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Home Meal Prep Freezer
5
/5
21 minutes

How to Freeze Cauliflower

Freezer Friendly Freezer Meal Prep Meal Prep
Jump to Recipe
By: Denise Bustard6 Comments
Posted: 4/14/18 Updated: 8/31/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

A step by step tutorial with photos showing you exactly how to freeze cauliflower. Stocking up the freezer means you always have cauliflower on hand for healthy recipes!

cauliflower florets with text overlay how to freeze cauliflower

Cauliflower is such a versatile vegetable because it really takes on the flavors of whatever it is you're pairing it with. It is a low carb meal prepper's dream as it can substitute for rice, pizza crust etc.

Even if you're not following a low carb diet, cauliflower is great to add to your diet, as it provides a ton of vitamins, minerals and natural anti-oxidants.

There are a few inconveniences when it comes to cauliflower; the size of a head of cauliflower, which can be quite large for some families, and the prep work involved in cutting it up.

The solution? Freeze your cauliflower! This makes for easy portions of cauliflower you can grab out of the freezer to throw in whatever you're cooking.

How to use frozen cauliflower

  • in soup
  • in stir fries (here are 7 Stir Fry Sauce recipes to use!)
  • sauteed as an easy side dish
  • in an egg muffin (check out these 7 Breakfast Egg Muffins, one of which is a broccoli cheddar version)
  • in smoothies! Yes you read that right! Check out this Malted Chocolate Cauliflower Smoothie!

How to freeze cauliflower

hand holding a head of cauliflower under running tap

Step one- wash the head of cauliflower.

overhead view of caulfilower florets and knife on wood cutting board

Step two- pick off the leaves, then cut into bite-sized pieces. You can include the stem as well.

cauliflower florets in pot of water on stove

Step three- blanch: Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add cauliflower (you may need to work in batches). Cook for 1 ½ minutes, then scoop cauliflower out of the pot with a slotted spoon.

overhead shot of cauliflower florets in an ice bath

Step four- ice bath: to stop cooking the cauliflower, place it in an ice bath while you blanch all remaining cauliflower.

Step five- drain excess water.

overhead shot of cauliflower florets on a sheet pan

Step six- arrange on a baking sheet.

Step seven- freeze overnight.

cauliflower florets in a reusable freezer bag

Step eight- transfer to a freezer bag labelled with the contents and date. Remove as much air as possible, then freeze for up to 1 year.

Frozen Cauliflower 101

How long is frozen cauliflower good for? If you are careful about draining off as much water as you can, and remove as much air as possible from the freezer bag, your cauliflower will be good in the freezer for up to 1 year!

Does frozen cauliflower need to be cooked? Since we just blanched the cauliflower, it is not cooked through. I recommend cooking it before serving, either with a quick sautee, by roasting in the oven, or even grilling! Since the cauliflower has been blanched, and it softens during the thaw process, you will not need to cook as long as fresh cauliflower.

Can you rice frozen cauliflower? You could certainly try, however I guarantee it will be much mushier than freshly riced cauliflower. A better way to do it is to rice the cauliflower before freezing. Stay tuned for a whole post on this!

Equipment:

  • I highly recommend these baker’s half sheets
  • pictured in this post are these reusable silicone freezer bags, however you could also use a heavy duty freezer bag
  • a sharpie for labelling bags

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

lots of cauliflower sitting on a wood cutting board

How to Freeze Cauliflower

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 1 min
Total Time: 21 mins
Print Rate
How to freeze cauliflower- a step by step tutorial with photos showing you exactly how to prepare and freeze your cauliflower. Stocking up the freezer means you always have cauliflower on hand for healthy recipes!
8

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower

Instructions 

  • Wash cauliflower under tap water.
  • Pick off leaves, and cut into bite size pieces; consider what you might use the cauliflower for, egg muffins or egg casserole require small pieces, soups, stir fries or sautees do not. Stems are perfectly fine to use as well as the florets.
  • Bring a large pot of water to boil. Working in batches, blanch the cauliflower: simmer for 1 ½ minutes, then remove from the pot using a slotted spoon and transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
  • Repeat with remaining cauliflower.
  • Drain well.
  • Arrange on a large baking sheet. I love these baker's half sheets.
  • Freeze for 4 hours- overnight.
  • Transfer to a freezer bag, labelled with the contents & date. Pictured in this post are these reusable silicone freezer bags.
  • Freeze for up to 1 year!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 18kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 22mg, Potassium: 215mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin C: 35mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 1mg
Author: Denise Bustard
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: freezer

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Did You Make This?Don't forget to leave a review below, and tag us on Instagram using @SweetPeasAndSaffron or #sweetpeasandsaffron
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Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

Read more...

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Recipe Rating




  1. WYN says

    Posted on 9/13/20 at Posted on 9/13/20

    WILL THIS METHOD WORK FOR SLICED CAULIFLOWER CUT 1/4" TO 1/2 INCH?

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 9/13/20 at Posted on 9/13/20

      Yes, it should work.

      Reply
  2. Julianne says

    Posted on 8/3/20 at Posted on 8/3/20

    When you say “cook 1.5 min...” does that mean after waiting for water to return to a boil or does that mean from as soon as you dump the cauliflower into the water? Thank you for clarifying!

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 8/13/20 at Posted on 8/13/20

      Hi Julianne! I start the timer as soon as the cauliflower hits the water.

      Reply
  3. Lois Williams says

    Posted on 5/21/19 at Posted on 5/21/19

    can i freeze a whole cauliflower head without cutting into florets? I am wanting to roast it whole..

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 5/27/19 at Posted on 5/27/19

      Hi Lois! That's a great question, and I haven't tried it. You would definitely want to steam it first, but I'm not sure how long. If you try it, I'd love to hear how it works out for you!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Denise

Meal prep took me from feeling constantly stressed out about meals to cool, collected and in control. I want to share this amazing and transformational habit with you, so you can feel in control, too! Read more ...

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