How to freeze carrots

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

Prepare the carrots by washing them thoroughly, then cut to your preferred shape (slices, cubes, rounds), making sure the sizes are consistent.
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.
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.
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.