Somehow I was expecting more.
It's a perfectly acceptable book and explains what freezes best and why, but somehow I was underwhelmed.
Most of the recipies are pretty basic or in contrast,. completely at the other end of the spectrum and very unlikely for the average household to make.

Pick this book up if you want to improve your sustainability game! I for one am constantly asking how do I preserve food, pickling is not my favorite flavor and canning seems so complicated, enter Crystal Schmidt's "Freeze Fresh". Food preservation has never seemed easier. Schmidt breaks down all of what you will need to consider when choosing to freeze produce and then takes it a step further and provides instructions for a variety of fruits, vegetables, and berries. With this easy to follow guide even the most novice, like myself, will make great strides in home food preservation!

Well done and interesting book loaded with information on how to freeze and use frozen foods.

Table of Contents:

Freezing Basics
Why Freeze Produce?
Early Cooling Devices
The Science of Freezing Fruits & Vegetables
Essential Freezing Techniques (Steam Blanching, Boiling-Water Blanching, and How to Flash Freeze)
Types of Freezer Containers
Removing Air From Containers
Labeling Containers
Helpful Tools and Supplies
All About Freezers
How to Manually Defrost a Chest or Upright Freezer
Special Techniques for Freezing & Working With Frozen Foods
How to Make Baked Desserts Using Frozen Fruit
Freezing Produce From A to Z

As the author explains how to freeze a fruit or vegetable, she includes prepping instructions and what is required to freeze the item. In addition, there are several recipes for using that fruit or vegetable from frozen state.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.

I really enjoyed this book - it was actually very helpful, having just got into doing bulk meals and staying on top of food waste which was common in our household until now, this book has acted as an aid to help up with that educating me in the knowledge of freezing food.

I've invested quite smartly in some freezer bags, even separating food in boxes to help with space as our freezer size isn't a great amount.

This book gave me lots of ideas on how to start organising more and reducing the size, bulky veggies do take up a lot of room so shredding them gives a whole new load of room for me. I originally stayed far away from compote and things like that but now I have a slight idea of what I'm doing this will help, I now have a Ninja Foodie which makes things like that far more easier for someone like me and this has given me more time and reduced food costs which is brilliant at a time like this!

I particularly liked the beginning part which was interesting and touched on a time before modern freezing and I think this where we need extra education to generations such as mine, who has only ever known there to be a fridge or freezer, now we have a pantry and live in and older house this has opened the world up to me on what will keep and for how long.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read a FREE ARC in return for my review, I'll definitely be going out to buy this book and it's honestly going to be one for the kitchen shelf for me!

I just started gardening and I want to plant some fruit trees. But I know my family will not be able to eat everything. Crystal Schmidt does an amazing job teaching step by step how you can freeze fresh produce. She gives picture to help you understand what to do. She even shows you how to organize your freezer, combine different veggies, and even how to freeze juices. One example I love is that she freezes shredded apples. That way when you need it in baked recipes or in yogurt it's easy! The book also comes with tons of recipes you can use with freezer food!

This is a brilliant recipe book filled with not only instructions on how to freeze different fruit and vegetables, but also recipes using the frozen items. The recipes are varied and make good use of the frozen fruit and vegetables. The author has selected a good range of pictures to illustrate how it is done and the recipes they may be used for. She has also given brilliant descriptions and instructions on how to do things properly, and best practice.

Great ideas and loved this book! A lot of useful information and ideas. Highly recommend to anyone who is wanting to meal prep and cook from home more.

Freeze Fresh is a wondrous compendium of practical freezing ideas whether for produce you have grown yourself or bought in a market or store. The photography is spectacular and the information is written simply and in a friendly encouraging tone. The book contains information on produce freezing techniques, 100 recipes which freeze well and utilizing 55 fruit and vegetables in the best specific way (for example, when some produce thaws it becomes mushy; Crystal Schmidt gives tips on how to use it in its mushy state). She discusses food safety, thawing, freezing in various containers (including glass jars), reasons for freezing, freezers themselves and how our ancestors preserved food. Have you frozen garlic cloves, beets, figs, mushrooms, cucumbers or asparagus? Why not, right? No idea why my freezing repertoire has been lackluster...but that is changing, starting today. It seems there is more produce one can freeze than can't! Inspired, I froze apple slices and celery slices.

Schmidt's explanations and directions make so much sense! Just makes me wonder why this hasn't been done before?! But it has now, thankfully. She is systematic and thorough without being the slightest bit overwhelming. This is so doable for any gardening/cooking/preserving level.

Amongst the 100 included recipes using said frozen produce are "Lazy" Chocolate-Covered Frozen Banana Slices, Seedy Beet Crackers, Caesar Roasted Broccoli (am making this tomorrow), Cabbage Roll Soup, Honey-Butter Carrot Mash, Cherry Butter, Grandma's Sweet Freezer Pickles, Fig Cookie Smoothie, Garlic-Sesame Green Beans, Salted Caramel Pear Butter and Garlic Herb Blend in Greek Meatballs.

Whether you are starting out with freezing fresh fruit and vegetables or have done it for years, you will certainly experience many aha moments here and put much of what you learn into practice. Fresh Freeze should be required reading for every Home Economics student; heck, for everyone! It is almost a three-in-one book. It is pure gold for gardeners, foragers and preservers such as myself.

