Your Guide To Freezing Brussels Sprouts

Luckily, Brussels sprouts freeze well compared to other foods. Therefore, let’s examine the best way to freeze them.

Brussels sprouts can be frozen by blanching, without blanching, raw or cooked. Whichever method is implemented, the Brussels sprouts are stored in plastic freezer bags with the air removed. They can be stored in the freezer up to 12 months.

This article will examine each storage method and provide them to you with easy step-by step directions.

How To Freeze Raw Brussels Sprouts By Blanching

As a Certified Health Coach many clients ask me about food storage including Brussels sprouts. Also, I purchase and consume them every week. Therefore, I have researched this topic in the past and present. Let’s examine the storage methods closely.

The best way to blanch and freeze raw Brussels sprouts:

Cut the Brussels sprouts off the stalk.
Trim and remove coarse outer leaves.
Rinse them under cold running water.
Sort the Brussels sprouts according to size. Small, medium and large.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
While waiting for the water to boil, fill a large bowl with water and ice cubes.
Add similar size pieces to the boiling water.
Boil small ones for 3 minutes, medium for 4 minutes and large for 5 minutes.
Immediately remove from the boiling water and place them into the ice water for the same amount of time they were boiled.
Drain and place them onto a paper towel and pat them dry.
Place the dried sprouts onto a parchment covered baking sheet. Ensure they’re not touching each other.
Place the baking sheet into the freezer until they are fully frozen.
Remove the baking sheet and transfer the frozen pieces into plastic freezer bags.
Remove as much excess air as possible and seal the freezer bag.
Date the bag and store in the freezer up to twelve months.

By spacing them apart on the baking sheet prevents them from sticking together when frozen. This allows you to remove each one individually from the freezer bag instead of having them frozen in one large chunk¹.

Blanching

Blanching is the process of rapidly submerging a food item in boiling water. Blanching slows the enzyme activity responsible for spoilage and retains the vegetable’s color and nutrients².

By briefly dipping the brussels sprouts in hot water before freezing, you can improve the freshness and longevity of the vegetable. Blanch times for brussels sprouts range from three to five minutes based on the size of the individual sprout³.

It’s important to remove them immediately and place them into the ice water quickly. This stops the cooking process⁴.

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Sealing

Removing as much air as possible from the freezer bag is important and helps prevent freezer burn⁵.

The best way to remove excess air from the plastic freezer bag is to use a vacuum sealer. They are one of those items making you wonder how you did without one before purchasing it. Amazon has many affordable ones. Check out their current prices here, Vacuum Sealers.

Without a sealer, close the top of the bag leaving a small opening to fit a straw through. Suck the excess air out of the plastic bag and quickly close the top after removing the straw.

Freezing Raw Brussels Sprouts Without Blanching

Blanching is helpful in protecting the brussels sprouts against oxidation, loss of flavor and pigment. However, blanching adds a few extra steps, making many people wonder about freezing them without blanching.

You can freeze fresh brussels sprouts without blanching. However, without blanching the sprouts loses some of their freshness, color and flavor. If you choose to forgo blanching before freezing, it’s crucial to ensure the bag is properly vacuum-sealed.

The best way to freeze raw Brussels sprouts without blanching:

Cut the Brussels sprouts off the stalk.
Trim and remove coarse outer leaves.
Rinse them under cold running water.
Drain and place them onto a paper towel and pat them dry.
Place the dried ones onto a parchment covered baking sheet. Ensure they’re not touching each other.
Place the baking sheet into the freezer until they are fully frozen.
Remove the baking sheet and transfer them into plastic freezer bags.
Remove as much excess air as possible and seal the freezer bag.
Date the bag and store in the freezer up to twelve months.

One of the most effective ways to freeze and store them is to separate them out on a baking sheet. This will prevent them from clumping together once stored in the freezer⁶.

Situate the tray as close to the source of cold air as possible, ensuring they will freeze rapidly. Allow an hour or two for the brussels sprouts to freeze individually.

Once they’re fully frozen, you can pack them all together in an airtight container or plastic freezer bag⁷.

Freezing Individual Servings

Some people like to store individual servings into separate bags. Place a serving amount in a bag and remove as much air as possible to preserve them better and prevent freezer burn. If possible, use a smaller package for freezing, as this will improve the quality and longevity of storage.

Keep the packages as level as possible while they’re freezing. After they are frozen, however, they can be moved around and reoriented to fit conveniently in the freezer⁸.

This method allows you to take however many pre-frozen brussels sprouts you need without worrying about letting air into the container. Since each sprout has been individually blanched and frozen, they are better protected and require less careful attention during storage.

However, the package-freeze method allows you to portion out your serving sizes ahead of time, so you aren’t defrosting too many that end up going to waste.

Freezing Brussels Sprouts After Cooking

There are times too much was cooked and you don’t want to throw them away or eat them in the next few days. In addition, some people want to cook them first before freezing them. In this situation let’s check out your option.

Cooked Brussels sprouts can be frozen. They don’t require blanching due to the cooking process already slowed the enzyme action. They can be stored in plastic freezer bags and frozen up to twelve months.

The best way to freeze cooked Brussels sprouts:

Allow the Brussels sprouts to completely cool.
Place the cooled sprouts into plastic freezer bags or an airtight container.
Remove as much excess air as possible.
Date the bag and place it into the freezer up to 12 months.

Ensure they are completely cool. Placing them into the bag while warm or hot can cause steam to escape into the bag. This will expose them to a freezer burn or spoilage⁹.

( Pat them dry before freezing )

How To Defrost Frozen Brussels Sprouts

The best way to defrost frozen Brussels sprouts is to transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator. Leave them in the refrigerator until they are defrosted. The amount of time will vary depending on the size of the Brussels sprouts.

Although they shouldn’t take too long, if you don’t have enough time, they can be placed onto the counter to defrost. If you’re roasting them, frozen Brussels sprouts can be placed on a baking sheet and placed directly in the oven.

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