Not all root crops are afraid of frost and snow

The crop has already been harvested almost completely, the blanks have been made, it remains to enjoy the work done in the country. But not all fall goes so smoothly. For one reason or another, troubles happen when there were already severe frosts, and the vegetables were not removed to the basement. Someone was on vacation, someone was sent on a business trip, someone just hesitated and forgot to cover the bag of carrots on the balcony. Resentment - do you really have to throw away supplies and eat tasteless store-bought vegetables? Do not rush, we will tell you what to do if the carrots are frozen, and you will save your crop completely.

Are vegetables susceptible to frost?

Let's first talk about the fact that not everyone is afraid of frost. Of course, if this temperature is not more than minus 5-7 degrees. Even if you did not have time to remove the vegetables from the garden, this does not mean that all efforts were wasted. Yes, greens, potatoes, peppers will suffer, but carrots, beets may well feel good in the soil. The latter is not afraid of autumn frosts, but only the weather must be dry before this, otherwise the root crops are saturated with water and can be poorly stored in the future. Carrots are dug up as late as possible, since after that it will be much better to lie in the basement.

For information! Do not rush to harvest vegetables early in the fall, because it is during this period that they accumulate a maximum of vitamins.

Frozen carrots are no reason to panic

As you understand, the orange beauty is quite resistant to cold. But you can say - yes, but my crop froze already on the balcony or on the street after it was dug up. Do you really have to throw everything away, because frozen vegetables are unpleasant, watery, have a sweetish aftertaste after processing. Do not rush to conclusions, and even more so do not prepare bags for disposal. Let's rework it.

frozen carrots

Every housewife knows that carrot stocks are easily stored in the freezer - this is very convenient and saves time. You can immediately mix the grated root crop with onions or even prepare a roast. Then you need to get it and put it in a soup or stew. So, why not grind the vegetables from the balcony that the frost grabbed? Then you put them in the freezer and that's it.

Carrots need to be brought in, do not wait for it to warm up, but immediately start peeling. Then grate the vegetables on a grater or in a food processor, blender. In the latter case, the fraction turns out to be a little small, but many housewives do not pay attention to this, because household appliances save a lot of time, especially for mothers.

On a note! After freezing, vegetables do not need to be thawed, but immediately sent for frying. Together with carrots and onions, you can store chopped peppers, garlic, horseradish, greens, asparagus in the freezer.

vegetable dressing

If there are too many carrots to grind and keep everything in the freezer, then you can make blanks. You might say that the canning season has passed, but you can make borscht dressing. Again, you will save your frozen carrots, and save time in the future on cooking.

We will need:

• carrots - 1 kg;
• beets - 3 kg;
• cabbage - 2 kg;
• peppercorns - 6 pieces;
• salt - you can take sea salt - 2 tablespoons;
• onion - 1 kg;
• vegetable oil - a glass;
• garlic - 2 heads;
• bay leaf - 2-3 pieces;
• vinegar - concentration 9% - 3/4 cup;
• sugar - at will and taste.

We're getting ready to ship.

We take out our carrots that are frozen on the balcony, immediately clean and grate. We also do with beets, we also chop cabbage. Peel the onion and cut into half rings. We send all the vegetables to the pan, pour olive or sunflower oil, simmer until boiling and wait 10 minutes after. Next, pour in our vinegar, add spices as desired, granulated sugar, salt, put pepper. We simmer the appetizer for 45 minutes, twist it into sterile jars.

Advice! If the carrots are very frozen, there is frost, then first let it cool in the refrigerator, but not at room temperature.

We hope we have answered the question of what to do if the carrots are frozen, and now you will not be upset because of this trouble. For next year, follow the forecast in advance, wrap the bags on the balcony more tightly.

Two simple ways can completely save the entire frozen crop. Of course, not everyone has a freezer to store a large amount of carrots, but it’s really possible for everyone to make a dressing. This is better than wasting energy in vain, growing a crop, and then throwing vegetables away.

How to freeze carrots for the winter and is it worth it? Undoubtedly, it is worth it, because this blank can immediately solve two important tasks. The first is cost savings: in winter, carrots are expensive, and the price is constantly growing, as are the appetites of the owners of outlets. And root crops bought in the fall are poorly stored, rot and wither. While frozen - they are perfectly stored in the freezer for several months and even longer if you got good quality root vegetables and a suitable variety for freezing. Not very juicy carrots are best stored.

