I personally didn’t like vegetables much before I got introduced to grilled vegetables. If you can season them properly, they can be the most appetizing versatile dishes ever.
Grilled vegetables are delicious side dishes when eaten on their own. But you can also use them in various dishes like pasta, soups, salads, and so much more.
If you cook them right, even the fussiest children are bound to love them. But the problem isn’t loving them; the problem is making them over and over again each time you want to add them to some dish.
If only there were a way to make them last longer without getting spoiled! So can you freeze grilled vegetables to make them last longer?
Yes, you can! Not only can you freeze grilled vegetables, but you can also keep them frozen for about six months without having to fear that they will spoil.
Read More: Can You Freeze Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Table of Contents
Preparing Your Grilled Vegetables
There are different ways that you can prepare your grilled vegetables. You could grill each of your vegetables separately and mix them when you bring them out of the freezer.
Or you could prepare different styles of vegetable mixes and grill them. I will share some of my favorite mixes that you can use to prepare your vegetables.
The Best Grilled Vegetables EVER
Mediterranean Mix
First, you need to gather the vegetables that you will need to prepare this mix. These are:
- An aubergine
- Some Artichoke hearts
- A few peppers
- An onion
- Some courgettes
Cut these into same-sized chunks, drizzle some olive oil on them, and add thyme and seasonings. Mix all that up and fire up your grill to complete the job.
Indian Mix
The ingredients that you need to make this mix are:
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Beetroot
Now chop and mix your vegetables with cumin seeds, coriander, chili flakes, and turmeric. Now it’s time to grill!
Classic Mix
You will need the following vegetables to prepare this mix:
- Parsnips
- Carrots
- Swede
- Potatoes
After cutting the vegetables, drizzle on some olive oil, add rosemary or other herbs according to your preference, mix them up, and grill them.
How to Freeze Grilled Vegetables?
After grilling your vegetables, you need to cool them down and freeze them. Follow these instructions to complete the freezing process.
Dividing Your Vegetables into Portions
You can’t just through all your grilled vegetables into the freezer and be done with it. That is not the proper process and might cause some issues in freezing your vegetables correctly.
So you should divide your grilled vegetables into separate portions according to your needs. It is better to divide them into small portions.
Plus, you can take what you need out of the freezer without adding more air into your container this way.
Sealing the Vegetables
You will need freezer-safe plastic bags or containers to keep each of your portions of grilled vegetables in the freezer.
The most important thing is that you need to seal your plastic bag or container properly so that you can avoid freezer burns.
If you are using plastic bags, you need to take all the air out of the bag without damaging the vegetables. Try using a vacuum food sealer to do this.
And if you get rid of the air properly, your vegetables can survive for longer in your freezer, which can even be more than six months.
Freezing the Vegetables
To freeze your vegetables, you can try to flush-freeze them. This is a process where you freeze your vegetables individually in a tray or baking sheet for about 2 hours before transferring them into your plastic bags or containers.
Just don’t leave them in the freezer like that for too long, or your vegetables might suffer from freezer burns.
This step is essential because if you flush-freeze your grilles vegetables, they don’t stick to each other in the future.
So if you don’t divide your grilled vegetables into small portions, you can still quite easily take them out of your single container.
Why Should You Freeze Grilled Vegetables?
As I’ve already mentioned, making grilled vegetables every time you want to add them to dishes like soups, casseroles, pasta, or other dishes, starts to become a hassle.
Food shouldn’t be a hassle, as you should be able to enjoy food. So if you keep your grilled vegetables frozen, you can just grab them out of the freezer and use them as you need.
There’s another reason you should freeze your grilled vegetables, which is to avoid any sort of food wastage.
Vegetables quickly spoil, and you end up with a lot of wasted food in your hands. But if you could freeze your grilled vegetables, you would easily be able to ration your food intake and not have to waste any food at all.
However, you will need to calculate which frozen vegetables should be used where. This is because some vegetables might change in texture throughout the freezing process.
For example, if you freeze grilled vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini, you will find that the texture has changed. So you should use them in dishes like stews and lasagnas.
On the contrary, vegetables like parsnips, carrots, and even potatoes don’t change in texture, which means you can use them in salads or as a side dish.
Final Words
Can you freeze grilled vegetables? Yes, you definitely can freeze your grilled vegetables to have them for later, which will survive for about six months in the freezer if you freeze them properly. So now that you know how to freeze your grilled vegetables, what’s stopping you from making a whole bunch to enjoy for later.? Go and start grilling now!
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