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Can You Freeze Celeriac?

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By Ross Young

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It might be ugly (to some) and unusual, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious among the root vegetables. But it can be a bit of a faff to prep, and you don’t always need whole celeriac.

Can You Freeze Celeriac?

Yes, you can freeze celeriac for up to 1 month. Once prepared and blanched, celeriac can be frozen in good-quality freezer bags, but it must be kept airtight.

Does Celeriac Freeze Well? Yes

Can You Refreeze Celeriac? No

How To Freeze Celeriac

Celeriac may last for several weeks when stored in the cupboard in the dark, but sometimes you simply don’t have the time to use it up. That’s where freezing will always come in handy.

But before you just go tossing your celeriac stock into the freezer, there are a few steps you ought to take:

  1. Peel and Prepare: Peel the outer layer of the celeriac and remove the smaller roots and shoots. Wash it well. You’ll find dirt can get into all sorts of cracks and crevasses so give it a good wash.
Prepared Celeriac
  1. Cut: You can grate the bulb or cut it out into squares. Just think about how you will normally use your celeriac and prepare it in the same way.
  2. Prepare Boiling Water: In a pot of boiling water, add some lemon juice. For roughly 3 litres of water, you’ll want to add a rough tablespoon of lemon juice.
  3. Blanch: Use a blanching basket (if you have one) and place the celeriac in it. You can now lower it into the water and leave it for about 3 minutes. If you don’t have a blanching basket then a colander will work. It just makes it easier to remove the celeriac in one go.
  4. Cool: Immediately after removing the celeriac from the boiling water, submerge it into ice-cold water. This will halt the cooking process. You don’t want to overcook it.
  5. Drain: Drain water from the celeriac and blot it dry.
  6. Bag Up: Place your blanched celeriac into resealable bags. Consider how much celeriac you’d need for a portion and freeze in these quantities.
  7. Seal and Freeze: Seal the bags up, removing as much of the air as possible then place into the freezer.

How to Freeze Celeriac Dishes

Celeriac can be made into a variety of dishes, all of which can actually be frozen. We’ve covered a few of the most popular celeriac dishes below:

Can You Freeze Celeriac Puree?

Puree can be frozen. You will want to ensure you have added a little bit of acid to your puree by using lemon juice. This will stop it from turning brown. You’ll then want to place your puree into a thick freezer bag before sealing it up, removing as much of the air as possible.

Can You Freeze Celeriac Remoulade?

Remoulades and coleslaws tend not to freeze exceptionally well, especially if it has been made with a mayonnaise-based dressing. The dressing will often split which will give your remoulade a grainy or gritty texture.

Can You Freeze Celeriac Chips?

You can freeze prepared celeriac chips. Cut the peeled celeriac into chip shapes and then blanch for 2 minutes. Immediately drain and cool and then freeze on a baking sheet until solid. The chips can then be bagged up for the longer term.

Can You Freeze Celeriac Mash?

You can freeze celeriac mash in two ways. Either portion it out into freezer bags or freeze it in portions on a lined baking sheet until solid and freeze these solid blocks in one large bag.

Can You Freeze Celeriac Soup?

Like most soups, celeriac soup can be frozen. If it has a high level of potato in it, then you may find it becomes grainy and lumpy when frozen and thawed.

3 Tips for Freezing Celeriac

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing celeriac to have the best results:

Blanch It
With all vegetables, we would strongly advise blanching it beforehand. This will help retain texture, flavour, colour and nutrients whilst only taking a few minutes of extra time. 

Mix With Other Veggies
You can create ready-mixed bags of similar veg. Try mixing celeriac with carrot, parsnip, swede, turnip or kohlrabi. Where possible, cut them into similar-sized cubes. 

Roasted Root Vegetables

Roast from Frozen
Cubes of celeriac can actually be roasted straight from the freezer. Toss the celeriac with some olive oil and salt then place it into a hot oven for 30 minutes or so. Check it is hot and cooked through before serving. 

How Long Can You Freeze Celeriac?

In many forms, celeriac can be frozen for up to a month. It retains its delicious flavour and freshness up to this point.

However, if you do not add the necessary acidic substance like lemon juice to the celeriac, it will discolour quickly. With the right freezing procedures discussed above, it can be safely stored without it changing in colour.

How Long Does Celeriac Last in the Fridge?

Celeriac, when whole, will last for around 2 weeks in the fridge. Once it has been cut, it will need to be used up within 48 hours, however.

How Do You Defrost Celeriac?

Thawing or defrosting celeriac is a relatively straightforward procedure. All you have to do is take the frozen celeriac in its bag and place it in the fridge. You can keep it for a couple of hours or even overnight and wait for it to thaw.

Once it has defrosted, leave it on the worktop so that it comes up to room temperature. This is how you’d need to thaw it if using it for remoulades or coleslaw.

However, if you are cooking celeriac, you don’t have to thaw it. Simply add it to a roasting tray, boiling water or steamer and cook it how you usually would just add a little extra time to allow it to cook through.

With celeriac mash, you can defrost it in the same way as blanched celeriac. Simply place it in the fridge overnight, and your mash will be defrosted. If you find separated moisture, simply mix it into the mash.

For the celeriac soup, you can either defrost it in the fridge or simply heat it with a bit of water before you add the cream to it.

Can You Refreeze Celeriac?

It is recommended that you do not refreeze celeriac. This is because celeriac has a high moisture content, and freezing and thawing can disrupt its cells, causing them to break down, leaving you with mushy celeriac.

Furthermore, food that is frozen and defrosted tends to hold on to more bacteria than fresh food. For these reasons, it is best to avoid refreezing celeriac or dishes made of it.

Having said that, you can refreeze cooked celeriac if it was once frozen uncooked.

For example, if you have frozen raw celeriac and then made a soup with it, you could freeze this soup.

Does Celeriac Freeze Well?

Yes, celeriac freezes very well but needs an acidic agent like lemon juice to prevent discolouration. It freezes particularly well when frozen, blanched and then used in a cooked dish or roasted.

If you avoid refreezing it and use it up within a month, then celeriac does freeze really well.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing celeriac or celeriac in general, then these may help:

What is the Best Way to Store Celeriac?

The best way to store celeriac is in the fridge. This is where it retains all its properties. However, this is only the best approach if you are using it within 2 weeks. If you need to store it for longer, then the freezer is the best option.

Does Celeriac Turn Brown in the Freezer?

Yes, celeriac can turn a little brown in the freezer, but this can be prevented by adding a little squeeze of lemon juice to it before freezing.

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