Carrots are one of the most versatile vegetables and can be used as an ingredient or side for nearly any recipe.
Freezing carrots is a fantastic way to extend longevity and preserve the nutrients of the vegetables for later use.
After a quick and simple process, you will have plenty of frozen carrots to enjoy in soups, stews, and casseroles. Please keep reading to learn how to freeze carrots and enjoy them year-round!
Preparing the Carrots
First things first, pick out the best carrots for freezing.
To do this, look for vegetables that don’t have any blemishes, dark spots, or white spots. Fresh, unblemished carrots are important when freezing vegetables because they can grow bacteria and ruin the entire batch if they have blemishes or spots.
What You’ll Need
You will need to gather a few things before starting the process. You don’t want to be in the middle of preparing the carrots to be frozen and realize you don’t have everything you need nearby.
A vegetable peeler is necessary unless you prefer to leave the skin on the carrots. The peel is harder to remove once the carrot has been frozen and thawed, so we recommend getting the peeling out of the way!
You will also need a cutting board and knife, a slotted spoon, a bowl full of ice water, freezer bags, parchment or wax paper, a baking sheet, and a pot of boiling water.
To Blanch or not to Blanch?
Blanching is the most important part of freezing any vegetable, including carrots. Blanching carrots helps them retain their vibrant color, texture, and flavor while retaining the nutrition of the vegetables and extending their shelf life.
You can freeze carrots without blanching them, but blanched carrots last much longer in the freezer. Carrots that were not blanched before being frozen are good for around three months, while carrots that were blanched can last in the freezer for up to a year!
How to Blanch Carrots
Wash and trim your carrots before peeling them. Cut off the ends of the carrots, as well as any leaves. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from the carrots.
Next, slice the carrots into half-an-inch thick rounds and place them into a pot of boiling water. Let the sliced vegetables blanch in the boiling water for two minutes. Make sure not to overcook them during this process.
Small whole carrots, like baby carrots, can be blanched whole; just extend their cook time to five minutes.
Remove the vegetables from the pot of hot water and transfer them to the bowl full of ice water to stop them from further softening from cooking. Let them sit in the cold water for a minute, and then drain them.
Tips for Freezing Carrots
The best way to freeze carrots for later use is using the flash freezing method, which prevents them from sticking together while freezing.
Flash-freezing carrots is super easy!
Just line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper, place the carrots in a single layer on the baking sheet, and put it in the freezer for a couple of hours.
Make sure the carrots are frozen solid before removing them from the freezer. At this point, you can put them in freezer bags and store them in the freezer for up to a year.
You can also freeze cooked carrots, whether roasted or mashed, for use in a soup or stew. Use freezer bags or freezer-safe containers to store these foods in the freezer. Make sure to leave an inch or two of space at the top of the container for expansion in the freezer.
You can also freeze the mashed carrots in ice cube trays before placing them in the freezer bags. These foods can last for up to three months.
Why Freeze Carrots?
Freezing carrots is a great way to avoid food waste and preserve extra vegetables to use during the winter. Carrots maintain their nutritional value, texture, color, and taste when blanched before freezing.
Freezing these vegetables lets you get the most out of each yield and provides you with garden-fresh carrots year-round.
Whether you harvested a high yield or just bought too many carrots at the market, freezing them is the best way to extend their shelf life by about a year.
Frozen carrots are still flavorful and delicious, and they don’t even need to be thawed out before use most of the time. You can throw frozen carrots directly into soups and stews without changing the cooking time.
Since frozen carrots can be a bit mushier from water retention, you won’t get that signature crunch you’re used to with a fresh carrot. For this reason, they are best used in soups, stews, casseroles, or any other cooked dish that calls for carrots.
Health Benefits of Frozen Carrots
Frozen carrots are full of vitamins and minerals, which were preserved during the blanching process.
They maintain their levels of beta carotene when frozen, which the body turns into vitamin A and promotes healthy vision, a strong immune system, and healthy skin.
They also contain lutein, lycopene, and polyacetylenes, compounds that prevent cancer and promote healthy vision and eyes.
These frozen vegetables are an excellent fiber source, promoting a healthy digestive system. They are also chock full of potassium, biotin, and vitamin b6.
Frozen carrots are a great source of antioxidants, which help prevent the formation of and neutralize the effect of free radicals on the body. Free radicals are naturally formed compounds in the human body that are known to cause cancer.
These vegetables retain most of their nutritional value when frozen, making them ideal for freezing and enjoying later!
Ways to Enjoy Frozen Carrots
There are so many fun ways to enjoy frozen carrots! They can be added to just about any cooked recipe.
Air-Fryer Carrots
The flavor packed into these air-fryer carrots will knock your socks off! Frozen carrots are fantastic for this recipe because the texture is softened a little bit, making them roast well in the air-fryer.
A tasty side dish for any meal, these roasted carrots are super easy to make, with spices and ingredients you probably already have on hand.
Carrot and Celery Soup
This gluten-free carrot and celery soup is sure to hit the spot on a cold winter day. Made with a few simple ingredients, this soup can be ready in as little as half an hour!
This hearty soup is full of nutrients and has the most delicious nutty flavor from the pecan topping.
Savory Beef Stew
Frozen carrots are a delicious addition to this savory beef stew.
Carrots, potatoes, peas, and onions pair with chunks of tender beef and a variety of spices to create a thick and chunky stew that will warm you from the inside out.
This beef stew goes really well with saltine crackers or biscuits!
Wrapping up How to Freeze Carrots
Freezing carrots can help you get the most out of your yield! The vegetables retain their vibrant orange color and their nutritional value after being frozen, making them one of the most popular vegetables to freeze for later use.
If you want to cut down on food waste and extend the shelf life of your carrots by up to a year, try out freezing them!
To learn more about carrots, including how to grow them and enjoy them, visit the carrot page on our website.
- About the Author
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Brittany Tedford is a fiction author who has been writing for over fifteen years, an aspiring English teacher, and a writer for Minneopa Orchards.
She lives in a small town in Mississippi, known for its southern hospitality and success in the agricultural industry.
With a bachelor’s and a master’s in Creative Writing and English, Brittany loves researching and writing about nearly any topic. She hoards random tips and bits of information to share with others!
Brittany can be reached at writerbeefreelancecontent@gmail.com