Can you freeze carrots?
Yes, you absolutely can freeze carrots. It’s a simple process and it great to have frozen carrots on hand as meal prep for later on.
You do not have to blanch your carrots before you freeze them but it is highly recommended.
Blanching your carrots before you freeze them helps to preserve the nutrients and vitamins that carrots have to offer and also kills bacteria during the boiling process.
It also helps to keep the carrot nice and orange.
Frozen carrots are great to throw into soups or stews right from the freezer. You want to use them in hot dishes as they won’t be crispy like a fresh carrot after they have been frozen.
They should keep in the freezer for 12-18 months.
How to freeze carrots
1. Wash and cut
Wash your carrots under cold water to get off any dirt or bacteria from the vegetables before you cut or peel them.
Cut off both ends of each carrot and peel all of the skin from the carrots. Then you want to cut the carrots into 1-2 inch chunks or however big or small that you are going to want them after they are frozen.
2. Blanch
Bring a pot of water to a boil and then add in your carrots and boil them for 2-3 minutes. You just want to cook them until they are tender, not fully cooked, and soft.
You will finish cooking them when you add them from your freezer into whatever you are cooking at that time.
3. Ice bath
Have a bowl with ice water set up and ready to go. Once your carrots have been in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, strain the pot and add the carrots into the ice bath.
This process stops the carrots from cooking and helps in cooling them down. After about 2-3 minutes in the ice bath, removed the carrots and pat them dry with a paper towel.
4. Flash freeze
Place your carrots onto a baking sheet spaced apart so that they aren’t touching. This is going to prevent them from clumping together in the freezer.
Freeze them for about 3 hours or until they are completely frozen. This is important because if they are still soft and you put them into a bag all together they will freeze together into one big clump.
5. Store
Once they are frozen take the baking sheet out of the freezer and place the carrots into a freezer-safe bag and place them back into the freezer until you need them.
Make sure that you get as much air out of the baggie as possible so that moisture doesn’t condense and create freezer burn on your carrots.
How to Freeze Carrots (5 Easy Steps)
Ingredients
- 8 carrots
Instructions
- Wash and peel your carrots. Then you want to cut off both ends of all of your carrots and cut into 1-2 in chunks.
- Blanch your carrots. Bring a pot of water to a boil. You only need enough water to cover the carrots.Add in your carrots and boil for 2-3 minutes and then strain the water.
- Add them into a bowl of ice water right away to stop the carrots from cooking. This also helps in cooling them.Pat them dry with a paper towel or dishtowel. The drier the better so they don't get freezer burn.
- Place them on a lined baking sheet spaced out so that they are not touching and put the baing sheet into the freezer for about 3 hours or under they are frozen solid.
- Once they are frozen take them off from the baking sheet and into a tightly sealed freezer bag. Make sure to get out as much as possible to prevent freezer burn.
