients, especially spices and herbs, can go a long way in bolstering the flavor (or hiding the lack of). Just be sure to remove any additional crystalized ice from your veg before preparing — forgetting this step can have the opposite effect, causing an excess of unwanted moisture in your dish.