Can I Freeze Raw Carrots

[Samuraisan]

I am going away for 10 days and I have a load of lovely carrots in the fridge. Does anyone know if I can freer them. Seems a shame to chuck them out.

[Tilly2]

They will still be ok if you leave them in the fridge. Frozen carrots are rubbery, I think.

[pastafreak]

Blanch them. 5 minutes in boiling water should do the trick. Slice if you have the time.

[pastafreak]

We get HUGE amounts donated. All are chopped,blanched,frozen...and never rubbery. And I hate frozen veg,but these are always good.

[Tilly2]

Does blanching them stop them going rubbery then, pasta?

[pastafreak]

I'm not sure about that,Tilly,so I had a Google. Apparently it means they were old,or cooked too long.

[hc4361]

I do. Peel and chop them, bag in portions and freeze.
They need less cooking time, I find.

[Samuraisan]

Thanks all. I will give it a go. I shall blanch one batch and not the other ( duly labeled) and see which the better way.

[Tilly2]

I find, if I buy a bag of frozen mixed veg, that the carrots are always rubbery and chewy. The other veg, peas, sweetcorn, green beans etc are always ok. I have never actually frozen any myself.

[eanceoil]

it would be better blanch veg before freezing as it locks in the freshness, a bit like searing meat before cooking

[Jackdaw33]

Sprouts are the worst. I detest frozen sprouts but adore freshly boiled ones. I can tell the difference a mile away.

[alavahalf]

Often finding myself with a glut of carrots as I grow my own. What I do is peel and chop the carrots and then using a pot of boiling water, blanch the carrots for about a minute.
Remove them and rinse under cold water. Pat them dry with a tea towel and lay them on a tray before freezing. Make sure you loosen them on the tray after an hour or so. This will stop them sticking together, before you store them in an airtight bags.
Works every time ... we are still eating last years crop.

[pastafreak]

"How to freeze carrots"... take note of point 5...it explains the purpose of blànching.
http://www.pickyourown.org/carrotsfreezing.htm