One Unexpected Cooking Method Gives Frozen Veggies A Touch Of Sweetness

Although frozen veggies are often associated with mushy, bland side dishes, there are some amazingly inspired ideas to use up a freezer full of carrots, peas, and green beans. Frozen veggies are key to prettier pasta dishes, and you can even turn a frozen vegetable medley into a whole meal with a stir fry.  But you may have never considered one sweet trick for frozen vegetables: candying them.

Yet another overlooked cooking method for frozen veg, candying your veggies will leave them soft (but not mushy) and beautifully glazed, with a nice, light sweetness. Carrots, sweet peas, snow peas, green beans, Brussels sprouts, and pearl onions will all work. Most importantly, you need veggies that will hold their firmness and pair well with the candied flavor.

To try it, saute the frozen veggies in butter until they're thawed — but don't overcook them or they could end up soggy. Reduce the heat to low and add the sweet component of your choice — brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or white granulated sugar are all good options. Then deglaze the pan with an acid, like balsamic or sherry vinegar, and cook until bubbling. Spoon it over the vegetables until they're browned and shiny. Add salt to taste, and you have a smashingly sweet, savory, and tangy side dish.

One essential tip for candying veggies is to not cook them over too high heat when adding the glaze. The mixture should thicken to coat the veggies, but you don't want to cook it too long or hot, because all types of sugar burn pretty easily. Using granulated sugar can be helpful because you can watch for the color change — when the white sugar turns brown, it has caramelized and is ready to coat the veggies.

Apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar are good acids for a tangier version of candied veggies, and work best with root vegetables like carrots, beets, and turnips that already cook up a bit sweet themselves. Diced garlic or ginger make great flavor boosters to toss into the pan, and will caramelize beautifully. Try adding a bit of lemon juice for brightness in your Brussels sprouts or broccoli — you can even add lemon zest or lemon peel to the deglazing liquid.

As for garnishes and extra seasonings, dried Italian herbs, black pepper, cayenne pepper, fresh parsley are just a few flavors that pair well with candied vegetables. Lighter-flavored veggies, like sweet peas and corn, will showcase added ingredients more, while more pungent ones will hold their own flavor. Candied veggies pair well with main courses that already balance salty and sweet flavors, like glazed ham and maple grilled salmon. Or, try them as a balance against salty fried chicken, or toss them into a spicy pasta for sweet-and-heat goodness.