Is it possible to freeze carrots and how to do it correctly

Freezing carrots for the winter in the freezer is no worse than traditional storage methods. This way the amount of nutrients is preserved for many months. It doesn’t matter whether the vegetable is fresh or boiled. Plus it's very convenient. There are many step-by-step recipes and videos on how to make blanks. Depending on the purpose, the root vegetable can be cut into pieces, grated, or stored whole. The ready-made semi-finished product is suitable for feeding a child and for preparing all kinds of dishes (for example, vinaigrette).

How to freeze carrots for the winter in the freezer in pieces

One of the workpiece options involves preliminary heat treatment. Under the influence of high temperature, pathogenic microorganisms die and enzymes are neutralized, which lead to an acceleration of the decay process.

Ingredients:

• carrot;
• vegetable oil for frying.

Step-by-step recipe with photos:

1. Cut the peeled carrots into pieces. To ensure they cook evenly, try to make them the same size.

2. Pour a small amount of vegetable oil into the pan. Once it has warmed up, add the chopped carrots and salt them.

3. Fry the vegetable with the lid closed. To avoid burning, remember to stir occasionally. There is no need to bring the carrots to full readiness, as they will soften during freezing. It should turn out slightly damp.

4. Drain the vegetable in a colander and give it time to cool. Pack it up.

5. When adding the preparation to salads, use less mayonnaise than usual, since it itself is quite fatty. Fried carrots reveal themselves well in meat dishes and Olivier dishes.

Attention! Any vegetable oil that does not have a pronounced odor is suitable for frying, but if olive oil is available, it is better to give preference to it. It has a high smoke point and does not emit harmful substances during heating.

The benefits and harms of frozen carrots

It is incredibly beneficial for vision. But in addition to carotenes, it contains many other vitamins. Dozens of minerals are present. If frozen correctly, up to 80-90% of valuable elements are preserved. Even storing carrots in a cellar or a cold pit at a temperature of +1 degree does not guarantee this.

Useful properties of frozen carrots:

• increases immunity;
• strengthens teeth;
• contains antioxidants;
• improves the functioning of the nervous system;
• improves vision;

• source of important substances;
• cleanses the kidneys;
• strengthens the heart muscle;
• has a positive effect on blood composition.

How do you freeze carrots?

Raw Boiled

The product will cause harm if you have a duodenal ulcer. It should not be consumed raw in case of gastrointestinal diseases in the acute stage or inflammatory processes in the small intestine. Another contraindication is hemorrhoids.

Carrots can be frozen whole, grated, or pureed for the winter. Prepare raw, fried, boiled vegetables. Shelf life 9-12 months.

How to properly freeze grated carrots

Freezing grated root vegetables is one of the most popular options, because it has several important advantages. Grating carrots is much faster than chopping them in the same volumes. This preparation is more compact, so it can be stored even in small freezers. Subsequently, it can be used to prepare soups, stews, pies and many other dishes.

Step by step recipe:

1. Peel the pre-washed carrots and rinse in clean water. Then let it dry.
2. Grind the root vegetable in a food processor using a grater (coarse or fine).
3. Pack the preparations into portions and place them in the freezer.
4. After an hour, stir it thoroughly. This way it will turn out crumbly and will be easier to take out.

Attention!

If during the chopping process it turns out that the carrots are very juicy, prepare something from them immediately and do not leave them for storage. Otherwise, when frozen, all the juice will come out of it, and you will get carrot ice and dry cake.

Defrosting and using the product

Frozen carrots are often added to hot dishes, then thawing is not required. Defrost for baking, some snacks, salads. The correct method is to place it on the refrigerator shelf. If you need to speed up the process, fill the package with cold water. You can use a special microwave oven mode.

Options for using the workpiece:

• raw grated carrots, pieces. Used in first and second courses, casseroles, for minced meat, filling;
• boiled carrots. A ready-made ingredient for salads, sauces, and can be added to casseroles;

• fried frozen. Sautéing is added to soups, stews, gravies, and minced meat. Used for casseroles, some appetizers, salads;
• puree. In addition to baby food, it is used in cream soups, sauces, and smoothies.

Frozen vegetable mixtures with carrots are stewed, baked, and used for stuffing poultry. This is an excellent basis for light soups and national dishes. The only point is that we do not recommend adding greens right away. It's better to freeze separately.

Is it worth freezing whole carrots?

