Cauliflower is a versatile vegetable that’s great to have on-hand for soups, stir-fries, and more. It’s a low carb/keto lovers dream since it can be substituted for for pizza crust, rice, and even mashed potatoes. Cauliflower can stay fresh in the fridge for two or three weeks, but it comes in such large-sized heads, if you don’t have a large family, you might need to save some for later.
Also see: How to freeze broccoli.
Even if your family snacks on cauliflower all the time, the shape and size of a whole head can take up some serious space inside a smaller fridge. Putting in a bit of prep work to freeze it might help you save money, make less food waste, and have portions of cauliflower florets ready to go anytime you need them.
Thawed cauliflower works best in cooked or sautéed. Since it loses a bit of firmness, it’s not ideal for ricing or snacking on cold, but it can pretty much be used in most other applications. If ricing is your thing, rice it before you freeze, and you’ll be good to go.
How to freeze cauliflower
Sure, you can throw it right in the freezer, but blanching it and prepping it first means you’ll lock in more nutrients.
What you will need to freeze cauliflower:
- Large pot
- Sharp knife
- Slotted spoon
- Lined baking sheet
- Ice bath
- Towel for drying cauliflower
- Freezer space
- Zip-top freezer bag(s)
- Permanent marker
Directions
Step 1: Prepare an ice bath or fill your clean sink with cold water and ice. Set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
Step 2: Pick off leaves, then wash the head of cauliflower well.
Step 3: Cut off any woody, or dry stems. Then cut cauliflower into pieces sized suitably for your intended use.
Step 4: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, then add cauliflower to pot (no more than one full head at a time). Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to scoop cauliflower pieces from boiling water into ice bath. (Ice bath stops cauliflower from cooking further.) Leave soak until totally cool.
Step 5: Drain, then lightly pat dry.
Step 6: Arrange florets on prepared baking sheet. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Step 7: Transfer frozen florets to freezer-safe zip-top bag. Remove as much air as possible from bag. Use a permanent marker to label bag with contents and date of freezing.
How long will frozen cauliflower stay good?
Frozen cauliflower will stay good for 2 to 3 months. If you’ve done a good job of drying cauliflower after ice bath and removing as much air as possible before freezing, cauliflower can stay good for up to a year.
Also see, How to freeze asparagus.