The second task is even more practical: you will save time. However, let's talk about everything in order.

Is it possible to freeze carrots for the winter

It is possible and necessary! Freezing carrots is a great way to keep them fresh for a long time, avoiding dubious harvesting methods like stewing in a large amount of oil and then storing them with the addition of vinegar.

If you freeze carrots yourself, then you will be 100% sure of the quality and safety of the product. In addition, you can make blanks for different dishes, which will save time and effort in the future. How long you can store frozen carrots depends on the equipment and packaging. The best option is a separate refrigerator with a deep freeze of products. Such equipment (with special bags for freezing) will ensure the freshness and usefulness of carrots for the whole year. If you use the freezer and do not mess with the bags, then it will be stored for up to 9 months.

Training

It is important to take fresh carrots, and it is better only from the garden. Root crops should be selected without damage and not rotten. If you can't freeze it right away, put fresh carrots in the fridge until you have time to do it. Do not use old, overripe carrots for freezing, nothing good will come of it.

Choose medium-sized fruits. Small ones are also suitable, but they lose their taste when frozen. It's best not to use the big one.

Before freezing, you need to clean the carrots well from dirt. Wash it and thinly trim the top layer. Then cut the carrots however you like. If the carrots are small, you can freeze the whole. It is recommended to think in advance how many different cuts you will need during the year, and make preparations according to the plan: for soups, borscht, stews, saltwort, various types of vegetable caviar, pilaf and other dishes that make up your usual menu.

Prepare enough hot water to cover all the carrots. You can divide into portions and make bookmarks in several approaches. The main thing is that the water is only from the fire. You will also need plenty of cold water with ice.

blanching

The composition of carrots includes enzymes and bacteria that negatively affect nutrients, as well as changing the color and taste of the vegetable. You can get rid of this problem by treating the carrots with hot water to kill the "bad" bacteria and stop the enzymes from working. Boil whole carrots for 5 minutes, and chopped carrots for 2 minutes.

Start the countdown as soon as you put the carrots in the water. Then close the pot with a lid and boil over high heat. In this water, you can boil carrots several more times. If you want to freeze carrots for soups, borscht and other dishes, then boil whole carrots, and after cooling, grate and pack, as will be described later.

Cooling

After blanching, remove carrots from boiling water and dip into ice water. The water should completely cover the carrots. Keep the vegetables in the water for as long as they were boiled. We take out the cooled carrots and let it dry.

pre-freeze

In order for the pieces of carrots not to stick together when frozen, you can use this simple trick. Arrange the pieces separately from each other on a wooden board and place in the freezer for several hours. If the pieces stick to the board, just scrape them off with a spatula.

Package

For freezing, use containers or plastic bags (preferably vacuum). It is better not to take glassware, as it can burst.
Leave a few inches of space when using a container, as the vegetables will expand when frozen.

If you are using a bag, it is recommended to blow out as much air as possible. Therefore, it is better to use a vacuum bag. But if you do not have it, there is one way that will help you. Fill with cold water and lower the bag to the brim. Close it carefully to prevent water from getting into the bag and you're done. The trick is that the water presses on the edges of the bag and squeezes out the air from the inside.

Frozen carrots are just as delicious as fresh ones. No one will feel the difference, and you can save a few precious minutes when preparing your next dinner or lunch. After all, to add carrots to the dish, it will be enough to get a bag out of the freezer!

I advise you to definitely freeze carrots for the winter, especially since now you know how to do it.

If you want to save your time to a large extent, we recommend that you pay attention to various “cold” carrot blanks. We offer you to get acquainted with the most popular options for freezing this vegetable crop.

How to prepare carrots for freezing?

Rinse the vegetables thoroughly under cold running water, peel, cut off the ends. Also, do not forget to sterilize carrots in order to protect them from the development of mold and decay. To do this, pour over the peeled root crops with boiling water, and then immediately lower them into ice water, which must be poured into a separate container. Next, lay the carrot on a paper towel, letting it dry. Then cut in any way and send to the freezer.