Small specimens that are approximately the same size can be frozen whole. The disadvantage of such preparations is that they take a long time to thaw. In addition, this type of freezing requires a lot of space. However, if you have a large freezer, this should not be a problem. Root vegetables that have cracks and grooves are not suitable for storage. When frozen, moisture will rise to the surface and turn into ice, making cooking more difficult.

Vegetable selection and preparation

You should not freeze overripe, too large, or stale carrots. Also, very young, small specimens are not suitable. They didn’t have time to gain taste or stock up on vitamins. We choose a medium-ripe vegetable. It is advisable to harvest immediately after harvest. We do not let the product lose its juices or wither.

Preparation instructions:

1. We wash the root vegetables from the soil. If necessary, soak, let the dirt come off, and brush over the surface.
2. Cleaning it up. Some housewives prefer to leave the skin on homemade carrots. But it's better to freeze without it. At the same time, cut off the tails and ends. Checking the core. We remove specimens with green insides.
3. Next, the carrots need to be cut, grated, sometimes boiled, and subjected to other methods of heat treatment. Depends on the recipe.

You can freeze illiquid goods. Chopped, cracked, crooked carrots work great. We just cut off all the damage immediately. It is important to make sure there is no rot or dark spots.

Recipe for freezing carrots to feed a child

From the moment of birth, the baby receives all the components necessary for life and development from the mother's breast milk or artificial formula. By 4-6 months of life, the body begins to need more nutrients. The transition to more adult foods should be made gradually, carefully observing the child’s reaction. Pediatricians consider carrot puree an excellent option. It does not provoke bowel dysfunction or flatulence, and is also easy to digest.

Shelf life

How long frozen orange root vegetables will retain their quality depends on the container and freezer. It is best to store carrots in an insulated freezer with a deep freeze function. This chamber guarantees the freshness of vegetables throughout the whole year. In a regular freezer, carrots can be stored for 7-9 months. It is recommended to keep it in a closed container to protect it from foreign odors.

Interesting! The California town of Holtville hosts a week-long Carrot Festival every February. During the week, participants choose a "carrot queen", hold a carrot parade, cook the best dishes using the orange root vegetable, and also participate in sports competitions using carrots as equipment.

The ideal storage temperature for frozen carrots is -18...-23°C. At this temperature, bacteria and pests die and natural wilting slows down.

Tips and warnings

I would like to add the following to the tips listed above:

• 
  The key to delicious frozen carrot dishes in winter is choosing the right variety in the fall;

  Read also:  Tomato Unique Kulchitsky: description and characteristics of the variety, cultivation and care with photos
• thoroughly peel the fruit;
• freezing carrots should happen quickly, for this it is recommended to reduce the temperature in the freezer to -35 degrees, and then return to the usual mode from -18 to -25;
• be sure to dry the already chopped vegetable well on paper or regular towels;
• Do not focus only on freezing, use other storage methods, including classic ones.

During normal storage, carrots cannot be washed; on the contrary, fruits with adhering soil are better preserved (details on whether carrots should be washed before storage are discussed here). Never use carrots that have a moldy odor for freezing , even if it appears to be due to storage in the cellar!

It is possible that some fruits have rotted from the inside; such carrots may not be damaged in appearance, but their use in cooking can lead to food poisoning.

Suitable container

While the vegetables are drying, you can choose a container for freezing.

These could be:

• small plastic trays (containers);
• disposable cups;
• special bags designed for storing frozen products;
• molds for ice or baking (for mashed potatoes or grated carrots);
• polyethylene bags with a clasp.

You can also use ordinary plastic bags, but they must be durable and always new. When using a plastic container, remember to leave 1-1.25 cm of empty space up to the lid, since vegetables expand when frozen and need free space.

How to prepare carrots for storage

The preparatory moment is the most crucial

, the shelf life of the vegetable depends on what and how the vegetable is stored.

To avoid mistakes, you should adhere to strict rules

:

1. Never wash vegetables before storing them. The exception is freezing vegetables.
2. Each root crop is carefully inspected, the slightest damage is rejected. It is better to use such root vegetables for preparations.
3. The sorted vegetables are lightly dried in the wind. There is no need to over-dry or keep it in the sun for a long time. In this case, the carrot can be turned over from one side to the other.
4. Store as described above with sand or place in bags.
5. If you use bags, they must be strong and airtight. The bags can be tied or secured with tape.

Cleaning and preparing carrots for storage:

The quality and conditions under which the cultivation took place influence the quality of the food.

. If the season was rainy or it was watered heavily, it may rot.

It happens that purchased vegetables are heavily treated with chemicals - this also affects their preservation.

