Vegetable prices fall in winter, when produce is plentiful, and much of it rots in the fields. Farmers are forced to let their hard-won crops go to waste and end up with losses instead of profit. Imagine if these winter vegetables could be eaten all year round.

In fact we can preserve vegetables and eat them for most of the year. Cauliflower grown in winter, in particular, can be kept in a home deep freezer. Here is how.

First wash the cauliflower well and let the water drain. Once it is clean, cut it into small pieces ready for cooking, so it will not need cutting later, since cutting it after freezing can be difficult.

Put a pan of water on the stove to boil. When it comes to the boil, add the cauliflower pieces, with enough water to cover them all. Cook on a normal flame until a little less than half-cooked.

Then add a spoonful of milk and cover the pan. When the water boils again, cook for 2 minutes and turn off the heat. Lift out the cauliflower and put it in cold water. When it reaches room temperature, take it out, spread the pieces in a clean container and dry off the water under a fan.

When the pieces are completely dry, pack them in an airtight box or zip-lock bag and store them in the deep freezer. When needed, take them out, let them come back to normal and add them to cooking. This way you can eat preserved cauliflower as a curry all year round.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.