Sustainability made simple

How to Freeze Cauliflower 2 Ways

how to freeze cauliflower
Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / www_slon_pics

Cauliflower is a wonderfully versatile food, but what to do if you have too much? We’ll show you how to freeze cauliflower in two ways so that you can enjoy it at any time.

Cauliflower is highly nutritious and easy to source. You can even grow cauliflower yourself. It is a flavorsome vegetable that can be enjoyed on its own or as an addition to many varied recipes (read on for some suggestions). Don’t forget to use the edible leaves! Loaded with vitamin C, vitamin B-6, antioxidants, and fiber, this staple food can be used fresh or frozen. To reduce food waste, it’s worth knowing how to freeze cauliflower. We’ll show you two different ways to do it, so you’ll always have this tasty vegetable on hand.

How to Freeze Cauliflower: Blanching

 Learn how to freeze cauliflower with this quick and easy method.
Learn how to freeze cauliflower with this quick and easy method. (Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / congerdesign)

With a pan, water, and a few minutes of your time, you can easily prepare cauliflower florets for freezing. Here’s how:

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  2. Chop the cauliflower or tear off the individual florets.
  3. Add the florets to the water and blanch for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Place the florets in cold water to chill for a couple of minutes.
  5. Drain and pat the florets dry.
  6. Place the florets on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze for 2 hours.
  7. Place into reusable or biodegradable freezer bags (available on Amazon**), and place back in the freezer.

Your frozen cauliflower will keep for up to 3 months.

The Cauliflower Rice Option

Cauliflower rice can add a new dimension to your meal.
Cauliflower rice can add a new dimension to your meal. (Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / Engin_Akyurt)

For this option, we make the cauliflower rice prior to freezing. Once this work is done, it’s super easy to use.

  1. Slice, chop, or tear the cauliflower into florets or pieces.
  2. Wash the cauliflower.
  3. Add the pieces/florets to a food processor and shred for a few seconds. Don’t overdo this part of the process, or your rice may turn to mash.
  4. Spoon into a reusable or biodegradable freezer bag, remove as much of the air as you can, and freeze.

Frozen cauliflower rice will keep for up to 3 months.

Tip: To make sure that you use your cauliflower up while it’s still good, label the freezer bags with the date.

How to Use Your Frozen Cauliflower

Getting creative with cauliflower.
Getting creative with cauliflower. (Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / guvo59)

Frozen cauliflower can be defrosted or used straight from the freezer. For example, you could try one of these 8 different ways to cook cauliflower. Alternatively, you could try your hand at one of these tasty creations:

Knowing how to freeze food is an important part of a move toward a more sustainable and less wasteful future, and it means we get the most out of our harvest and budget.

Read more:

** Links to retailers marked with ** or underlined orange are partially partner links: If you buy here, you actively support Utopia.org, because we will receive a small part of the sales proceeds. More info.

Do you like this post?

Thank you very much for voting!

Tags: