Can You Freeze Marrow?

Marrows are a popular veg during autumn months when they are in season and it’s easy to see why.

They are a versatile veggie that tastes great in soups, as a side and can be fried, sauteed, steamed or roasted! You could even find a great stuffed marrow recipe and make your marrow a meal all on its own.

It would be great if you could freeze them and have a stash always on hand in the freezer! So, can you freeze marrow?

How To Freeze Marrow

Marrow does take a little bit of preparation work before you freeze. This is to ensure you get the best results possible! This means you will need to cut it up ready to cook and then you need to blanch it to ensure it survives the freezing process.

The process isn’t quite as daunting as it seems so let’s get started:

1. Peel
   If you prefer your marrow peeled or if the skin is tough then peel it before chopping. The best way to freeze marrow is ready chopped. This will make it much easier for you to use at a later date.
2. Prepare Boiling Water
   You will need to blanch your marrow before freezing so start by grabbing a large saucepan and setting some water on the cooker to boil.
3. Prepare Ice Water
   Next, make up a bowl of ice water and place it next to the cooker. You need to have it nearby to be ready to plunge the marrow into it immediately.
4. Blanch for 2 Minutes
   Once your water is boiling put the marrow into it and set yourself a timer for two minutes. When the two minutes are up then you need to immediately drain the marrow from the boiling water and plunge it into the ice water. This stops the cooking process immediately and avoids you overcooking the marrow.
5. Drain and Dry
   Once the marrow has cooled then take it out of the water and drain it. Leave it to dry.
6. Lay Out on a Tray
   Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and then place the marrow onto the baking sheet. Try and avoid the pieces of marrow touching each other.
7. Freeze
   Put the baking sheet and marrow into the freezer and freeze.
8. Bag Up
   Once the marrow has frozen take it back out of the freezer and transfer it into a freezer bag.
9. Label and Freeze
   Label the bag with the contents and the date and then seal tightly and put it back into the freezer.

How to Freeze Stuffed Marrow

If you love stuffed marrow then you are in luck because you can also freeze this. All you need to do is prepare your stuffed marrow as you normally would, cook it up and allow it to cool.

Once it has cooled put it into an airtight container or freezer bag then seal it tightly and freeze.

Stuffed marrow freezes fairly well and you won’t have too many problems. Just be prepared for a slight texture change which some people won’t like. Even with the texture change, this is still a great option if you have leftover stuffed marrow that you don’t want to waste.

3 Tips for Freezing Marrow

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

Don’t Serve as a Side Dish
Marrow is water-high which can cause it to become quite mushy when frozen. This means it works great in soups and stews but not so well as a side dish. 

Blanch It
By blanching, you can retain some of the texture whilst also locking in the nutrients and flavours. It does take a few extra minutes but it’s well worth it. 

Mix With Other Vegetables
Marrows works well in a bag of mixed roasted vegetables. Try mixing marrow with peppers, courgette, onion and mushrooms.

How Long Can You Freeze Marrow?

Marrow is one of those vegetables that keep for a fairly long time in the freezer. If you blanch and seal the freezer bag correctly then it should keep for between nine and twelve months.

For best results, you should be looking to use it sooner rather than later so you maximise your chances of avoiding freezer burn.

You Can Freeze Marrow for Around 9 Months

How Do You Defrost Marrow?

When it comes to using the marrow then it is super easy to use! You don’t even need to defrost it. Just fry it up from frozen or pop it into a soup or stew and cook it up. You can thaw out marrow before using but it might not be the best option.

Because marrow is made from so much water you will find that when you defrost it then it will lose most of this water and become mushy.

Can You Refreeze Marrow?

Refreezing marrow could lead you to have problems. The changes in the texture and structure are already substantial even with just one round of freezing. Freezing it again would spoil the delicious vegetable.

Do Marrow Freeze Well?

Marrow isn’t a veg that freezes well and you will be able to tell the difference between marrow that has been frozen and when it was fresh. The texture changes and if you are really unlucky then it may turn mushy.

This is why it is recommended to use it in baking, sauces or casseroles rather than as a side dish.

Related FAQs

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