Pressure Steamed Vegetables for Freezing

My goal is to prepare very lightly pressure steamed blanched (scalded or shocked) vegetables in the Instant Pot so that I can freeze them ready for use in stir-fry meals. I want to make them as close to fresh vegetables as possible, because I really dislike overcooked vegetables. I only want to steam long enough to stop enzyme actions which cause loss of flavor, color and texture and want too keep as much nutritional value as possible.

The reason I want to do this is that I want to be able to make my own combinations for 2 person meals of different cuisines, primarily Asian, without any additives or excess waste. I order online for my groceries at a standard supermarket and an Asian supermarket. The options for fresh and frozen vegetables at the standard supermarkets are fairly limited. I can get some mixed fresh vegetable packages, but they are not as varied as I would like and I want to be able to freeze things for later use. At the Asian supermarket I can get many of the vegetables I want fresh, but the quantities are fairly large for 2 person meals and I don’t like wasting food.

Some of the vegetables I want to use are, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, asparagus,  zuchinni, pumpkin, kabocha and butternut squash, napa cabbage, boy choy, am choi, chinese broccoli, soybeans, lotus root, daikon radish, bell peppers, shimeji and golden mushrooms, bean sprouts, and sugar snaps.

I will later mix them with rehydrated dried shitake mushrooms, fungus, and chillies. When I’m ready to cook I will prepare them with fresh and frozen seafood, fish, tofu and eggs, along with frozen galanga root, ginger, lemongrass and hot peppers, that freeze well without blanching, and various sauces, noodles and rice.

I plan cut everything into similar bite-sized pieces, placing the tougher veggies at the bottom of the steamer basket with the more delicate veggies on top, with a cup of water and then pressure steam for only as long as needed for freezing. I will follow it with an ice bath and then drain and sheet freeze and then pack in freezer bags and containers.

I am having a hard time figuring out how long to use the ‘Steam’ function on the Instant Pot when I only want to pressure steam (blanch/scald/shock) vegetables for freezing.

From ‘Steaming on the Stove Is Different From Steaming in the Instant Pot’ https://skillet.lifehacker.com/steaming-on-the-stove-is-different-from-steaming-in-the-1833643484

“If you simply press “Steam,” and press no other buttons, the Instant Pot will cook your food under high pressure (10.2-11.6 psi) for 10 minutes, heating the water you (hopefully) added to the insert and steaming the food in your steamer basket. If you press “Adjust” after “Steam” to change the setting to “More,” this program will last for 15 minutes, if you adjust it to “Less,” it will only last for three. If you want less pressure, simply press “Pressure,” and the Instant Pot will operate in a range of 5.8-7.2 psi.

What does this all mean? For one, it means that the only difference between the Instant Pot’s “Manual” function and “Steam” function is that the latter has pre-programmed times, which you can also adjust with the “+” and “-” buttons. But in terms of food—which is what we really care about—know that steaming food in the Instant Pot is going to cook it a lot faster. This is fine for heartier vegetables—in fact, it’s extremely helpful—but for more delicate green guys, like broccoli or asparagus, it can be not so great.

For example, steaming broccoli on the stove to a wonderfully tender-crisp place takes about five minutes. To get broccoli that’s not complete mush in the Instant Pot, you have to set the time to zero (0) minutes, and even then I’ve found it comes out a little too cooked for my liking. Also, it ends up taking the Instant Pot longer to come to pressure than it does for me to bring a pot of water to boil and steam it on the stove, so I guess my point is that there is no reason to steam broccoli (or any delicate green veg) in your Instant Pot. (Also, the Instant Pot must remain closed while cooking, which means you cannot monitor the vegetables—a drawback when it comes to a food that is so easily overcooked.)“

Instant Pot Cooking Time Tables https://instantpot.com/instantpot-cooking-time/

Here are some other links: