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Cooking Frozen Vegetables: General Guidelines

By Diana Rattray, About.com

General times and guidelines for cooking frozen vegetables

In general, it's best to use as little water as possible, and cook until the vegetables are done to your satisfaction. It isn't necessary to thaw frozen vegetables first, but you might want to thaw greens a bit to separate leaves.

For most frozen vegetables, use 1/2 cup of water for every 2 cups of vegetables.

Notable Exceptions:
Use 1 cup of water for every 2 cups of lima beans.
Corn on the cob should be cooked with enough water to cover completely.

Vegetable size can significantly shorten or lengthen cooking times. Here are some basic times:

  • Spinach -- 3 to 4 minutes
  • Turnip greens -- 15 to 20 minutes
  • Other greens -- 10 to 12 minutes
  • Summer Squash or Zucchini -- 8 to 12 minutes
  • Large lima beans, cut snap beans, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, corn and peas -- 3 to 10 minutes.

    Page 1 - Vegetable Freezing Guide: Blanching and Packing
    Page 2 - Preparation and Blanching Times for Specific Vegetables

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