How Do You Blanch And Freeze Mulberry Leaves? Help Please

[ArgentumVesica]

Hey Everyone. I will be ordering some silk worms momentarily and would like to know how to best preserve leaves for the up coming winter. i have access to several mulberry trees so thats not a problem. i have heard about blanching and freezing mulberry leaves, but the link in one of the threads here seems to not work. So How do you blanch and then freeze mulberry leaves? Thanks, Reese

 

[hotdirt823]

this is not coming from the stance of a mulberry leaf but i use to be a chef and went to culinary school to blanch somethign bring the water to a rapid boil have a bowl of ice water ready throw the item to be blanched in the boiling water just for a second to bring out that nice bright color but not to long or else the item will go dark and mushy once in the boiling water a few seconds remove and submerge in the ice water to hault the cooking process that is blanching i a nut shell now it very well might differ for mulberry leafs so i would check around still but as far as how to blanch something that is how

 

[batmancumming]

i don't know anything about blanching and i have no experience with actual mulberry leaves, but maybe vacuum sealing and just freezing them would work. like i said i'm not sure, but i do know that food i have vacuum sealed and put in the freezer has stayed fresh for up to a year

 

[Dave]

Good luck. I had the same thoughts, but even dehydrating them wouldn't work, as silkworms wouldn't eat dry food. If you freeze a wet leaf, it will be mush. I'd recommend you purchase some mulberry chow when you get your silkworms.

 

[reptoman]

If you blanch them for about a minute and 1/2 in boiling water then freeze them in a ziplock bag, getting as much air out as possible beforehand, they will keep for about a year. If you just freeze them, they turn brown as soon as you thaw them out and are no good. I have a study that was done in a pdf in anyone is interested. email me at [email protected] and I will send you the pdf.
I tried this and it works. The blanched leaves come out of the freezer and stay green after being thawed. The silks will eat them just as well as fresh leaves off the tree. I still have several bags from over a year ago but have been hatching out silk eggs so have no choice but to use chow for that.

 

[Texas Ranger]

If you blanch them for about a minute and 1/2 in boiling water then freeze them in a ziplock bag, getting as much air out as possible beforehand, they will keep for about a year. If you just freeze them, they turn brown as soon as you thaw them out and are no good. I have a study that was done in a pdf in anyone is interested. email me at [email protected] and I will send you the pdf.
I tried this and it works. The blanched leaves come out of the freezer and stay green after being thawed. The silks will eat them just as well as fresh leaves off the tree. I still have several bags from over a year ago but have been hatching out silk eggs so have no choice but to use chow for that.

Yeah This really works brian sent me this in the spring and It made them last a good long time in the freezer