Quick Answer: Can You Freeze Brussel Sprouts
Yes, you can freeze Brussel sprouts, with no worries for up to even 12 months! There are a number of ways to do it; you can freeze the sprouts after or before blanching, after roasting or even when chopped, depending on whichever method is most convenient and suitable for you. But the bottom line is, Brussel sprouts freeze beautifully!
This comprehensive guide has been put together with the aim of helping you in freezing Brussel sprouts in the best way!
I have put it together thanks to time-tested personal experience, added to hours’ worth of intensive research into expert opinion.
Read on to find out! Let’s get right into the first method!
How to Freeze Brussel Sprouts
Blanching is a fairly easy process that is especially helpful when you are freezing different vegetables, and specifically food like Brussel sprouts.
It essentially stops the cooking process before they get fully cooked, prepping them for freezing.
Materials
- Knife/hatchet
- Cutting board
- Bowl of ice
Tools
- Baking sheet
- Airtight freezer bags
Instructions
- Prep the sprouts – Be sure to trim and clean your Brussel sprouts to prep them before blanching and then freezing. Wash them thoroughly and make sure they are totally dry.
It works best when you steam the sprouts as opposed to fully boiling them.
Also remember that to fight off insects, you can soak the Brussel sprouts in a bowl of cold water, adding a tablespoon of salt. This will bring and keep out bugs. - Cook the sprouts – Next, cook the sprouts in a pot with water. For smaller sprouts, 2 to 3 minutes should do; for larger ones, go with at least 4 to 5 minutes.
Check with a fork, then drain the sprouts in a colander. - Transfer to ice bath to blanch – Transfer the cooked Brussel sprouts immediately to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. This is essentially what ‘blanching’ consists of.
Cool off the sprouts, and then spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet, with adequate space left between each sprout. - Flash freeze - Transfer the baking sheet into the freezer. They should be kept to freeze depending on the size; to be safe, you could just keep them overnight.
Put into freezer bags and freeze - Once frozen hard enough, transfer the Brussel sprouts into airtight resealable freezer bags and label them with the storage date to be safe. They are ready to freeze!
Freezing Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Time Taken: 2-3 hours
What You Need:
- Knife/hatchet
- Cutting board
- Vegetable brush
- Baking/roasting pan
- Foil
This method is also time-tested and very efficient! It works best when you are freezing leftover roasted Brussel sprouts, but you can otherwise also roast them first to freeze them.
Roasted Brussel sprouts freeze great as well.
Prep the sprouts
Again, be sure to trim and clean your Brussel sprouts to prep them before blanching and then freezing.
Wash them thoroughly and make sure they are totally dry. You can obviously skip this step if you are freezing leftovers.
Roast the Brussel sprouts
Roast the sprouts in the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. (200 Celsius/Gas 6).
Arrange the sprouts in a baking or roasting pan that has a large rim. Add 1 cup of water to a depth of about half an inch.
Cover the pan tightly and securely with foil.
Roast the sprouts for around 45 minutes, to an hour, depending on the size you are working with, or just roast until tender. You can use the fork trick again.
Cool off the sprouts, and then spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet, with adequate space left between each sprout.
Flash freeze
Transfer the baking sheet into the freezer. They should be kept to freeze depending on the size; to be safe, you could just keep them overnight.
Put into freezer bags and freeze
Once frozen hard enough, transfer the roasted Brussel sprouts into airtight resealable freezer bags and label them with the storage date to make sure that you do not end up keeping the sprouts in the freezer indefinitely.
Your roasted Brussel sprouts are ready to freeze, and can be kept in freezer storage for up to 8 to 12 months!
Freezing Chopped Brussel Sprouts
Time Taken: 10-15 minutes
What You Need:
- Knife/hatchet
- Cutting board
- Vegetable peeler
- Airtight freezer bags
You can also freeze Brussel sprouts raw if and when chopped up into small pieces.
This way of freezing sprouts works best when you are doing so for soups. Chopped sprouts do not require blanching to be frozen.
Prep the sprouts
Again, be sure to trim and clean your Brussel sprouts to prep them before blanching and then freezing.
Wash them thoroughly and make sure they are totally dry. You can obviously skip this step if you are freezing leftovers.
Because you will be freezing the Brussel sprouts raw in this method, it is worth it to take some added precautions.
Make sure you choose only the best sprouts to freeze, and make sure they are completely free of bugs. The salt and water trick described previously should help.
Additionally, make sure the sprouts are completely dry after washing before you move on to chop and freeze them.
Chop the Brussel sprouts into desired sizes
Use a knife and chop the sprouts carefully into the sizes you want. It is a good idea to consult the specific recipe you are following (if you are) but otherwise, cut them carefully and appropriately.
Transfer into freezer bags and freeze
Transfer the chopped sprouts into airtight freezer bags. Seal them very tightly and securely after squeezing out all the excess air.
Sealing the bags carefully is very important to make sure the sprouts freeze well.Label them.
They are ready to freeze! Be sure to use up the raw chopped Brussel sprouts within no more than a couple of months,
In case you need further help, especially in the form of a visual guide, you can also go through this step-by-step guide:
How to Freeze Brussel Sprout Leaves and Greens
Time Taken: 15-20 minutes
What You Need:
- Knife/hatchet
- Cutting board
- Airtight freezer bags
Brussel sprout greens, despite having to be removed when you are freezing the actual beet vegetables, whether blanched, roasted, or chopped, are still an essential part of it and are not just edible but also quite tasty.
Whether it be for a breakfast smoothie or any other recipe, freezing the sprout greens is a great, highly beneficial idea.
The greens can be frozen, both blanched as well as raw, but experience and research say raw is the better option; it saves time and effort. Read on to find out how.
