"I have three frozen vegetables that tend to be my go-tos when I'm cooking, including corn, peas, and brussels sprouts. Once an ear of corn is picked, the sugar inside the corn kernels that gives it such buttery sweetness starts to turn into cornstarch. This means that over time, freshly picked corn becomes less sweet and more chalky. Frozen corn, however, doesn't have the same problem and you can rely on sweet corn consistently.
"Sweet peas are another great frozen option, as they're very temperamental and delicate. Buying frozen peas helps maintain a consistent flavor. It might not be as good as fresh peas, but for the home chef, it's far less work than shucking peas — plus, freezing keeps the peas from getting starchy.
"My final frozen pick is brussels sprouts. They are — hands down — my favorite frozen vegetable. So good, in fact, I have debates about why I would ever buy them fresh. They aren't universally usable because they aren't great for salads or frying (two rather popular methods), but for quick-cooking methods like steaming or stir-frying, they are the best.
"The freezing process helps avoid that strong, eggy smell that cooked brussels sprouts can sometimes develop, and the cooking time is cut down significantly ... important for home chefs with real life to contend with."
— Steven Lona, executive chef at Waterbar San Diego