How To Store Shredded Carrots (Explained)

Shredding carrots is one of those tasks that can take up a fair bit of time and energy, especially if you do it by hand. Therefore it would be convenient to be able to store them so that they’re ready to use when you get home after a busy day at work. So, how do you store shredded carrots to keep them fresh?

Shredded carrots can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to around 4 days. They can also be stored in a mason jar filled with water in the fridge for up to a week. If you want to store them for a longer period, it’s a good idea to freeze them.

Here’s everything you need to know about storing shredded carrots.

Store Them In The Refrigerator

Shredded carrots will store for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. All you have to do is cover them so that they’re not exposed to the air, as this will dry them out and make them unpalatable.

Storing your shredded carrots in the fridge means that you’ll have to keep them covered. To that end, you can either place them in a bowl and cover them with cling wrap, put them into an airtight container, or place them into a Ziploc bag.

Above all else, it’s important to keep the air away from your carrots so that they stay as fresh as possible and stop them from turning brown.

Store Them In Jar With Water

Many cooks swear by this method of storing shredded carrots for up to a week in the refrigerator. For this method, it’s best to use a mason jar or some other type of glass jar that has a tight-fitting lid. Remember that you want to limit the amount of air getting to the carrots.

Here’s what to do:

Place your shredded carrots into a mason jar.
Fill the jar with filtered water.
Place the lid onto the jar to seal out the air.
Pop the jar with the shredded carrots into the fridge.

Using this method should keep your shredded carrots fresh and crisp for up to a week, as the water will stop them from drying out.

As a side note, even sliced-up carrots can be stored this way quite successfully in the fridge.

Store Them In The Freezer

If you want to prepare your shredded carrots well ahead of time, it’s best to freeze them. This is the best way to keep shredded carrots fresh and usable for the longest time.

This method is especially convenient if you want to shred a whole bag of carrots at the same time by using your food processor. Getting your food processor out to shred just one carrot is inconvenient and a waste of time because of all the washing up you’re going to have to do.

Therefore, it’s far better to shred a large number of carrots at once and then pop them in the freezer so that they’re ready to use when you need them.

Here’s what you need to do to prepare your shredded carrots for the freezer.

1. Blanch Your Carrots

Carrots are one of those vegetables that are better when they are blanched before freezing. This helps them to keep their color and their flavor. Here’s how to blanch your shredded carrots:

Put a pot of water onto the stove and bring it to a boil.
Gather a large bowl to fill with water and ice.
Prepare a flat tray by lining it with some parchment paper.
Once the water is boiling in the pot, throw in the shredded carrots for around 2 minutes.
Scoop the carrots out of the boiling water and place them into the iced water immediately. This stops the cooking process and helps the carrots to retain their color and flavor.

2. Freezing Your Shredded Carrots

After around 2 minutes, remove the carrots from the iced water and place them in a single layer on the flat tray.
Put the tray into the freezer for a couple of hours.
Once the shredded carrots are frozen, take them off the tray and put them into a Ziploc bag.
Seal the bag after expelling as much air as possible.
Label the bag with the date and put it into the freezer.

Is It Possible To Freeze Shredded Carrots Without Blanching Them First?

It is possible to freeze shredded carrots without blanching them first. However, you will find that the flavor and texture of the carrots will not be as good as if you had blanched them first.

Although blanching might seem like an unnecessary step, it really is worth taking the time to do this if you want your carrots to taste great and retain their texture and color.