It’s easy to cook a little too much broccoli, isn’t it. We’ve all been there. Well, what do you do with it if you don’t want to chuck it out? What’s the best way to store it?
Can You Freeze Cooked Broccoli?
Yes, you can freeze cooked broccoli for up to 3 months. Cook, cool and dry the broccoli before flash freezing it. (Full Instructions Below)
Do Does Cooked Broccoli freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Cooked Broccoli? Yes
How to Freeze Cooked Broccoli
Freezing cooked broccoli isnāt as simple as upending a saucepan in the freezer. To make sure that the broccoli stays as good as possible for as long as possible, follow these steps:
- Cook, Dry and Cool
First of all, cook the broccoli until itās mostly cooked through. This should take no longer than five minutes. Drain well, and then toss it onto a tea towel. Allow it to dry and cool for a few minutes.
- Place on a Lined Tray
Place the dry broccoli onto a lined baking sheet, ensuring no two pieces are touching. If you need to use several baking sheets, then make sure to do that. Itās essential that none of the broccoli freezes together during these early steps.
- Freeze
Transfer the broccoli to a lined baking sheet and pop it into your freezer, and allow it to sit there for around an hour. After that point, it should be frozen solid. - Bag Up
Move all the frozen broccoli pieces to the freezer bag, ensuring to fit them in as well as possible. Being efficient will ensure you eliminate as much excess air as possible, leading to a well-packed bag and a decreased risk of freezer burn.
- Remove Excess Air
Press any excess air out of the freezer bag, as this will eliminate air that could condense to water, freeze to ice, and lead to freezer burn. - Seal and Freeze
Seal the bag totally to prevent air from making its way back into the bag, and then place it into the freezer.
Don’t Expect to Maintain the Texture
When you roast broccoli, it develops a delicious, crispy texture that’s not easily maintained when freezing and thawing it. The high heat from roasting also reduces the broccoli’s moisture content, which can result in a more fibrous, chewy texture once thawed.
How Long Can You Freeze Cooked Broccoli?
You can freeze cooked broccoli for around 3 months. Beyond that point, the broccoli will still be safe to eat but maybe a little more tender than you would prefer.
The only exception to this 3-month time limit is if you plan to make soup with cooked broccoli. As the texture will be hidden in a blended soup, you can keep the cooked broccoli frozen for around 6 months.
How Do You Defrost Cooked Broccoli?
The easiest way to defrost cooked broccoli is to place it directly into a pot of boiling water – no defrosting needed!
Obviously, this is NOT the way to go if you’re defrosting roasted broccoli which will need to be thawed slowly in the fridge.
Can You Refreeze Cooked Broccoli?
Yes, you can refreeze cooked broccoli. As itās not meat, dairy, or fish, it can be safely refrozen.
However, refreezing cooked broccoli would be exceptionally bad for the texture of the broccoli. Likely, repeated freezing would totally destroy the toothsome nature of broccoli.
Does Cooked Broccoli Freeze Well?
Yes, cooked broccoli does freeze well.
However, freezer burn will utterly destroy any semblance of texture, leading to the broccoli not having frozen so well overall. Bear that in mind when freezing, and be sure to seal the bag the broccoli is within.
Undercook It
One piece of advice I always give when freezing anything cooked is to undercook it. This means when you thaw and reheat it, there’s no risk if overcooking it.
FAQs
Yes, I’ve found freezing boiled broccoli quite easy. After boiling the broccoli until it’s just tender, allow it to cool, then freeze on a baking sheet. Once solid, bag it up before returning it to the freezer.
Yes! After steaming the broccoli, immediately plunge it into ice-cold water. Once cooled, drain the broccoli and dab it with a clean kitchen towel before freezing on a baking sheet. You can then bag it up and return it to the freezer once frozen solid. 
While you technically can defrost cooked broccoli in the microwave, I’d advise against it. From my experience, using the microwave to defrost cooked broccoli often results in a mushy texture that’s far from appetizing.
You can keep cooked broccoli in the fridge for between 3 and 5 days. It should be popped into the fridge as soon as it has cooled down and stored in a covered dish.
Sources
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