How to Prepare Shredded Carrots for Freezing

Freezing shredded carrots works best with young, fresh carrots. By properly preparing them, shredded carrots keep up to a year in the freezer without considerable changes in taste. The key to freezing shredded carrots, as with most fresh vegetables, is blanching them first. This process is necessary to stop certain internal enzyme activity that gradually breaks down the carrots' nutrient content, flavor, color and texture. Conveniently, you can cook frozen carrots without thawing them. Shredded carrots, being so thin and small, thaw quickly. Just throw them right into your pot or pan as you cook.

Step 1.

Fill a medium saucepan 2/3 of the way with cold water. Bring it to a boil over high heat.

Step 2.

Fill a second, larger saucepan 2/3 of the way with ice water. Keep it in the sink.

Step 3.

Blanch the shredded carrots by dumping them into the boiling water. Keep them in there for two minutes after the water returns to a boil, as the University of New Mexico Extension advises.

Step 4.

Drain the shredded carrots in a colander and pour them immediately into the pot of ice water to stop them from cooking further. Press the colander down into the pot to keep the pieces submerged. Weight the colander down or hold it in place, soaking the shredded carrots for another two minutes to match the blanching time.

Step 5.

Pour the shredded carrots back into the colander and drain them again. Put them on paper towels and pat them dry thoroughly. Transfer them onto dry paper towels and refrigerate them for 30 minutes so they fully dry and stay chilled prior to freezing.

Step 6.

Put the blanched and dried shredded carrots into an airtight freezer container or freezer bag. Refrain from filling either to the top. Close the container. Press out the air as you seal a freezer bag. Stop before it is completely sealed, insert a straw, and suck out the rest of the air. Finish sealing the bag quickly.

Step 7.

Place the shredded carrots in the quick-freeze section of the freezer if it has one. Otherwise, leave space around the package to maximize cold-air circulation and minimize freezing time.

Things You Will Need

• Medium saucepan

• Large saucepan

• Colander

• Paper towels

• Freezer container or bag

• Straw