There are many ways to preserve the crop for future use. The first is the easiest fruit and vegetable storagefresh. But it is applicable to a rather narrow list of fruits and vegetables. Therefore, people have come up with other methods of preservation, in which the products undergo some processing, but thereby extend the possible shelf life. These include pickling, salting, drying and freezing.

Of all these options, freezing is the best way to preserve the nutritional value of products. Most often, housewives and amateur gardeners freeze fruits that cannot be obtained outside the harvest season, or the cost of these products is overpriced at this time. First of all, these are various berries, as well as fruits that cannot be stored fresh for a long time - tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, etc.

And such vegetables that are easy to purchase in stores all year round do not usually freeze. But in vain, since this method of storage is very practical and convenient because you spend a little time on the workpiece, but then it will pay off with interest, so during the preparation of the next dish you just have to get the prepared semi-finished product from the freezer, which is enough to subject it to heat processing.

One of these products is carrots. It would seem that this root crop is perfectly stored in the cellar, and you can buy it at a low price at any time of the year. We can conclude that we should not freeze it. However, experienced housewives, who value their time, are well aware that if you spend half an hour once cleaning and slicing carrots, you can free yourself from these rather troublesome procedures in the future.

And if guests are on the doorstep, then you will certainly appreciate the full charm of this, because you just have to take a bag of shredded frozen carrots  and toss it in the cooking dish. So, what needs to be done in order to freeze carrots for the future. But nothing special - everything is as usual.

Freezing carrots for the winter - recipe

Take carrots, do not forget to check that sick damaged vegetables are not caught.

Peel the top layer from the carrot with a peeler.

Now think about what dishes you will need this carrot for later. If for cooking frying, then grate the root crops on a grater (large or small depends only on your preferences).

When the right amount of carrots has been prepared, take plastic bags (most convenient with a zip lock). Choose the size of the bags so that it fits one serving of carrots, which is necessary for preparing the future dish.

If you have plans for cooking soups, then it is better to cut the carrots into small cubes, which then will look very nice in the broth.

Again, about one carrot in one bag, usually this amount is enough.

If you have a desire to cook stewed vegetables, it would be nice to cut carrots into strips.

Prepared vegetables can save time when cooking. They are made in the season when the fruits are fresh and they have a lot of vitamins. Root crops bought in a store in winter are less useful and nutritious. Therefore, the crop can be frozen and used until spring. Any kind of carrot will do. Vegetables are used to prepare first and second courses, sauces, mashed potatoes, pastries, pancakes. The shape of the pieces can be different, at the request of the hostess.

  How can I freeze chopped carrots?

Not all housewives have the opportunity to store the root crop in the cellar. With long-term storage, mold and rot appear even in a cold place, the product ages, loses vitamins. If you bring the carrots in a warm room, after a while it will fade. Modern technologists allow freezing vegetables, fruits and berries. Freezing in the freezer will help save minutes and hours spent at the stove, as well as money, save all the nutrients and vitamins.

Carrots can be frozen in many ways: chopped, grated, or mashed. Ideal option - freezers and freezers dry freeze. They freeze vegetables faster.

  Product preparation

An important stage, which will save the vegetable for a long time. It is recommended to freeze root crops immediately after harvesting or purchase. If there is no time, they are placed in the refrigerator so that they do not wither. To freeze carrots for the winter, you need to choose high-quality fresh vegetables.

1. 1. It is necessary to take beautiful strong root crops without damage, rot, stains.
2. 2. They are washed, well cleared of dirt and sand.
3. 3. The skin is removed. If the vegetable is young and the surface is smooth, you can not clean it.
4. 4. Before you chop the carrots, cut a slice and try it. Some specimens may be bitter. It is better to remove the green top, it has a herbal flavor.

  Blanching

So that the fruit does not change color and taste, it should be slightly scalded in boiling water for 2-5 minutes (this depends on the size of the vegetable). The product is cut into convenient pieces, the shape depends on which dish will be used for freezing (cubes, straws, cubes, circles). Small can be doused whole.

1. 1. For blanching, you need a pot of boiling water and a container of cold water and ice cubes.
2. 2. Vegetable is boiled in small batches.
3. 3. The boiled pieces are put in ice water to maintain a bright color.
4. 4. Carrots need to be rid of moisture by laying on a dry towel. If this is not done, a lot of ice will form in the freezing tank.

Some housewives first boil the carrots, and then chop. Then the cooking time must be increased: the preparation will take 7-10 minutes. It is important not to overexpose the vegetable in water, as it will still be cooked in a dish.

  Packaging

Prepared pieces are laid out in special vacuum bags for freezing with locks or plastic containers. If there are a lot of blanks, it will be right to sign the package. Glass containers are not used, they can burst due to low temperature, and thin sachets can burst.

