I don't know what came over me when I saw that ten pound bag of carrots on sale for six bucks. I do love a good deal, but I'm smart enough to walk away if it isn't practical. I'd love to take advantage of all the advantages of buying in bulk, but with the limited storage space that I have at my disposal... whatever can't be used within a week and a half ends up down the disposal.
So, why was I so giddy, as I lugged that ten pound bag over to my grocery cart? Maybe it was the idea of slipping some weight training into my day. I would, after all, have to carry it out to the car, along with the other fifteen loaded plastic bags. Then into the house, and lift it up onto the counter, and then over to the fridge. Whew, I'm sweating already. Just kidding... that's what husbands are for.
So, yesterday, I wrangled that bag out of the crisper ... how did we even get it in there? It was like trying to pry Austin Powers' Fat Bastard out of a Volkswagen Beetle. I mean, do you have any idea how much a single carrot weighs? Now imagine ten pounds worth! Since I was on my knees anyway, I said a little prayer that Bugs Bunny and Roger Rabbit would show up at my door, with the brims of their fedoras pulled down low, Tommy guns in hand, demanding a protection payment. I ended up on Google learning how to freeze carrots. Oh well... God works in mysterious ways.
Did you know that there's more to freezing carrots than just tossing them into the space between the ground beef, and the Hot Pockets? Strap on your step counter, because there are steps.
Step 1: Peel and cut the ends off of your carrots.
Step 2: Chop them up however you like them. I like the little circles. Depending on the size of the carrot, you get little penny, nickel, and quarter sized pieces. Some of my carrots were so big, I had to stop chopping halfway through, or it would've been like eating half dollars. I put those chunks aside for later.
Step 3: Blanch them. No, that doesn't have anything to do with The Golden Girls. It means immerse them in some rapidly boiling water for no more than three minutes. Then take them out and immerse them in some ice water to immediately stop the cooking process. Then drain, and maybe even pat them down with some paper towels, just to remove a little excess water.
Step 4: Pour them into some sort of storage container, like a ziplock freezer bag. My zipper bags aren't freezer proof, so I wrapped them up in one of those Debbie Myer produce bags first, and then zipped them up. Now they can be stored for up to six months.
So, what did I do with those huge carrots chunks that I set aside? I cut them into sticks, and stored them in the fridge in several Glad food containers. The kids like to take them in their lunch bags. They also make good snacks in the evening. It's healthier than all that microwave popcorn I typically munch on during Desperate Housewives.
Maybe I was channeling Bree Van de Kamp yesterday. I wish I had her cookbook. I still have about six pounds of carrots left in the crisper. I wish that Barred Owl hadn't eaten that cute little bunny, that used to feed in my back yard last Spring. I need him now.
