Here’s how to blanch broccoli to lock in its vibrant color, crisp texture, and nutritional benefits! Whether you’re preparing a healthy side dish or want to add broccoli to soups and salads, blanching helps make sure your greens look and taste their best.

pink dish of broccoli sitting on the table

A Simple Guide to Blanching and Freezing your Broccoli Harvest

It’s sweet summer time…

After harvesting the last of the broccoli this morning, it’s time to get it blanched and in the freezer! We’re also at the tail end of pea season, so I blanched some peas this morning too.

Last night we went berry hunting in our woods and were delighted to find the wild black raspberries were ready!

It’s so fun – this season of planting, weeding, harvesting, canning and freezing.

In this post, you’ll see the simple steps of blanching and freezing that I follow to preserve my broccoli.

Does broccoli need to be blanched before freezing?

The answer is no. You can totally freeze broccoli without blanching it first. But should you?

There’s a couple reasons why I choose to blanch my broccoli (and most other vegetables) before sticking it in the freezer.

Here’s what blanching does to vegetables:

Deactivates the enzymes found in vegetables, preventing the vegetables from discoloring, turning mushy, or tasting bad.
Brightens the bright colors of vegetables and helps maintain their crisp textures, which could otherwise be lost in the freezer.
Gets rid of unwanted bacteria, dirt or mold that might be on the vegetables. Also, if there’s any little green worms hiding in the broccoli florets, they won’t survive the hot water!
Softens the vegetables slightly. It’s important to blanch certain vegetables for certain lengths of time, to avoid under or over blanching, since over-blanching can result in nutrient loss and under blanching can fail to stop the enzymes, resulting in off-tasting veggies.

If you’re planning to eat your broccoli within, say, 3 months, you’ll probably be just fine freezing it without blanching it. Some of my broccoli might be in the freezer until next broccoli season (a year from now, if it lasts that long!) so I’m choosing to blanch it to lock in the bright green color and flavor for longer.

What You Will Need

1 pound of fresh broccoli
1 large pot (for boiling a gallon of water)
1 bowl of ice water (to stop the cooking process)
Cutting board
Sharp knife
Colander or strainer (for draining the broccoli)
Sheet-pan
Parchment paper
Freezer bags or container

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How to Blanch Broccoli

Prepare the broccoli. Begin by rinsing 1 pound of fresh broccoli under cold water. Cut the broccoli into florets of similar size for even cooking.

Fill the pot with water. Fill a large pot with about 1 gallon (4 quarts) of water.

Prepare ice water. While the water is heating, fill a large bowl with ice water. The ice water bath will be essential for stopping the cooking right away after blanching.

Blanch the broccoli. Once the water is boiling, carefully add the prepared broccoli florets to the pot. After the water returns to a boil, cook for about 3 minutes, stirring halfway through to make sure all the broccoli is being blanched.

Transfer to ice water. After the blanching time is up, dump the broccoli and water into a large colander or strainer (or scoop the broccoli out with a slotted spoon) and transfer the blanched broccoli directly into the bowl of ice water. This crucial step stops the cooking process!

Drain and dry. Allow the broccoli to sit in the ice water for about 3-5 minutes. Once cooled, drain the broccoli in a colander again. You can also pat it dry gently with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel to remove excess water. And that’s it! Now the broccoli is ready to be frozen.

How to Flash Freeze Broccoli

Whether or not you decide to blanch your broccoli, this is a great way to freeze it!

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the broccoli florets in a single layer on the prepared tray. (If you really don’t want them to stick together, place them so they’re not touching each other! I wasn’t too worried about that, as you can see.😅) Place the baking sheet in the freezer until the broccoli is firm, usually around 1 to 2 hours. Then package in a freezer container or bag.

Tips & Tricks for Success!

Look for vibrant green florets without yellowing or wilt. Fresh broccoli will yield the best flavor and texture after blanching.

Process as soon as possible after picking. If you can’t blanch and freeze the broccoli right away, stick it in the fridge!

Don’t overcrowd the pot. If you’re blanching more than one batch, blanch in smaller groups (one pound or less at a time) to ensure even cooking.

Timing is key. Stick to the 3-minute mark for boiling to achieve the perfect balance of tenderness and crispness.

Make sure you have plenty of ice in the ice water bath. The temperature contrast is key to preserving freshness. I like to freeze water in old sour cream or Cool Whip containers, since my fridge ice maker can’t make enough. Then when I’m ready to ice water bath veggies, I can pop the ice chunks out into the dish of water to make an ice-cold water bath!

How to Prepare Broccoli for Dinner

Ok, now there is broccoli in the freezer and how are we going to use it? Broccoli is great for stir-fry, soups, sheet-pan dinners, casseroles, or even as a side dish such as our favorite: Brown Butter Broccoli.

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How to Blanch & Freeze Broccoli

Here's how to blanch broccoli to lock in its vibrant color, crisp texture, and nutritional benefits!

Materials

1 pound of fresh broccoli

Tools

1 large pot (for boiling a gallon of water)
1 bowl of ice water (to stop the cooking process)
Cutting board
Sharp knife
Colander (for draining the broccoli)
Sheet-pan
Parchment paper
Freezer bags or container

Instructions

Prepare the broccoli. Begin by rinsing 1 pound of fresh broccoli under cold water. Cut the broccoli into florets of similar size for even cooking.
Fill the pot with water. Fill a large pot with about 1 gallon (4 quarts) of water.
Prepare ice water. While the water is heating, fill a large bowl with ice water. The ice water bath will be essential for stopping the cooking right away after blanching.
Blanch the broccoli. Once the water is boiling, carefully add the prepared broccoli florets to the pot. After the water returns to a boil, cook for about 3 minutes, stirring halfway through to make sure all the broccoli is being blanched.
Transfer to ice water. After the blanching time is up, dump the broccoli and water into a large colander or strainer (or scoop the broccoli out with a slotted spoon) and transfer the blanched broccoli directly into the bowl of ice water. This crucial step stops the cooking process!
Drain and dry. Allow the broccoli to sit in the ice water for about 3-5 minutes. Once cooled, drain the broccoli in a colander again. You can also pat it dry gently with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel to remove excess water. And that's it! Now the broccoli is ready to be frozen.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the broccoli florets in a single layer on the prepared tray. If you really don't want them to stick together, place them so they're not touching each other! Place the baking sheet in the freezer until the broccoli is firm, usually around 1 to 2 hours. Then package in a freezer container or bag and freeze.