Wash and cut the greens
The greens that have been cut off from the sprouts have to be washed thoroughly and rigorously.
Cut all the leaves and greens into small pieces. This is essential as it stops the enzyme action in the leaves before you freeze.
Skipping this step and freezing the greens anyway leads to high chances of loss of texture, color, and even flavor.
Transfer into freezer bags and freeze
Transfer the greens into airtight freezer bags. Squeeze out all the air possible, so there is no exposure. Seal the bags tightly and carefully and label them. They are ready to freeze!
You can check out this very interesting guide on creative ways to use and consume Brussel sprout leaves and greens:
How Long Can You Freeze Brussel Sprouts?
Brussel sprouts, if frozen carefully following the right methods with the right steps and all the instructions carefully, can be kept in freezer storage for up to 8 months and even beyond, till 12 months!
This is great news, therefore, for people who love this wonder veggie – full of nutrients and health benefits! You can have it throughout the year whenever you want and in any recipe of your choice.
Freezing, therefore, prolongs the shelf life of Brussel sprouts significantly. However, it is best to consume them within a year of freezing, not longer.
How to Store Frozen Brussel Sprouts?
As described, sprouts can be frozen after blanching or roasting and then flash-freezing, or raw and chopped. For all the processes and methods prescribed here, using heavy-duty, airtight, resealable, freezer-friendly bags and pouches is a must.
And they need to be sealed really well. A vacuum sealer is actually a great investment for this purpose, especially if you freeze food often. It would help get all the air out.
Keep in mind always that Brussel sprouts, despite usually freezing very well, would not hold up well in freezer storage at all if you do not prep and store them correctly.
So, follow all the instructions given here carefully to ensure the best possible preservation of your sprouts.
How to Defrost Frozen Brussel sprouts?
In the case of frozen blanched Brussel sprouts, you can simply reheat them and use them again; or run under cold water. In the case of roasted sprouts, you can reheat them in an oven as described.
Usually, the most highly recommended method to properly thaw out frozen Brussel sprouts and make them into the best condition for using is to transfer the freezer bag with the sprouts in it from the freezer to the fridge and let to defrost overnight, or over a few hours.
It is also an option to run the frozen Brussel sprouts (while still in the freezer bags) under cold water.
They do not take too long to thaw completely and are completely safe to cook once there are no ice crystals anymore.
In the case of roasted Brussel sprouts, you can reheat them in the oven, sprinkled with some seasoning of your choice for about 20 minutes, or in a covered dish in the microwave, for around 4 to 5 minutes.
Know that it is highly advised to use frozen Brussel sprouts only in cooked dishes, etc., where their texture does not come too much into consideration.
In some cases, you can also use the frozen Brussel sprouts directly into the recipe. However, be sure to remember to adjust the cooking times as it may take a few extra minutes to cook the frozen sprouts.
Can You Re-freeze Frozen Brussel Sprouts?
Refreezing Brussel sprouts is not recommended at all. Freezing once would be hard enough on the texture; to thaw them and then freeze again only to defrost again would simply ruin the texture of the sprouts and make them inedible and unusable.
Avoid refreezing at all costs; once thawed, serve immediately and try to eat up all of it the first time around, and do not refreeze any leftovers.
In case you do end up with leftovers, it is bets to discard them as there are high chances of them not being fit to be eaten anymore.
There is very likely to be a degradation in the flavor, texture and quality of the vegetable and its freshness if you refreeze, owing to how more moisture will be drawn out.
Do Brussel Sprouts Freeze Well?
Brussel sprouts, like most other vegetables, do indeed freeze fairly well. If the proper steps and the proper methods are followed, and the sealing is done tightly and securely, the sprouts can stay in freezer storage to up to 10, even 12 months.
Freezing Brussel sprouts can make them last indefinitely. However, do note that spoilage and even the loss of nutrients can only be stalled and never entirely stopped.
So, it is always advised that you eat up the Brussel sprouts within not more than a year from freezing.
FAQs
As with all frozen foods, it is important that you check carefully for signs of spoilage before consuming them.
In the case of sprouts, their firmness is usually the first indicator. If the sprouts feel way too soft for comfort, the chances are that they have gone bad and are not suitable for consumption anymore. Other indicators include smell and taste.
Not always. Brussel sprouts can be frozen both raw as well as blanched. Our research says that cutting and blanching sprouts prior to freezing helps to preserve their texture significantly; which usually gets affected a lot given the high-water content of vegetables like sprouts.
If you are looking to freeze sprouts for not beyond, say, a month or two, you can simply freeze them raw in the method described above. However, blanching does indeed come of a lot of use when freezing for long-term.
Brussel sprouts have a fairly decent shelf life when kept in the fridge. Provided they are totally dry, refrigerated sprouts keep well for a good two weeks.
So, if you plan to use them up by then, it is not necessary to freeze the sprouts. However, if you are looking to store the Brussel sprouts for longer, freezing is your best bet.
Sprout greens can be used to make a range of delectable salads. You can also sauté them around in olive oil for a bit and enjoy a plateful of delicious greens.
Just be sure to have washed the leaves well before. And in case the stem and its crunchiness do not work in your dish, you can simply cut out those parts.
Yes, absolutely. Create ready-to-go mixed vegetable bags by freezing your Brussel sprouts along with a range of other vegetables including blanched carrots, kale or broccoli.
It would save so much time, effort and energy, and would also be totally worth it in terms of taste!
Bottom Line
We really hope this comprehensive, step-by-step guide covering the best methods to freeze Brussel sprouts successfully at the safety and ease of your home has helped you!
For any further questions you may have regarding freezing Brussel sprouts, please do let us know by reaching out to us!
If you have discovered any other tips and tricks, feel free to reach out and let us know; we will add them to this guide so they can help more people!
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