When preparing a lot of carrots for blanching and freezing, brush off as much dirt as possible, fill an old pillow case with carrots, tie it with string and use the rinse cycle in your washer to clean them...
I have already frozen the carrots but did not blanch them. Are they still safe to eat?
The carrots will be safe to eat, but they may not have quite the same texture after you cook them. I have never frozen them without blanching, but I have frozen shredded carrots for carrot cake, and they are fine. One freezes fruit such as raspberries or strawberries raw. They are perfectly fine to eat.
Louise, Nipawin, SK
Hi,
I just used some carrots I had tossed into the freezer without blanching them. I steamed them, but the texture was tough and rubbery. They were pretty bad. I ended up putting them in the blender and used them to thicken chicken stock for vegetable soup. The soup was wonderful.
Carrots will be safe to eat even after 3 months, my advice on preparing the frozen unblanched carrots is to defrost them, pan fry with a little butter and brown sugar till golden brown. Try this and you will freeze more carrots again. Also try using them in a beef stew (sorry from South Africa).
Do you need to add liquid when freezing carrots?
Carrots should be scalded in boiling water for 3 minutes. Then cool, package, and freeze promptly. No water added.
Before freezing any vegetable, it must be blanched.That means dropped into boiling water for a few minutes, then removed from the boiling water, and chilled. So, wash , peel, and cut the carrots, drop them into a pot of boiling water to blanch, drain off the boiling water, and chill them to stop the cooking that the boiling water started.
Have a large container with ice cubes and cold water ready, and after draining the carrots, put them right into the prepared ice water. If you want these carrots slices so you can use a few at a time, then freeze them on a cookie sheet until they are frozen, remove them, and put into a freezer bag, or container. If you use the cookie sheet, it'll take a time or two to freeze all of your carrot slices.
If you just dump them directly into a freezer bag, or a freezer container, they will freeze into a giant chunk of carrots. And then you'll need to use the whole container for a recipe, because it will be difficult to break the chunk apart. Hope this is helpful. I am sure there is a site somewhere that can explain it better.
How do I freeze grated carrots for future use in a cake? Do I have to blanch them, etc.?
By Nicki from MI
No blanching, just wash and blot dry and peel skin before grating. Premeasure the carrots for recipe before placing in a freezer bag. You might get a bit of natural carrot juice after thawing, but do not drain; use it too.
A Guide to Freezing Carrots. Fresh carrots may lose some of their crisp texture during freezing but will still be good for cooking.
You can blanch grated carrots for further use. Store in an airtight container or a Ziplock bag, because they can get freezer burned.
What is the preparation for freezing carrots?
By AUDREY
Blanch them in hot water for about 2-3 minutes. When cool, transfer to freezer bags and store in freezer.
Ditto with MCW but be sure to drain and pat try well after blanching to reduce freezer burn.
I have received a lot of carrots can they be frozen? If yes, must I cook them first before freezing?
By MJM
Blanch small whole carrots 5 minutes, diced or sliced 2 minutes.
Hi Schyresti. Glad someone else dehydrates, too. You can use them in regular cooking with veggies and powder them an use them for seasoning and thickening. That is with all veggies.
I had a lot of carrots given to me and I would like to freeze them. How long must I blanch them before freezing them if I cut them into 1/4 to 3/8 inch coins for freezing? And how long will they keep?
By Veneta from Flagstaff, AZ