Frozen vegetables are one of the important products of the modern food industry. Their main purpose is to maintain the freshness and nutritional value of vegetables. Compared with fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables have the following characteristics:

1. Extended shelf life: Low temperature environment can inhibit the growth of microorganisms and enzyme activity, preventing spoilage.
2. Maintaining nutrients: Freezing technology can quickly cool vegetables in a short period of time, locking in nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.
3. Convenient storage and transportation: Frozen vegetables can be stored for a long time, avoiding the problem of fresh vegetables being perishable, and facilitating cross-regional supply.

How processed are frozen vegetables?

The production of frozen vegetables requires a series of strict processing steps to ensure their quality and safety. The main process includes the following links:

1. Selection and washing: Fresh vegetables are free of impurities such as dead leaves and sand. Then they are thoroughly washed with clean water or special cleaning equipment to remove pesticide residues and pathogens.
2. Cutting: According to different varieties and market demands, vegetables will be cut into different shapes, such as blocks, slices or strips, to adapt to different cooking methods.
3. Blanching: Blanching is an important step in the processing of frozen vegetables, which is to heat vegetables with hot water or steam in a short time and then cool them quickly.
4. IQF freezing: After blanching and cooling, the vegetables will enter the freezing equipment and be quickly frozen at a low temperature of -30℃ to -40℃. This rapid freezing technology can prevent the water inside the vegetable cells from forming large ice crystals, thereby reducing tissue damage and maintaining the original taste and nutrition.

Storage methods for frozen vegetables:

• Use professional cold storage to maintain a constant temperature (-18℃ or lower).
• Perform regular inspections to ensure that the temperature of the cold storage is stable to prevent the freezing chain from being broken.
• Follow the first-in-first-out principle to ensure that the quality of the product will not be affected by long-term storage.