Guide to Blanching Carrots: How to Blanch Carrots in 6 Steps

Blanching vegetables involves cooking them quickly in generously salted, boiling water to draw out their vibrant flavors and colors. The dull color you often see in raw green vegetables occurs because of the layer of gas that exists between the pigment and the skin. Blanching them releases that gas, allowing the pigment to reach the surface of the vegetable. If you overcook a vegetable, its acids and enzymes escape, and the pigment seeps into the water. This process dulls the color. Cooking time is crucial when blanching as your vegetables can go from bright to dull and overcooked very quickly.

Blanching carrots helps preserve their vibrant color and prepare them for the freezer. Follow these steps to properly blanch carrots.

1. 1. Thoroughly wash the carrots. Wash fresh carrots under cold running water, scrubbing them thoroughly to move any surface dirt. If you’re working with whole carrots, remove the green tops. Though peeling is not necessary, you can choose to use a vegetable peeler to remove the outer layer of the carrot.
2. 2. Cut the carrots. With the exception of baby carrots, blanching whole carrots will take longer and be more difficult to ensure that the carrots are cooked evenly. Instead, use a sharp knife, mandolin, or food processor to dice or evenly cut carrot slices.
3. 3. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Before you start the blanching process, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes. You will need to add carrots to the ice water immediately after they're done cooking.
4. 4. Boil water. Fill a large pot with sixteen cups of water and one to two tablespoons of salt. Place the pot on the stove over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Add four cups of raw carrots to the pot of boiling water. Set a timer for three minutes for sliced carrots or five minutes for whole baby carrots.
   
5. 5. Let the carrots cool. Remove the cooked carrots from the pot with a slotted spoon, and immediately add them to the ice bath to stop them from cooking.
6. 6. Drain and dry the carrots. Once they’ve cooled down, remove the carrots from the ice bath, drain them in a colander, and place them in a single layer on top of paper towels. Pat the carrots with additional paper towels or a clean dish rag to get them as dry as possible.

Freezing carrots is a great way to preserve them for future use in carrot recipes such as stews, casseroles, and side dishes. To freeze carrots, follow these steps.

1. 1. Place the cooked carrots on a baking sheet. Once you've blanched your carrots, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. 2. Place the sheet in the freezer. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for two to five hours, or until the carrots are frozen solid.
3. 3. Transfer the carrots to freezer bags. Place the flash-frozen carrots in freezer bags, squeezing out as much air as possible before sealing. Vacuum sealing is recommended.
4. 4. Return the bags to the freezer. Once your freezer bags are filled and adequately sealed, return the bags to the freezer. Frozen carrots will last up to twelve months.

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