Love to buy loads of fresh veggies at the farmers' market but can't always use them up in time? Look to your freezer for help! However, it's not as simple as throwing a few tomatoes in the freezer; there are techniques that vastly improve the thawed product. Read on for tips!

In general, just plopping fresh veggies in the freezer results in rather sad, limp results once thawed. Why? It's an ugly combination of cell walls being weakened by the freezing process and ripening enzymes remaining active even as the vegetables freeze.

What helps vegetables maintain color and texture through the freezing and thawing process? A few easy steps and careful packaging.