Harvesting, Blanching and Freezing Carrots

I have pulled a number of the Carrot Eskimo this week and will be blanching and freezing a couple of batches at least as I have far more than required for now. Most are lovely long thick straight roots but there are naturally a few slightly wonky ones, one that is three for the price of one and naturally one with a willy, there is always one with a willy for the annual rude carrot picture on social media see below. 

Carrot Eskimo were new to me this year and they have grown and cropped well, and I am happy to report those that I have eaten so far have been very tasty. There are a number of ways you can store Carrots, the most basic being keeping in the ground until needed; as the name suggests this particular variety apparently resists splitting and retains its flavour throughout the autumn and winter if left in the ground according to the marketing blurb - I will be testing that by leaving a few where they are. 

Blanching and Freezing Carrots 

Prepare the carrots by washing them thoroughly, you do not need to peel them but you can, it’s up to you, dry the carrots and slice into the desired shape; I tend to go with the good old straight forward ½-inch circular slices. Drop the carrots into the boiling water and blanch for around 3-5 minutes, depending on how think your slices are, remove from the pan and plunge immediately into ice cold water to stop the cooking process. After a few minutes drain and pat dry with a tea-towel or kitchen roll. As with Berries it is best to arrange your carrots on a tray and freeze for an hour or two until each slice is frozen, this will avoid the carrots sticking together and you freezing one big ball of carrots! You can now place your individual frozen carrots into a freezer bag of your choice, please do try and use the re-useable and compostable ones if you can, remove any excess air before sealing and pop into the freezer to be used as and when required. They are best used within twelve-months. 

Cheers 🍺