.

The best varieties for storage: Shantane, Moscow Winter, Vitaminnaya, Karotel.

Storing carrots causes enough trouble for summer residents

. However, without proper conditions, this is difficult to achieve. If you do everything right, it will remain juicy and fresh until the next harvest!

And the preservation of vitamins (after all, everyone knows that winter vitamins sold in supermarkets differ from summer ones in vitamin composition). And there will be constant access to supplies.

We’ll talk further about whether it can be frozen and whether its beneficial properties are lost after defrosting.

carrot fly

How to preserve carrots damaged by carrot flies? The carrot fly is one of those pests that damages root crops even at the stage of their cultivation

. It is a real disaster for all gardeners. Unfortunately, storing root vegetables that are damaged by carrot flies is only possible in processed form.

Sometimes they use a method of removing damaged areas and then keeping vegetables in the air until the area becomes covered with a crust. However, the shelf life of such vegetables will be significantly reduced.

Therefore, it is better to immediately process such root vegetables - drying, drying, or canning. Moreover, modern technology, which is used at home, allows this to be done in the best possible way.

The most popular methods

You can freeze carrots in any convenient way: whole or in parts.

Small root vegetables are usually frozen whole without cutting them into pieces. Large and medium vegetables are frozen:

• In pieces;
• Straws;
• Small blocks;
• In slices.

It is advisable to freeze the root vegetable in portions: in order to always be able to get the required amount of vegetable for preparing breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Freezing grated carrots:

Saving rules

Storing pre-cooked carrots in the freezer has some special features . Let's look at them:

1. Packaging for carrots must be completely sealed. This product absorbs odors very well; if this condition is not met, there is a risk of getting carrots that smell like fish cakes or parsley.
2. To avoid getting a monolith of grated carrots, it is not recommended to compact it too much, thus trying to save space.
3. Each cycle of defrosting and thawing negatively affects the vegetable, it becomes tough and loses all its vitamins, so when defrosting the refrigerator, place the product on the balcony (the possibility of storing carrots on the balcony is described here).
4. The recommended temperature for freezing carrots is from 18 to 25 degrees.

Benefits of freezing

It is customary to store in a basement or other cool place. If certain conditions are met, the vegetable can grow until spring. However, if the temperature is too low or high, it becomes stained, moldy, dries out or freezes. It is especially difficult for those who store carrots in the apartment.

. After all, not everyone has a basement or a balcony equipped for this. That is why the ideal solution in such a situation is frozen carrots, which can be preserved for a long time.

Moreover, it is not at all necessary to have a separate freezer, because all modern refrigerators are equipped with spacious freezers. Therefore, this type of preparation does not require any additional costs or extra effort.

For all housewives, this method of preparation has another big advantage: you don’t need to spend a lot of time. When cooking, just take out the bag and add the required amount of carrots to the dish.

Are vegetable crops afraid of frost?

Let's first talk about the fact that not everyone is afraid of frost. Of course, if the temperature is no more than minus 5-7 degrees. Even if you didn’t have time to remove the vegetables from the garden, this does not mean that all your efforts were wasted. Yes, greens, potatoes, and peppers will suffer, but carrots and beets can thrive in the soil. The latter is not afraid of autumn frosts, but the weather must be dry, otherwise the root crops will become saturated with water and may not be stored well in the future. Carrots are dug up as late as possible, since they will then lie much better in the basement.

For information! There is no need to rush to harvest vegetables early in the fall, because it is during this period that they accumulate maximum vitamins.

How to defrost correctly

Depending on how you plan to use the carrots, you choose the defrosting method. If this is preparing hot dishes - soup or stew, then you can throw it straight from the freezer into the dish and cook it further. The salad requires preliminary defrosting. Place the required amount on a plate and place in the refrigerator, where the carrots will defrost gradually and will not lose their appearance.

We recommend reading about carrot varieties suitable for freezing: Karotel and Chantane.
By spending a little time preparing fresh-frozen carrots, you will make your life much easier in winter and provide your family with healthy and tasty meals. When you take out the next orange bag, you will know exactly what quality and taste the vegetable is there.

Preparing carrots for freezing

The most suitable carrots for freezing will be medium-sized, juicy, bright, without signs of damage or rot.

Small carrots will also work, but the taste and color of the frozen product will not be as bright and rich.

Before freezing, carrots are thoroughly washed and skinned. Then the ends are cut off on both sides of the root crop. Be careful not to freeze any green parts of the plant!