My sincere thank you to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for the privilege of reading/learning from this epic book! I could not possibly be happier with a book on this topic.

A must-have resource for anyone that wants to preserve produce by freezing. You will learn the basics of equipment needed, pros and cons of types of freezers, and various techniques for any kind of produce. If you have a garden producing more than you can eat in a week, preserving is a must. Tips on how to organize, the importance of labeling, and even how to defrost safely and efficiently are shared. The best part? The recipes!! A step by step guide on how to freeze-preserve AND recipes to use any type of fruit of vegetable you’d like.
A resource I will refer to again and again.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advance reading copy. This is one to purchase and retain in your kitchen library !!

Crystal Schmidt has provided clear easy instruction on how to preserve the freshness and bounty of 55 fruits and vegetables in the book FREEZE FRESH. Now I've been freezing our garden's plenty for 50 years and before that I helped my mom can, pickle, and freeze our huge farm gardens. Still I learned some tips from Crystal, but learned some science behind preserving successes and failures. Information about containers( rigid, baggie, silicone) and newer methods like flash freezing will get newbies started with ease. Many fruits and veggies also had a tasty recipe to try. I know I am going to try the apple pie filling one. We hear often that we should eat a rainbow; all you have to do is feast your eyes on the vivid photographs in this book and you will totally understand. Healthy eating is colorful. I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley. All opinions are mine.


(I have not posted reviews anywhere except Goodreads and Facebook since this does not publish for a few more months)

What a great resource this book looks to be! I already have it bookmarked to purchase when it is officially published. I've always felt like I know just enough to be dangerous re: freezing produce and this book breaks it down and explains it very well. I may eventually have to break down and invest in a chest freezer!

A wonderful book full of great procedures and tips to use when freezing fresh produce from your garden or the store. Many recipes were included to help you use all of the fruits and vegetables that you have frozen. Some recipes are for the table and some are for the freezer. Each recipe includes the best way to freeze and how to thaw and use the produce you have put away. Great photographs of the finished products. I looking forward to the garden coming in so I can try out these ideas and recipes.

This is such a great book to keep on hand for when i buy way too much produce at the farmers market! I love this idea - this will definitely be a staple in my kitchen!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review. (Publish Date: July 19, 2022)

“Freeze Fresh” by Crystal Schmidt is a beautiful and valuable guide on how to properly prep and freeze fresh produce for year-round eating.

This book instantly appealed to me, because I have been dabbling with freezing some produce and other foods to keep them from going bad before I’m ready to use them. It seems like prices continue to be rising on producing each week I visit the grocery store, so I was looking for a cost-effective and less wasteful solution. I was amazed by this book’s attractively simple presentation, the abundance of helpful photos, and the easy-to-follow instructions. I also loved finding several recipes scattered throughout the book with ideas on how to use your frozen produce year-round!

The “Freezing Produce from A to Z” guide in this book included everything from favorites like apples, bananas, berries, and green beans to unexpected items like avocados, cucumbers, mushrooms, and tomatoes. The author fully explains how to prep and freeze each item, so there’s completely no guesswork! I never thought about grating fruits and veggies before freezing them, but it makes perfect sense for produce you would use when cooking anyway. Ever have a recipe that calls for lemon zest and you don’t have any fresh lemons on hand? Now, you can freeze any citrus zest and have it ready to go in your freezer for any recipe!

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone wanting to save money and learn how to properly freeze fresh produce. I hate having to throw away what was once perfectly fine fruits and veggies due to lack of time and use, but this book was the solution I so desperately needed! I definitely plan to purchase this book and will be using it regularly this summer when my home garden is overflowing with produce.

I never thought that looking at photos of frozen fruits and vegetables would make me so hungry. This is a great resource for long-time cooks and anyone just looking to get more out of their produce.

Outstanding read! Ever want to freeze your fruits and vegetables from a garden surplus. This book takes you through blanching or direct freezing. Some people might find freezing food daunting and this was an excellent guide to overcome some of the overwhelming information usually accompanied from books. This was an easy to follow and an excellent source of information. I would love a copy of this book for my shelf! If you garden then this is a must have for a sustainable living. Five stars

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review.

A very informative book about freezing fruit and veg. I learnt lots of things and it has inspired me to grow more of my own veg this year as now I know how to store it correctly for longer by freezing. The A-Z makes it very easy to use and to refer back to. This is a book that I can see myself coming back to time and time again.

This is exactly what I hoped for when I read the blurb for this cookbook. Freezer meals are so crucial for a working family nowadays. I would recommend this to everyone, and I have!

I love freezing food, it’s a great way to save leftovers, meat on special offer and keep quick meals for when you can’t be bothered to cook, this book I was hoping to offer more information on how to make the most of the freezer but it waffles on and has too many recipes that I do not want.

I love the information given in this cookbook! I always have so many extra fruits and veggies, this book tells me the best way to freeze them for use later! It also has recipes to use the previously frozen foods in! The photos are bright and colorful. The book has tips for containers to use for freezing, labeling for freezing, tools for chopping and slicing. I definitely suggest checking out this cookbook, even if you weren’t necessarily looking for how to freeze foods, I think we all can benefit from this.