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Urban Farming. Healthy Living.

How to Freeze Root Vegetables

Published: January 9, 2014 | Last Updated: December 10, 2021 19 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission.

How to Freeze Root Vegetables

You’ve harvested your turnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, rutabagas, and parsnips from your garden, now you’ve only got one problem.

How to preserve them?

This year we did okay with our carrots, but our turnips went crazy! We have turnips coming out our ears! Mmmm, I love me some turnips. They’re the perfect addition to any stew. They’re like potatoes, but with a slightly sweet flavor. Unfortunately, I’m the only one in my family with a fondness for turnips. 

how to freeze root vegetables

So, what to do with all this lovely harvest of turnips until I can get around to eating every last one?

How to Freeze Root Vegetables

When it comes to preserving vegetables, there are a couple different ways to go about it. You can freeze them, can them, or dehydrate them. Some people have success with storing their root vegetables in a cool, dry place. This usually involves building a small root cellar.

While all of these methods are great, freezing your root vegetables is definitely the fastest method. It’s really simple. Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: You must first wash and peel your root vegetable. (This is a great step for kids to do!)

How to Freeze Root Vegetables

Step 2: Dice your root vegetables into 1-inch cubes

how to freeze root vegetables

Step 3: You need to bring a pot of water to a boil. The reason we’re doing this is because we’re going to blanch the root vegetables to prepare them for freezing. Don’t skip this step!

Blanching (scalding vegetables in boiling water or steam for a short time) is a must for almost all vegetables to be frozen. It stops enzyme actions which can cause loss of flavor, color and texture. Blanching cleanses the surface of dirt and organisms, brightens the color and helps retard loss of vitamins. It also wilts or softens vegetables and makes them easier to pack.

Blanching time is crucial and varies with the vegetable and size. Underblanching stimulates the activity of enzymes and is worse than no blanching. Overblanching causes loss of flavor, color, vitamins and minerals. Use one gallon water per pound of prepared vegetables. Put the vegetable in a blanching basket and lower into vigorously boiling water. Place a lid on the blancher. The water should return to boiling within 1 minute, or you are using too much vegetable for the amount of boiling water. Start counting blanching time as soon as the water returns to a boil. Keep heat high for the time given in the directions for the vegetable you are freezing. (source)

Blanching Times:

For Turnips, Parsnips and Carrots = 1 inch cubes need a 2 minute blanching time
For Potatoes = 1 inch cubes need a 4 minute blanching time

Step 4: After blanching, remove from the boiling water and place them right into a bowl of ice water.
Step 5: After a few minutes in the ice water, transfer your root vegetables to a towel to dry. 

how to freeze root vegetables

Step 4: Lightly pat the root vegetables dry, then transfer to a freezer ready plastic bag or a vacuum packed bag. I used our handy dandy Foodsaver . 

Step 4: After blanching, remove from the boiling water and place them right onto a towel to dry.

That’s it! Now your root vegetables should be able to be stored in your freezer for up to 9 months in a regular freezer bag, and up to 14 months in a vacuum packed freezer bag!

TIP – To avoid rubbery root vegetables make sure to start with fresh root vegetables and be sure to not over cook them while blanching! 

 

How to Freeze Root Vegetables

How to Freeze Root Vegetables

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ABOUT DANELLE

DaNelle started to take an interest in a healthier lifestyle after suffering from two debilitating chronic diseases. On a mission to create a farm of her own, DaNelle forced, or rather 'lovingly persuaded' her husband to purchase a ranch home on an acre of land and transform it into their very own urban farm. DaNelle blogs at Weed 'em & Reap where she writes about the sustainable backyard farming, traditional food, & natural remedies.

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Comments

  1. Monica Sebring says

    September 19, 2020 at 9:37 am

    Hey! Love the site! Parsnips are some of my favorites, too! I like to roast them with shallots and herbs or puree them into starchy soups or as a healthy saucy addition to meals. Keep up the good work and keep playing with your food! Cheers!

    Reply
  2. Fernando Morientes says

    September 26, 2016 at 7:45 pm

    I appreciate checking your web site. Thanks a lot!

    Reply
  3. Judi newlands says

    October 18, 2015 at 9:02 am

    Thank you for info very helpful. Judi

    Reply
  4. Karen says

    July 15, 2015 at 12:42 pm

    This is so good to know!! I’m looking forward to trying this this fall when I harvest our millions of potatoes! Thank you!!!

    Reply
  5. PRSMITH says

    December 2, 2014 at 8:20 am

    How does one freeze anything when living off-grid? I live in the deep South, no root cellars here.

    Reply
  6. rocio says

    October 30, 2014 at 11:36 am

    What recipes can I do with this potatoes? bake-fried-boil-etc…?

    Reply
  7. Tina says

    October 7, 2014 at 10:01 am

    I tried freezing potatoes but they turned black. I did not blanch them and they were shredded instead of cubes. Do you know why they turned black?

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      October 26, 2014 at 9:35 pm

      Hi Tina,

      You do have to blanch first in order to maintain the color and flavor:)

      Reply
      • Molly says

        March 11, 2015 at 8:32 am

        They turned black because they were in contact with the air for too long, not because of not blanching. Also, potatoes that are frozen even if they are blanched will be mushy when used.

  8. Kimberly says

    January 13, 2014 at 4:03 pm

    Your link for the NEW YEAR NEW YOU summit gives the dates as January 15-19, 2014. When I click on the link, it says January 20-24, 2014. Another website showed January 13-17, 2014. I’m very confused. I signed up, but haven’t received any emails showing me when to go where. Any ideas?

    Thanks, Kimberly

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      January 14, 2014 at 1:49 am

      Hi Kimberly, sorry for the confusion. The Summit had to be pushed back because of the storms across the country and power outages. The correct dates are January 20-24th. I’ve changed all my ads so they’re correct now:)

      Reply

Trackbacks

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  2. 66 Survival Tips and hacks (Ultimate Guide List) | Survival programs says:
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    […] So, what to do with all this lovely harvest of turnips until I can get around to eating every last one? Read More… […]

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I'm DaNelle. I'm a city girl who convinced her husband to buy goats. Because, goats. Growing my own food has been an amazing experience, and this is the place I share it all with you! READ MORE…

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