FREEZING LEEKS

I love the buttery, mild-onion flavour of leeks. Leeks are great substitutes for onions in all kinds of dishes. If you grow leeks or buy it from a producer, leeks are either abundance or famine. We often had leeks during the summer, but a couple of weeks ago, Jim asked me if I wanted to do something with the remaining young plants before the frost hit the garden. “Or ashes to ashes I throw them in the composter.” Don’t you dare, I said, I want them all. 

What part to use? Many people throw away the green sections so depending on how mature the leeks are, more than half of this delicious plant is wasted. Much like with asparagus, you can tell where the tough section start. Chop off a segment from the green end. When the knife goes through without resistance, you have arrived at the palatable portion of the leek. In case of young plants, most of the green leaves are edible.

 The bulk of the work consists of rinsing out the dirt trapped between the layers. 
I rinsed mine about half a dozen times.

 Rinse

 Drain

Dry

FREEZING LEEKS

• Group the leeks according to diameter.
• Wash and trim off the ends.
• Chop the leeks uniform. Include the green parts and discard only the tough sections. If the knife slices through without resistance, that part is worth keeping.
• Place the chopped leeks in a large bowl of cold water.
• Rinse thoroughly several times until the soaking water is pristine clear.
• Drain and lay the leeks on paper towel lined trays.
• When the leeks are no longer damp, spread them out on parchment-lined trays.
• Freeze overnight.
• Next day transfer the leeks to freezer bags and freeze for up to 6 to 8 months, or until ice crystals form.
• Add the frozen leeks to dishes without thawing.

Tender Leek Greens ready for Soup