Prepackaged carrots are placed in a freezer or freezer. So that the pieces do not freeze, they need to be shaken several times when they freeze.

It is better to divide vegetables into portions suitable for cooking. Root crops are stored at a temperature of -18 - 23 ° C for 6-10 months. With this t, all bacteria die, and the product becomes completely safe. You can make several blanks for dishes according to different recipes.

  Grated carrots and mashed potatoes - what are the nuances of storage?

Grated carrots are frozen fresh, without scalding. It is suitable for making soups, baking.

• Washed and peeled vegetables are grated.
• Divided into portions and laid out in packages.
• It is better to give the packaging a flat shape (2-3 cm), it is easier to store.

The third method of freezing vegetables is used by mothers. Carrot puree is prepared for small children. Take a young carrot: it is tastier and sweeter. It is washed, cleaned, cut into slices and cooked until tender for 30 minutes. Boiled root vegetables are ground in a blender. The mass must be cooled, divided into portions and put in containers with lids.

You can freeze mashed potatoes in ice trays. After freezing, the cubes are transferred to a convenient storage container.

There is also a fourth method - you can fry carrots with onions. Products are washed, cut into suitable pieces and fried in vegetable oil until half-cooked. The workpiece is cooled, laid out in small portions in containers or bags, tightly closed. Home-fried products are used for first and second courses.

  How best to use blanks - 3 rules

Pre-frozen foods cook faster than fresh foods.

1. 1. Mistresses put unfrozen carrots in dishes.
2. 2. Blanched vegetables are added at the very end, raw must be boiled until cooked.
3. 3. Carrot puree is heated in a microwave or on a stove in a saucepan. If necessary, you can add oil, spices, salt, other vegetables.

It is not recommended to defrost workpieces several times. In this case, the taste and shape of the pieces are lost, bitterness appears. All methods of freezing are suitable for any seasonal root crops (carrots, beets, parsley root, parsnips, turnips, celery root). You can freeze them separately or prepare vegetable mixtures: they add sweet pepper, onions, herbs.

How to freeze carrots for the winter there are several ways. But in order to preserve all the valuable properties of the product, you need to know how to do it right. You should prepare the vegetables themselves and the necessary equipment.

Many people wonder if carrots can be frozen and whether beneficial substances are stored in it. If you follow all the rules, then all vitamins are preserved, and the product ground on a grater is easy to add to any dish without wasting time.

The reasons why many housewives prefer to store vegetables in the freezer.

1. Saving money. In winter, vegetables are much more expensive, it is much more pleasant to take an already cooked product from the refrigerator, without leaving home.
2. It is not known in what conditions the product is stored in store conditions. In addition, winter vegetables on the shelves often undergo additional processing for better storage and flavor. Therefore, taking out your carrot from the freezer, you can be sure of its environmental cleanliness.
3. Time saving. Starting cooking, you do not need to spend time on peeling and chopping the vegetable. Is everything ready!
4. It happens that there is no place to store vegetables from your garden. In this case, the freezer comes to the rescue. Not everyone has roomy cellars and cellars (in addition, in these rooms, you also need to maintain the right conditions).

The root crop of small size, dense structure, sweetish taste is suitable for freezing. Carrots can be stored as a whole, or chopped on a grater.

It is not necessary to buy a freezer for storage, many refrigerators have a freezer, in which any vegetables, including carrots, should be stored for a long time. Relocate to a normal refrigerator compartment only when gradual thawing of the product is required.

Preparation rules

Freezing carrots for the winter at home should take place according to all the rules, then all the vitamins will remain intact.

Vegetables must be carefully selected. Do not freeze old rotted root crops eaten by pests. After selection, you need to wash the carrots, clean from dirt and dust, cut off the tips.

The next step is blanching. Prepare two containers of water. In one you need to boil water, in the other pour ice water. Large-sized root vegetables are dipped in boiling water for 4 minutes, small enough to hold for two minutes. After that, vegetables are immediately sent to ice water. Thanks to cold water, the vegetable does not boil completely, it remains fresh and crispy.

Root crops are distributed on a towel and left until completely dry. Clean, dry carrots are cut in any way: cubes, rings and strips. Can be chopped with a grater. It all depends on what dish is intended for cutting.

So that the pieces of vegetables do not freeze to each other, you need to lay them on a regular wooden board in layers and send them to the freezer for 1.5 hours. Then put together in one pile. After this procedure, the vegetable slices will be stored without sticking.

For freezing, it is better not to choose plastic bags and glassware. The first option may break, and the second - crack due to low temperature.

The best choice would be plastic containers. They fill the product, not reaching the edge of 1 cm. You can use vacuum bags that are fastened with paper clips, duct tape or special clips.