Suitable cookware

Freezing carrots in the freezer involves storing them in various containers. The most suitable for this type of conservation are:

• plastic containers;
• plastic bags;
• ice molds;
• vacuum bags with a zipper.

When using plastic containers, remember to leave a little empty space from the product to the lid (1-2 cm), as vegetables expand when frozen and will need more space.

This root crop can be stored in the freezer for 3-4 months at a temperature of -18-23 C. It is not recommended to go beyond this limit, in order to avoid loss of taste and useful properties.

Freezing methods

ringlets

Cut the pre-scalded carrots into thin rings (wheels). Lay out on a wooden board, letting dry a little for 20-30 minutes. Transfer to the appropriate container, then put in the freezer.

On a grater

Take a medium grater. Rub the blanched vegetable on it. Place the resulting mass on a paper towel so that excess moisture evaporates. Arrange the product in several bags in small portions. After all, in this way you can carry out partial defrosting for the preparation of one dish.

Cubes

Pour boiling water over the root crop. Cut it into neat strips, turning them into small cubes 5-6 mm thick. Place the workpiece in the selected container. Remove to freezer.

Puree

Pour the peeled vegetable with cold water. Put on a slow fire and cook for 20-25 minutes until completely softened. When ready, take a blender and bring the root crop to a puree state. Cool down. Transfer to a container. Send to the freezer. Carrots cooked in this form can be stored for 1-2 months.

in ice cubes

Pour boiling water over the root crop. Let it cool down a bit. Grind in a blender. Divide into ice cube trays. Pour in olive, linseed or sunflower oil. Place in the freezer. Such cubes can be added to various soups, gravies and sauces.

Frozen Carrot Recipes

Vegetable salad

You will need:

• carrots - 300 gr.;
• beets - 200 gr.;
• red beans - 3 tablespoons;
• salt - to taste;
• olive oil - 1 tbsp.

Put the grated frozen carrots on a paper towel - let it thaw a little. Boil the beets, cool, rub on a fine grater. Mix all ingredients. Top with olive oil. Salt to taste.

Chicken soup

Take:

• carrots - 100 gr.;
• chicken breast - 1 pc.;
• potatoes - 3 pcs.;
• onions - 1 pc.;
• salt - to taste.

Warm the diced carrots in a frying pan along with onions chopped in half rings. Boil chicken breast. Send the potatoes to the prepared broth. After boiling, put vegetables and meat in a saucepan. Cook for another 10-15 minutes. Salt to taste.

Carrot cake

Ingredients:

• carrot puree - 300 gr.;
• chicken eggs - 3 pcs.;
• flour - 1 cup;
• granulated sugar - ½ cup;
• dough baking powder - 1 sachet;
• kefir - 150 ml;
• salt - to taste.

Beat eggs with sugar using a blender. Add flour, kefir and baking powder. Stir again. Spread out carrot puree. Salt to taste. Mix thoroughly. Preheat the oven to 200 C. Lubricate the baking dish with butter. Lay out the dough. Bake for 20-30 minutes. As a decoration, you can sprinkle with powdered sugar.

baked carrots

You will need:

• carrots - 400 gr.;
• garlic - 3 cloves;
• basil - 1 bunch;
• salt - to taste.

Chop fresh basil. Grate the garlic. Line a baking dish with parchment paper and brush with olive oil. Lay out the sliced ​​carrots. Season with garlic and basil. Salt. Put the dishes in a preheated oven to 180 C for 30-40 minutes.

Soup puree

You need to take:

• carrot puree - 500 gr.;
• onions - 1 pc.;
• garlic - 3 cloves;
• cream - 1 glass;
• salt - to taste;
• cheese - 200 gr.

Fry the onion along with the garlic. Add to carrot puree. Fill with cream. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Salt. At the end sprinkle with grated cheese.

There are several easy ways to freeze carrots, each of which has been detailed in our article. Also, especially for you, we have selected delicious and healthy recipes based on this vegetable. Bon Appetit!

Winter is winter, and no one has canceled borscht. We have already written a lot about how to freeze a variety of vegetables, berries and fruits. And we almost forgot about the most important thing. Fixing it!

