How To Freeze Carrots | BBC Good Food

Freezing carrots is such a great way to avoid waste. It will also make cooking them a little quicker from frozen.

Like most vegetables, if frozen raw, the texture, taste, colour and nutritional value of carrots deteriorates. Make sure you blanch the veg to preserve these elements. Always use carrots that are at the peak of their freshness.

If you really don’t want to blanch carrots ahead of freezing, you must dice or chop them finely, freeze on a tray until solid, then transfer to a labelled resealable freezer bag, expelling any excess air. There will be deterioration as described above and these carrots are best used in cooked dishes within a couple of weeks.

If you're wondering about other ingredients, read our guide on what food you can freeze, from tips on freezer maintenance to labelling.

Basic method for freezing carrots

1. Prepare the carrots by washing them thoroughly, then cut to your preferred shape (slices, cubes, rounds), making sure the sizes are consistent.
2. To blanch the carrots, bring a pan of water to the boil. Have prepared a bowl of iced water and a tray lined with kitchen paper.
3. Pop the carrots into the boiling water and blanch for 3-5 minutes, depending on the size. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into the bowl of iced water and leave for the same time the carrots were blanched, then drain and arrange on the kitchen paper-lined tray.
4. Once drained and patted dry, lay the carrots on a tray and freeze until frozen solid. Then, transfer into labelled resealable freezer bags, ensuring you remove any excess air before sealing. Blanched carrots are best used within a year.

Cooking carrots from frozen

There is no need to defrost frozen carrots before cooking, in fact it is best to cook them from frozen. They can be thrown straight into dishes like stews, casseroles and pasta bakes, or added into a pan of boiling water with pasta for the last few minutes of cooking. Take a look at our best ever carrot recipes for dishes that make this vibrant root veg the star.

Boiling carrots

Pop from frozen directly into salted boiling water for about 5-8 minutes, remembering that the cooking time will be reduced because of the pre-freezing blanching process.

Roasting carrots

You can roast the carrots from frozen. Place on a baking tray, drizzle with a little oil and seasoning and roast at 210C/200C fan/gas 7 for about 10-15 minutes, depending on their size, until cooked all the way through.

Pan-fried carrots

Put a small amount of frozen carrots in a pan with butter on a low heat, stirring often until tender.

Microwaved carrots

Pop the frozen carrots into a microwave-safe dish with a splash of water (about 50ml). Cover with a microwave-safe cover, then blast for 5 minutes on high, until the carrots are tender and cooked through.

Carrot recipe inspiration

Carrot biryani

Prepare and cook this low-calorie veggie feast in just 25 minutes using grated carrot and storecupboard spices. Our simple carrot biryani makes the perfect family supper to alleviate any midweek meal stress.

Creamy carrot soup

Treat yourself to a comforting bowl of creamy carrot soup, topped with crunchy homemade croutons. Whip up this wholesome recipe in just 30 minutes, it's great for an instant veg-packed pick-me-up.

Carrot cake cookies

Our favourite slice of cake in cookie form. These moreish carrot cake cookies use grated carrot, soft cheese, cinnamon and mixed spice to get the characteristic flavours in bite-sized biscuits.

Want more advice on freezing? Read our guides below...

10 freezer essentials and recipe ideasOur freezable recipes collectionHow to freeze applesHow to freeze runner beans

What ingredient do you want more advice on freezing? Leave a comment below...