It is recommended on each bag or container to indicate the date and time when the product was packaged. Plastic containers and ice storage containers can also serve as containers for freezing the product.

The storage temperature in the freezer for vegetable harvesting is best maintained at below -18 degrees. The higher the temperature, the less frozen food is stored. So, for example, at a temperature of -8 degrees, carrots can be stored for no more than three months.

Ways to freeze

How can you freeze carrots for the winter in the freezer there are several basic and popular ways.

The most common option is to freeze fresh chopped carrots:

• you can put all the crushed mass in one package and curl up with a block, cut off the necessary amount of carrots as necessary;
• you can simply shift the cooked carrots into a large bag, but after two hours in the freezer, you need to shake the bag so that the chopped strips do not freeze to each other;
• you can decompose the vegetable mass in batches.

Option with a preparatory phase involving blanching:

• carrots are cut into separate pieces in arbitrary shape, but the same size;
• all sliced ​​slices are dipped in boiling water for two minutes;
• then the vegetables need to be cooled by placing them in ice water for three minutes;
• spread the pieces on a towel and let them dry;
• vegetables are ready for freezing.

Carrot puree (the option is ideal for those with small children):

• carrots are peeled and cut into slices;
• chopped vegetables pour water and after boiling boil for about 40 minutes;
• cooked root vegetables are kneaded with a fork or chopped with a blender;
• the resulting puree mass is laid out in ice molds or any other small plastic container after final cooling (in order for the puree to cool faster and not to darken, you need to immerse the container with the contents in cold water);
• at a temperature of -18 degrees, the contents of the molds are frozen for three hours;
• then the vegetable cubes are removed from the molds and transferred to bags.

In winter, this puree can be given to young children or added to various cereals and soups during cooking. They dissolve easily and give the dish a pleasant taste.

Roast with onions (you can add other vegetables):

• carrots are peeled and ground on a grater;
• cut onions in small slices;
• chopped vegetables are sent to a pan with butter and stew for about 35 minutes;
• once the vegetables have cooled, you can begin to freeze.

After the slicing is distributed across the containers, it must be tightly closed so that the carrots do not absorb neighboring odors.

Frozen carrot dish, subject to cooking technology, can be stored for about a year. After this time, it is better to harvest fresh vegetables anew.

Defrost rules

Frozen fresh or boiled carrots do not need to be thawed. A sufficient amount of vegetable should be taken from the freezer and added to the dish at the last cooking stage.

If carrots are not supposed to be added to a hot dish, then some rules must be observed in order to preserve valuable components:

• from the freezer, the vegetable is moved to the usual refrigerator compartment so that the product thaws a little;
• then you can start defrosting at room temperature;
• you can not use a microwave for this purpose, since all nutrients disappear.

Before use, it is enough to warm carrot puree or add it in frozen form, for example, to mashed potatoes or soup.

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

If we throw aside jokes, then beets and carrots even in winter can be considered. These root crops tolerate storage well and are available fresh until a new crop. But do they remain so useful? Freezing will save not only fiber and water in beets and carrots, but also a little more vitamins, minerals and other useful substances. Well, save a little time.

Beet freeze

Carrot Freeze: Circles

For soup, stew or other dishes in which orange circles can appear not only with all benefits, but also in all its 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 make cooking even easier, it is better to blanch the vegetable. 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 the carrots in boiling water and blanch for 2-3 minutes. Then remove and immediately immerse in cold water. Allow to cool completely.

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

Frozen grated carrots

The general advice for freezing any vegetables and fruits is to do this in portions. Grated carrots, which will be excellent in winter, may be an exception. If you put it in a bag for freezing 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 edges of the palm on the packed blank of the groove, dividing it into several parts. Then breaking off will be even easier, and this is important: the smaller the bag of carrots is outside the freezer, the better. Repeated freezing of such products is contraindicated, this is one of the main ones. By the way, in the same way you can freeze grated beets.

1.   Grate the washed carrots on a medium grater.

2.   Unpack in bags and send to the freezer for storage.

Sometimes it’s very convenient when there are grated vegetables at hand, which are needed for preparing various dishes. However, the products will not be able to be stored in the refrigerator for a long time, and therefore you should choose the best option for storing the grated vegetables. For this, a freezer is best suited, in which products will retain quality, taste and aroma for as long as possible. To save time, it will be useful to know how to freeze carrots for the winter.

Most vegetables tolerate freezing well and remain fresh for a long time with this storage method. But will they be useful? Freezing allows you to save valuable fiber and other useful elements and minerals in carrots.

The main thing is proper preparation and freezing. And after that it remains only to remove from the freezer, add to any culinary masterpiece, and save a lot of time.

