Can You Freeze Carrots?

Wondering if you can freeze carrots? Preserving this crunchy vegetable in the freezer works: here’s how to do it!

Got carrots on hand and not sure what to do with them? Often recipes will call for just a few carrots, leaving the remaining bag in your refrigerator for days. Of course, the best easy way to use up carrots is to cut them into sticks for dipping in hummus or ranch, or shred them up into a crunchy carrot salad. But if you can’t get to them in time…does the freezer work? Here’s what to know.

Can you freeze carrots?

Carrots freeze well: the flavor of the vegetable is preserved during the process. However, the texture does become softer after thawing. For this reason, you’ll want to use frozen carrots only in cooked dishes like sautés, soups, and stews, not raw in salads or as sticks. You can use chopped frozen carrots right in cooked dishes without thawing them.

How long do carrots last in the refrigerator?

Before you go to the trouble of freezing, consider making your carrots last longer in the refrigerator! Get a paper towel wet and wrap it around the carrots. Then place them in a plastic bag or sealed container in the drawer in your refrigerator. Stored properly, raw carrots can last 2 to 3 weeks refrigerated.

If you’d like to preserve carrots beyond that point, you can freeze them for 3 to 6 months. Keep in mind that you’ll need to blanch them in boiling water before freezing.

How to freeze carrots

The best way to save those carrots before they go bad? First, try them in recipes like a big batch of carrot ginger soup, a simple carrot salad, a carrot smoothie or even carrot juice. But if you don’t think you can use them in time, they work frozen too.

The best way to freeze carrots? Chop and blanch them first. It might seem like an unnecessary step, but it’s worth it here! Blanching is boiling vegetables until they’re just crisp tender. It helps to keep vegetables colorful while frozen by locking in a bright color, and makes them last longer by stopping the natural enzyme activity that deteriorates their texture, color, and flavor.

Here’s how to freeze carrots:

1. Slice the carrots into rounds or dice them.
2. Blanch the carrots: Prepare a large pot of boiling water. Add the carrots and boil for 2 minutes, until just tender.
3. Rinse the carrots under cold water until cool to the touch.
4. Pat the carrots dry. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then place the carrots in a single layer. Flash freeze for 1 hour.
5. Transfer to an airtight container or sealable freezer-safe bag. If using a bag, use a straw to suck any remaining air out of the bag and seal it. Mark a “Use by” date 3 months in the future.
6. Place in the freezer and freeze for 3 to 6 months.

Tips for how to use frozen carrots

Frozen carrots can be used right from the freezer in cooked dishes: no need to defrost before using them! Here are a few tips:

• Use frozen carrots only in cooked dishes, like soups, stews, and braises. Don’t eat frozen carrots raw in salads or as crudite sticks, because the texture is much softer after freezing.
• Frozen carrots can be added right to cooked dishes: no defrosting is required. The carrots may release more moisture than fresh carrots when cooking, so they may need an extra minute or two when sauteing.
• Use within 3 to 6 months. The flavor can degrade the longer the carrots are frozen. For best results, use the carrots within 3 months.

More ways to use up carrots

In some cases, it’s easier to make a recipe with leftover carrots than to go to the trouble of blanching them, flash freezing them on a baking sheet, and then transferring them to long-term storage. Here are a few of our top carrot recipes for using up leftovers of this crunchy vegetable when it’s raw:

• Try Perfect Sauteed Carrots or Honey Glazed Carrots (adjust the cooking time and taste test often)
• Make Carrot Cake Cookies, Carrot Cake Cupcakes or Carrot Cake Muffins
• Make Easy Roasted Carrots
• Go for crunchy Simple Carrot Salad
• Opt for flavorful Carrot Ginger Soup

Freezing other vegetables & fruits

And that’s it! It’s easy to freeze carrots, but they do lose some of their signature crunchy texture. All veggies, fruits and dairy products hold up differently in the freezer. Here’s what to know about others:

• Try freezing other veggies and fruits like broccoli, onions, celery, cabbage, green beans, zucchini, corn, potatoes, avocados, tomatoes, strawberries, peaches, blueberries or bananas
• Learn how to freeze dairy products, like cheese, milk, sour cream, ricotta, yogurt, butter, cream cheese, cottage cheese and mozzarella
• Try freezing whole grains like rice

01

Can You Freeze Celery?

02

Can You Freeze Onions?

03

Can You Freeze Cabbage?

04

Can You Freeze Cheese?

Print