Harvest season is always very rewarding as a gardener. One of the largest crops we pull from the garden in the fall is our carrots. For the past few years, we have planted the Tendersweet variety of carrot. We continue to be a huge fan of this variety! We harvest carrots periodically during the summer to use in various recipes, but we harvest the large majority of them after a hard frost.
Immediately after picking, remove the greens and keep in a cool place if you are unable to wash and process them the same day. If it will be more than a day or two, put in sealed bags in the fridge. If they are left out for too long they will lose some of their moisture and become “rubbery.”
Wash all of your carrots and scrub with a rough or slightly abrasive new, clean kitchen sponge. I do this instead of peeling each carrot because scrubbing is quicker, easier, and wastes less of the carrot.
Next, cut off each end of the carrot. Chop or slice carrots however you prefer. While you are chopping, bring a large pot of water with a little bit of salt to a boil. You will also need to prepare an ice cold water bath by putting very cold water and ice into a large bowl.
In small batches, boil the carrots based on how they are sliced. For whole carrots, boil for 5 minutes. For sliced carrots, boil for 2 minutes. After boiling, use a slotted spoon to transfer carrots into ice bath to immediately stop the carrot from cooking. Allow to cool in ice bath for a couple of minutes.
Using slotted spoon, transfer the cooled carrots onto a towel and allow to dry for 15-20 minutes. Then place in a single layer on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Place in freezer for a couple of hours to “flash freeze.”
Transfer frozen carrots into a freezer bag or seal with a vacuum sealer in desired portions.
To reheat and complete the cooking of the carrots, add to any recipe as you would other frozen carrots or boil/steam until carrots reach desired “doneness.” I like to steam my sliced carrots (shown above) for about 5 minutes straight from the freezer, then I stir in a little butter and brown sugar 🙂
Good luck and enjoy! 🙂
Life on Lady Slipper Lane 