And also there are still significant reasons why you need to give preference to storing vegetables in the freezer:

1. Root crops such as carrots and beets can be considered seasonal. Indeed, in winter in stores, prices for these products are much higher, and the quality is not always satisfactory. Therefore, to save money, it is easier to get ready stock from the freezer.
2. Often vegetables in the winter season are subjected to various treatments to preserve the presentation and the best taste. But if your own carrots are stored in the freezer compartment, then you won’t have to worry about the environmental friendliness of the product.
3. Speed ​​and simplicity. During cooking, you can not waste effort on cleaning and chopping vegetables. It is enough to remove the finished product and add to the dish.

Also, sometimes there is simply not enough space for storing a large stock of vegetables from your garden.

Root selection and preparation

Root crops of medium size and dense structure are suitable for placement in the freezer. Overgrown fruits do not have a sweet taste, often they are too hard. Young root vegetables are sometimes bitter. Vegetables can be kept chopped, chopped, or whole. The root crop, which was only recently harvested from the garden, is better suited.

On vegetables should not be rotten or spoiled impregnations. They can be cooked or sent for freezing in raw form.

Before freezing, the root crop is thoroughly washed, cleaned of dirt and other residues. The tips should be cut off, peeling off the skin with a thin layer. Rinse again under water and dry. You can cut into cubes, ringlets, stripes, grind in a blender. To avoid sticking in the freezer, place the sliced ​​product on a plate and send it to the chamber for an hour and a half. At this time, you can prepare the necessary dishes for freezing.

Required packaging

For storing vegetable preparations in the freezer, it is not recommended to choose ordinary bags or glassware. The bag can break easily, and glass often breaks due to low temperature. The most optimal option are plastic containers. Vacuum bags are also often used, which even better preserve all the taste of the product.

It is advisable on each container to indicate the time when the product was sealed. As suitable dishes, plastic cups or containers for freezing ice can be used.

Ways to freeze carrots for the winter

There are several common ways to freeze carrots at home. You can grind the product using various kitchen appliances. But also simple slicing of the vegetable is allowed. The method of preparation largely depends on the further purpose of using the finished product.

Raw

If you freeze fresh carrots, which were not subjected to heat treatment, you can save valuable and useful substances, including the necessary vitamin A.

How to freeze:

1. The root crop can be grated, curl everything in strips and send to freeze. As needed, a small portion is cut and added to the dish.
2. Cooked carrot slices are stacked in a suitable container and placed in the freezer. After an hour, you should mix them well - so the carrots will not stick together, and it will be convenient to get it.
3. The purified product is displayed in small containers in a container.
4. Send ready carrots to freeze.

Blanched

Often, blanched carrots are stored in the freezer, because this way you can extend the shelf life of a healthy vegetable. How to freeze:

1. Cut the root crop into separate cubes. The shape can be any, but the size is about the same.
2. Put chopped pieces in boiling water for a couple of minutes.
3. Then the boiled product should be cooled and dropped into cold water for a couple of minutes.
4. Move to a board or plate and allow time to dry.
5. Send to the refrigerator for freezing.

Grated

This method is also considered the most simple and affordable. Heat treatment is not required, so the product will be fresh and healthy. How to prepare:

1. Grind the peeled carrots with a grater.
2. Tightly put in bags, pack and flatten.
3. The thickness of the bags, as a rule, does not exceed 4 centimeters - so the root crop will freeze faster, and containers of this shape are more convenient to store, since they take up less space and can easily be placed even in a small freezer.
4. It is not recommended to constantly take out, slightly defrost vegetables and break off the right amount. It is better to send in portions for freezing.

Mashed potatoes

Carrot puree is very easy to use after freezing. It will be enough to warm it up or add to the boiling soup. Such a preparation is rarely used for cooking, but for small children it is an ideal option for preparing a healthy vegetable. How to make a blank:

1. Peel the vegetable, grind it in any convenient way: in cubes or circles.
2. Put in boiling water and cook until soft. It takes no more than 20 minutes.
3. Skip chopped vegetables through a blender or harvester.
4. Cool the resulting mashed potatoes and pack them in suitable containers. Cover tightly and send to the freezer.

Frozen carrots fried with onions

This method of preparation is perfect for making fragrant soups, as they often add frying and onions and carrots. So you do not have to peel vegetables and shred separately. It is enough to remove the vegetable preparation from the freezer and cook the dish. How to make a blank:

1. Wash the root crop thoroughly and remove any dirt. Cut the tops.
2. Grind the prepared vegetable with a grater.
3. Peel the onion, cut into small pieces.
4. Prepared vegetables are placed in a heated frying pan, add sunflower oil and simmer for half an hour.
5. Allow time to cool, place in suitable containers and refrigerate.

After packaging in special containers will need to tightly cover the lid blank. Otherwise, it can absorb other odors.