Frozen vegetables might not be among the most inspiring forms of produce. Few will argue that defrosted veggies look beautiful in a bowl on your countertop or make you think of late night dinners on sunny Mediterranean islands, but they sure are practical. However, despite being fairly utilitarian, frozen produce might not be as bad as you think.
In fact, there are mistakes everyone makes with frozen vegetables that may have more to do with this reputation than the produce itself. Avoiding these errors can lead to better-tasting veggies and more interesting dinner options. Plus, , as they're frozen quickly after being picked, locking in those all-important nutrients.
It's time to embrace the convenience of frozen options while still making drool-worthy meals. As a food writer, I do a lot of cooking, eating, and thinking about food, and I've used frozen vegetables extensively — though I have some go-tos that I use much more than others, such as peas and edamame beans. I wanted a range of opinions, though, so I spoke to three experts, including chefs, cookbook authors, and recipe developers, for more insight.
They helped me uncover some of the most common missteps folks make with frozen vegetables and how to avoid them. So, there's no need to have another sad dinner of limp, tasteless produce from the freezer. If you cook it right, it'll taste amazing.
Read more: Sometimes frozen vegetables are clumped together in the bag when you buy them from the store. You might think it's.