If we discard jokes, then beets and carrots can be counted even in winter. These root vegetables tolerate storage well and are available fresh until new harvest. But are they really that useful? Freezing will allow you to save not only fiber and water in beets and carrots, but also a little more vitamins, minerals and other useful substances. Well, it will save you some time.

Freezing beets

Freezing carrots: circles

For soup, stew or other dish in which orange circles can appear not only with all the benefits, but also in all their glory. For the convenience of subsequent cooking, it is important to cut the carrots into slices of the same thickness, ideally 2-3 mm. To further facilitate cooking, it is better to blanch the vegetable. Yes, and the color will be brighter.

1. Cut the washed carrots.

2. Boil water in a large saucepan. Pour cold water into another container, add ice if possible.

3. Dip carrots in boiling water and blanch for 2-3 minutes. Then take it out and immediately put it in cold water. Let cool completely.

4. Remove carrots from cold water, spread on paper towel, let dry completely. Pack into bags or containers, place in the freezer for storage.

Freezing grated carrots

The general advice for freezing any vegetables and fruits is to do it in batches. Grated carrots, which will make excellent ones in winter, or may be an exception. If you put it in a freezer bag so that the layer thickness is 2-3 cm, it will be easy to break off a piece of the required size from such a “briquette”.

You can cheat a little and push the grooves on the packed blank with the edge of your palm, dividing it into several parts. Then it will be even easier to break off, and this is important: the less the bag of carrots stays outside the freezer, the better. Re-freezing such products is contraindicated, this is one of the main ones. By the way, grated beets can also be frozen in the same way.

1. Grate the washed carrots on a medium grater.

2. Pack into bags and send to the freezer for storage.

According to statistics, in winter a person goes to the store less often, buys less food. And all because in winter, products prepared since summer are used. These are marinades, compotes, preserves, jams, salads. And most importantly, frozen fruits and vegetables. Buying them at the height of the summer season, we spend pennies on them than if we took them in the winter. In addition, frozen fruits and vegetables do not lose their beneficial properties - they completely retain all vitamins and minerals. Today we’ll talk about carrots - how to properly prepare them for freezing, in what form to freeze them and how to safely defrost this vegetable.

The benefits of carrots for the human body

Carrots are carotene, which is so necessary for a growing body. That is why carrots are rightfully considered a vegetable for high growth. But in order for this carotene to be well absorbed, it must be taken together with vegetable oil. The perfect combination is a salad of vegetables with carrots, seasoned with a spoonful of sunflower oil.

Carrots are incredibly beneficial for eye health. It contains a lot of vitamin A, the deficiency of which can cause night blindness in a person. For diabetics, boiled carrots are useful, even more than raw ones. Red carrots reduce cholesterol levels in the blood, strengthen the walls of blood vessels - making them more elastic. Red carrots are high in potassium, which is good for the heart.

And carrots are coarse dietary fibers that are not completely processed, swell in the intestines and, like a big stiff brush, clean out all unnecessary and stagnant feces. This is an excellent remedy for constipation. In addition, carrots absorb all toxins and slags, cleansing the body completely.

Carrots are not only eaten - they are used externally. Carrot gruel perfectly heals wounds and ulcers, relieves inflammation and redness. And masks with grated carrots are rightfully considered the best against aging and sagging skin.

Why Freeze Carrots

Indeed, why, if it is on sale all year round? As noted above, the first reason is the economy. In winter, vegetables, including carrots, are much more expensive. In addition, you do not know in what conditions they were stored. Often, the manufacturer treats root crops with chemical compounds so that they do not deteriorate and look good for a long time. Giving an artificial gloss to carrots, the seller deprives them of their useful properties. Such root crops can be not only useless, but also dangerous - you don’t know how they were stored and how they were processed.

The second reason to freeze carrots is to save time. Now you will not need to peel the carrots every time, wash them, cut them into the right pieces. Now you can simply take it out and add the right amount of the finished purified product to the finished dish. Quite tempting, isn't it?

