IS IT POSSIBLE TO FREEZE GRATED CARROTS FOR THE WINTER: AS WELL AS TO SAVE THE ROOT VEGETABLE WHOLE OR BOILED?

To maintain health and performance throughout the winter, the human body needs vitamins and trace elements. But there is a problem - in the cold season it is not as easy to get them as in a warm one.

The output can be the consumption of vegetables and fruits that were previously frozen during their ripening. Among them, one of the leaders in the content of nutrients is ordinary carrots. Consider in this article how to store it in the freezer, and accordingly provide yourself with this vegetable and wait for the new harvest.

Features of the structure of the root for conservation

This root vegetable known from childhood is consumed throughout the year because it is rich in vitamins B, PP, C, E, K, as well as carotene, which is metabolized during the passage of the gastrointestinal tract to vitamin A.

IMPORTANT: Carrots are especially useful for people whose work is associated with increased stress on their eyesight. With minor myopia, it will help prevent its further development.

To preserve these valuable vitamins in the root, carefully choose vegetables. Carrots for storage should have the following structure:

To have a high density, the presence of loose areas, even a small area - a reason to refuse to store such a vegetable in favor of its use in the near future.
Not to have grooves and cracks that often appear on carrots in rainy years - with further freezing, excess moisture will act on the surface and turn into ice, which will complicate its preparation.
It is preferable to choose fruits in the form of a cone. They contain the maximum amount of nutrients.
Among the varieties should give preference to the following: "Victoria", "Samson", "Moscow Winter" and "Forto". About what varieties of carrots need to choose for long-term storage, described in detail here.

Is it possible to use the freezer?

The traditional way of storing carrots is considered to be its packaging in boxes or bags, which are located in a dark and cool place, which is usually the cellar. But in the conditions of a city apartment there is usually no such possibility, so you should give preference to its freezing (how to keep carrots in apartment conditions can be found in this article).

Storing carrots in the freezer is a great way to provide yourself with this vegetable for the entire period of cold weather. When frozen in the fruits of carrots saved a large number of nutrientsthat help avoid vitamin deficiency.

For grated

Storing carrots in a grated form is one of the most common methods due to the following advantages:

Grate carrots can be much faster and in large volumes than chopped.
Such carrots are more compact than sliced, which is important for small freezers.
Already grated carrots are very easy to use when cooking a wide variety of dishes:
- soups;
- stew;
- pies.

It will be enough to get a bag with the workpiece and defrost. About grated carrots has a drawback: it often happens that due to strong compaction it can be difficult to divide it into portions. In this case, one has to wait for the minimum softening of the ice crust, which negatively affects the structure of the unused product.

Watch the video about freezing grated carrots for the winter:

Whole

Storing root vegetables in a freezer is entirely possible if the fruits are thin and have approximately the same size for compact placement. Freezing whole carrots requires significantly more space than chopped. This method implies the presence of a large freezer.

The disadvantages also include the long-term defrosting of the vegetable and the difficulty of slicing it, if the dish requires a small amount of it.

For blanched

Storage of boiled carrots is allowed, but it is worth remembering that with this nutrients remains the minimum amount. Typically, this form of preparation is used for the preparation of children's purees and various bakery products filled with carrots.

If you want to freeze the heat-treated product, it is recommended to resort to blanching. This method consists in immersing carrots in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. To quickly extract it using a sieve or drushlag. Hot carrots should be immediately poured with ice water., which will help keep the maximum amount of vitamins in the root.

Watch the video about harvesting blanched carrots for freezing:

How long to store?

When frozen, the carrot loses some of its beneficial properties instantly, followed by a plateau, during which this process goes much slower.

It is believed that Carrots should not be stored in the freezer for more than 9-12 months as a whole and 6-7 - sliced or grated. Remaining after the winter season harvesting is recommended not to store until the next cold. How long the carrots can be stored during storage in different ways, read here.

Vegetable preparation

After selecting root vegetables that are suitable for freezing, follow the instructions:

Wash carrots thoroughly without using detergents; remove adhered dirt with a hard surface of a sponge.
Dry on a towel.
Remove the skin with a knife or a dedicated mechanism.
If you want to freeze grated carrots, use the side of the grater with the largest holes. When using the side for small rubbing there will be a big loss of juice.
Place the carrots in containers or sealed bags.

IMPORTANT: The use of small packages with zip-lock fastener allows you to store carrots in portions necessary for cooking one dish.

Saving rules

Storing pre-cooked carrots in the freezer has some special features.. Consider them:

Packaging for carrots must be completely sealed. This product absorbs odors very well, if you do not comply with this condition, there is a risk to get carrots with the smell of fish cakes or parsley.
In order not to get a monolith from grated carrots, it is not recommended to compact it strongly, thus trying to save space.
Each cycle of defrosting and thawing negatively affects the vegetable, it becomes hard and loses all the vitamins, so when you defrost a refrigerator, place the product on the balcony (the possibility of storing carrots on the balcony is described here).
The recommended temperature for freezing carrots is from 18 to 25 degrees.

Storage in ground form without freezing

In addition to the method discussed above, grated carrots can also be preserved as sharp preparations, canned and dried. It is recommended to resort to them if the crop is too large for storage in the freezer.

Carrots at home can be dried in the oven, but this process requires constant monitoring, since the probability is high instead of tidy orange "chips" to get coal.

If something went wrong?

When freezing carrots, the following difficulties may arise:

Carrots when rubbed was too juicy. In this case, it is better to make juice from it, since freezing the juice on the surface of the pieces will only increase, and you will get 2 separate products: carrot ice and dry cake.
The opposite situation - the chosen vegetable is too hard and you can't call it juicy. The blanching technique discussed in the article will help to correct the situation.
In the middle of winter, you opened a container of carrots and found that it was soaked with smells from the freezer. Most likely, the container or package was not closed tightly enough or has a integrity violation.
TIP: A cloth bag of rice put in a pot will help to get rid of the smell.

Tips and Warnings

To the above tips I want to add the following:

a guarantee of delicious dishes from frozen carrots in the winter - the right choice of variety in the autumn;
clean the skin thoroughly;
freezing carrots should occur quickly, it is recommended to reduce the temperature in the freezer to -35 degrees, and then return to the usual mode from -18 to -25;
Be sure to dry the already sliced vegetables on paper or regular towels;
Do not focus only on freezing, use other storage methods, including classical.

In normal storage, carrots cannot be washed; on the contrary, fruits with adhering soil are better preserved (it is detailed here whether it is necessary to wash carrots in storage). Never use carrots with a mildew smell to freeze., even if it seems that it originated from its storage in the cellar!

Perhaps some of the fruits rotted from the inside, such carrots can apparently not be damaged, but its use in cooking can lead to food poisoning.

Conclusion

Storing carrots in frozen form is a great way to diversify a monotonous winter diet with fresh vegetables (how to keep carrots fresh until spring, it is said in a separate article). In addition to the excellent taste, such dishes will give the body the necessary vitamins and prevent fatigue. Not all varieties of carrots are suitable for storage, and following the recommendations outlined in this article will help avoid unpleasant situations.