Those tasty honey-glazed carrots left over from Sunday dinner were too good to throw away. You might wonder if you could freeze them and enjoy them another day. Sadly, you cannot freeze most carrot dishes because if they were cooked to a soft consistency, they will turn to mush when you thaw them. However, you can freeze blanched carrots. Blanching is the process of quickly cooking the carrots in boiling water and then cooling them. Blanching stops the action of enzymes that cause the carrots to discolor and become soft while thawing, so you should always blanch raw carrots before you freeze them.
Peel the carrots using a vegetable peeler and cut off the ends. Cut large carrots in half. Rinse the carrots under cool water.
Heat the water in the saucepan over high heat until it boils. Place the blanching basket over the pot.
Place the carrots in the basket and blanch them for five minutes, covered.
Drain the water from the carrots and run them under cold water or place them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. For best results, cool the carrots for five minutes. Blanched vegetables should be cooled for the same amount of time they were blanched.
Dry the carrots with a paper towel and place them in freezer bags. Carrots can be frozen for up to six months in a small freezer and for up to one year in a deep freezer.
Tips
When you are ready to use your carrots, thaw them in the refrigerator. Do not place them in warm or hot water or allow them to thaw at room temperature or they will thaw too quickly and lose their crisp texture.