In general, carrots, of course, can be stored fresh. In this case, it must be placed in a cool basement or glazed balcony. It is important to choose the right temperature so that the carrots do not freeze and rot. It is also necessary to take into account the humidity of the room so that the fruits do not dry out and become moldy. Keep in mind that if it gets too warm, carrots will start to grow, giving away all their nutritional juices to useless sprouts. In a city apartment, it is unlikely that anyone will find a clean, dark basement with optimal humidity and temperature. That is why it is much more convenient to freeze carrots - you took care of it once and forgot about the storage problem. It remains only to get the carrots out of the freezer as needed and use it for its intended purpose.

For freezing, you need to take fresh root crops, it is better if they come from the garden. If you freeze carrots from the market, you can verify their freshness by looking at the tops - if they are green and not withered - the carrots were harvested very recently. It is best to freeze spring carrots - they are juicier and sweeter.

1. Root crops should be washed and dried thoroughly. Wet carrots will stick together, and it will be difficult to take in the right amount if you freeze everything in one container.
2. Young carrots can not be peeled - its skin is very delicate and thin. Ripe carrots should be peeled.
3. Now sit down and think about what you are cooking with carrots. The form of cutting this vegetable depends on this. Often, carrots are used in different dishes, and therefore cut in different ways. Cut some carrots into strips - it is suitable for pilaf, make carrot circles - they will work when you cook roast. Diced carrots can be used to add to soup. For borscht, carrots can be grated. Want to save time? Mix grated carrots with beets and add these blanks to borscht in winter.
4. If you want to save even more time, carrots can be blanched before freezing. In this case, the carrots will be almost ready - they will cook much faster when added to the dish. Dip the chopped carrots in boiling water for 3 minutes, and then transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Such a temperature difference will not allow the vegetable to turn into porridge - the slices will remain intact. Then drain the vegetables in a colander to drain excess water.
5. Now the carrots should be packaged. You can break the vegetables into several bags - one with straws, another with grated carrots, the third with circles. However, in this case, with each preparation, you will have to pick out the right amount of vegetable, and put the rest back in the refrigerator. Such temperature fluctuations have a bad effect on the benefits of the product, so it is better to freeze carrots in portions. Pack all carrots into small bags so that only one serving is needed for one dish. By the way, it is convenient to freeze grated carrots with beets for borscht in muffin tins. When the vegetables are frozen, they can simply be transferred to a bag.
6. Such carrots can be stored for up to a year. But don't freeze too much, just enough to last until the next harvest.
7. Carrots do not need to be defrosted. Just take the bag you want out of the freezer and toss it into a dish.

This is a simple algorithm for freezing carrots that will save you time and money.

How to freeze boiled carrots

Carrots can be frozen in any form - boiled, stewed, fried. Boiled carrots are most often frozen by young mothers who have small children. Carrots are an excellent complementary food, but children eat little. You won’t boil half a carrot each time, will you? To save time, we will freeze boiled carrots. Pour water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. There should be little water so that it slightly covers the root crops. Salt for cooking is not added (if the carrot is intended for a child). Dip the carrots in boiling water and cook for 20-30 minutes until fully cooked. When the vegetables become soft, they need to be taken out, cooled and peeled.

Vegetables are cut into several parts and divided into bags so that only one serving is thawed at a time. In order not to lose the benefit of the product, it must be thawed correctly. Transfer the carrot portion from the freezer to the refrigerator shelf and leave it there for several hours until it is completely thawed. And only then put the carrots in the microwave and heat to the desired temperature. If you defrost carrots immediately in the microwave, a sharp temperature drop will kill all the vitamins, the vegetable will become useless. After warming the boiled carrot, it must be kneaded, if desired, add a drop of vegetable oil. Not a single little one will refuse such a tasty and healthy treat.

Remember, you can not re-freeze carrots. And yet, when you put the carrots in the freezer for storage, tightly tie the neck of the bag so that the vegetable does not absorb extraneous odors.

Carrots are a unique root crop. It is added to soups, hot dishes, salads and marinades. Not a single winter salad can do without carrots, it is needed for sauerkraut. Moreover, delicious desserts and jams are prepared from carrots - in Europe, it is generally considered not a vegetable, but a fruit. Even young tops of carrots are used - they are added to various snacks and salads. Eat carrots in various forms, chew them raw, freeze them. And then your dishes will always be decorated with bright slices of juicy carrots!

Video: harvesting carrots for the winter