Purple sprouting broccoli is a more delicate version of the ordinary green broccoli you are used to, but it can add a lot of interest to your plate and your meal. We already know you can freeze broccoli, but can the same be said for purple sprouting broccoli?
Can You Freeze Purple Sprouting Broccoli?
Yes, you can freeze purple sprouting broccoli for up to 2 months. This is shorter than other broccoli types because the sprouting variety is more delicate than the hardy green calabrese broccoli you are used to.
Do Does Purple Sprouting Broccoli freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Purple Sprouting Broccoli? No
How to Freeze Purple Sprouting Broccoli
The best method for freezing purple sprouting broccoli is to blanch it and then double freeze it.
This might seem like a lengthy process, but it isn’t quite as difficult as it sounds, and it is definitely worth it to ensure your broccoli stays delicious and ready to eat:
- Prepare for Blanching: You need to grab a large saucepan, some ice water, a colander and a baking sheet or flat bottomed roasting dish that you can put in the freezer.
- Bring Water to Boil: To blanch, you need to set the saucepan on the stove and fill it with water to boil. While the water is heating up, you need to put the ice water next to the stove and have your colander ready.
- Boil Broccoli for 60 Seconds: When the water is boiling, put the broccoli into the water and bring it back up to boil. Boil the broccoli for about a minute.
- Cool: Take the broccoli out of the boiling water and plunge it into the ice water to halt the cooking process. Once the broccoli has cooled, then you can drain it and leave it to dry.
- Prepare Baking Tray: While your broccoli is draining, you need to prepare the baking sheet by laying a sheet of parchment paper onto it.
- Lay Out Broccoli: Lay the broccoli onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Where possible, keep the broccoli apart and not touching.
- Freeze: Put this into the freezer and freeze for a couple of hours. Once the broccoli has frozen, you can take it out of the freezer and transfer it into a freezer bag. Taking the extra step to double freeze means the broccoli won’t stick together quite as much.
- Seal: Squeeze out any excess air from the freezer bag and seal it.
- Refreeze: Label the bag with the date and contents and put the broccoli back into the freezer.
3 Tips for Freezing Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing purple sprouting broccoli to have the best results:
Blanch Them First
When freezing broccoli or most vegetables you need to blanch them first. These veggies will lose texture and taste if they are frozen completely raw. You may even find that your broccoli becomes too mushy to eat if you skip the blanching step.
Flash Freezing Isn’t Essential
While we recommend double freezing the broccoli for best results, you can skip this step if you prefer to speed up the process. Be careful because the broccoli will likely get stuck together in the freezer bag. You can avoid this by either freezing in individual portions.
Keep It Airtight
Air in the freezer is the thing that will make your broccoli change in taste the most. It can easily become freezer-burnt. So, to ensure your broccoli is tasty after it has been frozen, keep the broccoli as airtight as possible while it is in the freezer.
How Long Can You Freeze Purple Sprouting Broccoli?
You can freeze purple sprouting broccoli for up to about two months. After this, you may find the taste starts to change. This is a little less time than you can freeze other types of broccoli. This is because purple sprouting broccoli is a lot more tender and delicate than the hardier varieties.
Purple sprouting broccoli quickly becomes limp once it has been harvested. It will only keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge before this happens.
How Do You Defrost Purple Sprouting Broccoli?
The best thing about frozen veg like purple sprouting broccoli is that you often don’t need to thaw it out at all. You can cook it in most ways right from frozen. So throw it into a steamer, boil it, roast it or stir fry it.
You can also throw it straight into soups and stews from frozen.
If you want to thaw out the broccoli before cooking, you can pop it into a bowl and put it in the fridge overnight.
Can You Refreeze Purple Sprouting Broccoli?
No, you shouldn’t refreeze purple sprouting broccoli. The texture and structure of the vegetable are not likely to survive a second thawing and freezing and still remain edible.
Does Purple Sprouting Broccoli Freeze Well?
Like many types of veg, purple sprouting broccoli doesn’t always freeze particularly well. These vegetables do suffer from a little change in texture in the freezer.
However, as long as you follow the blanching method, your purple sprouting broccoli should still be delicious and great to eat.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing purple sprouting broccoli or broccoli in general, then these may help:
Although slightly harder to come by, you can also get white sprouting broccoli. The taste is similar, and the way you cook it is also similar. The good news is that you can freeze white sprouting broccoli for around 2 months.
Although it is perfectly safe to freeze broccoli shoots or sprouts, it’s not something we recommend as they will lose their texture quite quickly in the freezer. You would typically add broccoli shoots to salad to add freshness, but you won’t want to use them without cooking them if they have been frozen. 
