Can You Freeze Roasted Vegetables?

Last updated on September 12th, 2022 at 07:55 am

Ok, some things just take a lot of time to cook. Roasted vegetables being one of them. They are tasty and healthy but making them can require so much time. 

First you have to cut, slice, or peel the veggies, then toss them in a pan with cooking oil. From here they take a half hour (sometimes longer) to roast in the oven. 

Although this can give you ample time to cook the rest of your dinner it can be annoying how time consuming it is. When you just don’t have the time but want to enjoy roasted vegetables, you wonder if there is a way you can cook them in advance and then use in meals in the future. 

This could certainly save you time and effort in the long run. So, can you freeze roasted vegetables to save them for later?

Roasted vegetables can be frozen if stored properly. This can save you tons of time and effort by having them on hand for where you want some of the roasted delicious veggies as a side or to put into a dish.

Vegetables are healthy and when they are roasted can taste really good. Some salt, peper, and olive oil goes a long way to make veggies delicious. 

Root vegetables are a great side to any meal and can even be added to soups, pasta, or casseroles. This versatile dish is yummy as well as good for you. 

With added seasoning, roasted veggies can be enjoyed even by those who don’t care for produce. Just add a little honey to roasted carrots and yum! A side dish even kids will enjoy.

For whatever reason, whether you have leftovers and want to save them long-term or you want to cook them in advance and save them, you can freeze roasted vegetables. You can freeze any type of roasted vegetable but the freezing process will change the texture of veggies with high water content like tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, or mushrooms. 

Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips freeze well and will keep their texture if they are stored correctly. We will discuss the proper way to freeze roasted veggies later on in this article.

It’s also important to use the proper freezer bags or containers when freezing roasted vegetables.

Do Roasted Veggies Freeze Well?

Roasted veggies are so good and if you have some you want to save try freezing them. This way you can just pop them out of the freezer, defrost in the fridge overnight, or in a microwave and you have a quick side dish or add-in to a recipe. 

But, do they still taste good when they are defrosted? Do roasted veggies freeze well?

To freeze roasted vegetables, first choose the right veggies to freeze. Veggies with a high water content won’t freeze well but veggies like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and parsnips will. They will still taste good when you reheat them later.

Keep in mind that the freezer will keep the vegetables as fresh as they were when they were placed in the frigid temperature so choose fresh veggies to roast and then freeze. 

Next, you will want to roast your vegetables. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper (or whatever herbs you’d like) and drizzle with olive oil (or whatever cooking oil you’d like). Then place them in a preheated oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes or whatever time your recipe calls for.  

Usually it take a bit longer than this to roast vegetables but in this case you will want to cut the time down by about 5 minutes. Now, when you reheat them weeks or months later, they will finish cooking for the perfect taste. 

If you are freezing leftover roasted vegetables then it is okay that they are fully cooked. They can still be frozen but will just need less time to reheat them when you want to use them later. 

As a side note, don’t refreeze already defrosted roasted veggies.

How Do You Preserve Roasted Vegetables?

Roasted vegetables are easy to prepare and can make for a tasty add-in to recipes or side dishes. The only thing that can be difficult about making roasted veggies is that they take a long time to prepare. 

After washing and cutting them all up it takes about 30 minutes to roast them in the oven. Because of this, you can save them for later. But how do you preserve roasted vegetables?

You can preserve roasted vegetables by refrigerating or freezing them. If properly stored, they will last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and 8 to 12 months frozen. If you know you will eat them within the week, preserve the roasted veggies in the fridge and if not, freeze them.

Freezer burn can happen if the roasted vegetables aren’t frozen properly. This can ruin their taste and texture. 

Make sure the veggies are cooled down after being roasted. Divide them into potions so you only defrost what you need to use later on. Then place the vegetables in freezer-safe containers or freezer bags. 

You can keep the variety of veggies all together when freezing them or put all of the different types of veggies in one container or bag. This is entirely up to you and how you are going to use them in the future. 

Flash-freezing works great if you are storing all of the different kinds of produce together. Just place the baking sheet of veggies into the freezer until they are solid and frozen, then transfer them over to the freezer-safe container or bag. Label the container or bag with the current date and then store in the freezer for 8 to 12 months. 

After this, they will start to lose quality like their taste and texture so use the roasted vegetables within this amount of time. Freeze roasted vegetables properly so they don’t get freezer-burn.

Final Thoughts

You can freeze roasted vegetables to save them for later. Store roasted vegetables in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or for long-term storage, freeze them. 

Roasted veggies freeze well if they are properly stored, they will last for 8 to 12 months in the freezer and will still taste good when they are defrosted and reheated weeks or months later. 

Now, you can enjoy roasted vegetables quickly and easily by freezing them and thawing some whenever you need them.