How To: Freeze Carrots

Learn how to freeze carrots. It sounds simple but there are a few tips and tricks that can help make something as easy as freezing carrots even easier! Freezing carrots is a great way to preserve their freshness and nutritious benefits. | cravethegood.com

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 15

Ingredients

2 lb fresh carrots

Instructions

Place a steam basket in a large heavy-bottomed pot and add water to just below the level of the basket. Cover and place over medium-high heat to bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, scrub carrots under cool running water. Peel with a vegetable peeler, if desired - see section below for more information.
Slice carrots into rounds or dice into cubes. I like to go with about a 1/2" cube or 1/4-1/2" slice.
Once the pot reaches a boil, carefully transfer diced or sliced carrots into the steam basket and process for 3-4 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl by filling it with cold water and ice.
Transfer the blanched carrots from the steam basket into the ice bath. Allow carrots to cool completely in the ice bath.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooled carrots from the ice bath to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread in a single layer and place in the freezer for 2-4 hours or until completely frozen.
Transfer frozen carrots to zip-lock-style freezer bags or airtight containers and remove as much air as possible before sealing the bag. Label the bags and return them to the freezer for long-term storage. Alternatively, use a slotted spoon to scoop the chilled carrots directly into a vacuum seal bag and seal them in portion-sized bags.

Notes

is blanching necessary?

Do you NEED to blanch carrots before freezing? No. They'll freeze without the added step, but the quality of the carrots will suffer; visually, flavor-wise, and nutrient-wise. I highly recommend taking a couple of extra minutes to ensure your efforts result in the highest quality end result.

There are 2 ways to blanch carrots (or any vegetable):

Steam blanching: Place a steaming basket in a large pot of water, add an inch of water, and bring it to a boil. Once steaming, add the prepared carrots to the steam basket, cover, and steam blanch for 3-4 minutes.

Water blanching: Fill a large pot with water. Bring to a boil. Add the carrots to the boiling water and boil the prepared carrots for 2 minutes.

is peeling necessary?

Most resources indicate that you should peel your carrots prior to freezing, but I'm a bit of a rebel. I prefer to peel store-bought carrots but I do not peel carrots that have come from my own garden.

When I use my own carrots, they are fresh from the garden and the skin hasn't had time to dry or thicken, while store-bought carrots tend to have tougher skin that I peel off.

If you're not peeling, give the carrots a really good scrub under cool running water to remove soil, debris, and bacteria before slicing and blanching.

Batch:

There is no limit to how many carrots you can freeze using this method, aside from your available freezer space! That said, diced carrots take up less space than sliced or whole ones!

Storage:

Keep your frozen carrots in for up to a year, although they'll likely be best within 6 months, especially if you're using a ziploc bag.

If you're placing portion sizes in a vacuum seal bag, you'll be able to keep your frozen carrots for well over a year without any degradation in quality or risk of freezer burn.