Updated October 2026

Freezing Vegetables and Fruit in New Zealand

A chest freezer is the most useful preserving tool a New Zealand garden can have. Blanch for the right time and the summer beans taste right in July.

Most vegetables need blanching before they go in the freezer: green and runner beans 3 minutes, peas 1½, courgette slices 3, sweetcorn cobs 7 to 11. Time it from when the water returns to the boil, chill in iced water for the same time, drain and freeze at -18°C. Berries, feijoa pulp, chillies, capsicum and peeled tomatoes for cooking need no blanching at all.

🌱 Plants in this guide: Beans (bush), Peas, Broad Beans, Sweet Corn, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Capsicum and 7 more, all listed under Plant profiles at the end of this guide. Each plant profile has sowing times for your region, companion plants and common pests.

Look up a blanching time

Blanching, step by step

1. Bring about 4 litres of water per 500 g of vegetables to a rolling boil, so it returns to the boil within a minute.
2. Lower the vegetables in a basket, put the lid on and start timing when the water boils again.
3. Move them straight into iced water (16°C or colder) for the same time as the blanch.
4. Drain well, pack and freeze at -18°C.

Too short a blanch is worse than none. If you steam instead of boil, allow about half as long again. Microwaving is not a reliable way to blanch.

The New Zealand freezer year

Runner beans, courgettes and sweetcorn arrive together in late summer and need freezing fast. Feijoas follow in autumn: scoop the pulp and freeze it in measured portions for baking. Broad beans and peas come in spring. Kūmara and pumpkin store well without freezing, but cooked, mashed kūmara freezes well too.

What not to freeze

Lettuce, cucumber, radish and celery go limp and watery. Raw cabbage is only good for cooking once frozen. Boiled potatoes turn mealy.

Storage

Keep the freezer at -18°C or colder. Fruit and vegetables keep their best quality for 8 to 12 months and stay safe after that. Tray-freeze loose items before bagging, press out the air, label with the date and use the oldest first. Garlic or herbs in oil must be frozen or used within 4 days from the fridge.

See also: Preserving the Harvest and Freezing.

Sources we checked (October 2026): National Center for Home Food Preservation: Blanching Times, Blanching Vegetables, Foods That Do Not Freeze Well, Freezer Management, How Long Can I Store Frozen Foods, Freezing Summer Squash, Greens, Onions, Mushrooms, Peppers, Tomatoes, Garlic-in-Oil; New Zealand Food Safety (MPI), Safe food preparation, cooking and storage at home.

Common questions