How to Store Shredded Carrots | The Best Way

If you have ever used shredded carrots in a recipe, you know that storing the leftovers is an impossible task. The vegetables often dry up and waste away before you can use them again. So is it possible to prep and shred them ahead of time?

Shredded carrots can be stored for a few days in the fridge by placing them in an airtight container like a Ziplock bag. You can add a bit of water into the bag as well to keep them from drying out. If you want to store shredded carrots for more than about 4 days, freezing them is the best option.

The rest of this article will discuss the topic in more detail and give tips on the proper storage of shredded carrots.

How Can I Keep Grated Carrots Fresh?

To keep grated carrots as fresh as possible in the fridge, there are many methods that you can use. These work well, so you do not need to worry about one being more beneficial than the other.

The best ways to keep grated carrots fresh include storing them in:

• A sealed Ziploc bag
• An airtight container
• An airtight container with water
• Freezing

All of these will keep shredded carrots fresh.

When attempting to keep grated carrots fresh, the most vital thing to remember is that they should be away from any exposure to air. The longer you can keep air away, the crisper they will stay.

Once the freshness starts to fade, you will notice. The carrots will become whiter and shriveled. At this point, you can try to rehydrate them or toss the pieces into the garbage.

Shredded Carrots Storage Guide

When storing your shredded carrots, you should first ensure that you have gathered them in one location. Keeping a large amount together will increase the moisture and thus give your carrots better odds of lasting longer.

If you are baking a carrot cake, you might wonder how far ahead of time you can shred your veggies. You should only cut them up 3-4 days before you bake. 

This time frame is best because:

• Dried-out carrots will not taste as good in your recipe
• Fresh carrots quickly lose their freshness, even in the best storage

You will need to plan the day you are baking to cut the carrots in advance.

If you can, you should always try to shred carrots the same day you plan on using them for baking. Otherwise, gather them together in one group for storage.

Locate an Airtight Container

The best way to store shredded carrots is to put them inside an airtight container. This unit will keep the air out, which delays processes such as browning and dehydration. In addition, preventing natural processes will keep the carrots safe to use for a longer time.

Shredded carrots do not last as long as whole carrots. They quickly become dehydrated and brown if stored improperly in a kitchen setting. If you want to shred carrots for baking something like a carrot cake, then always use an airtight container for storage.

An airtight container can come in many materials. Though glass and plastic are the best, you can use anything so long as it keeps the air out.

The best airtight containers available on Amazon include:

• Citylife Food Storage Containers
• Rubbermaid Brilliance Leak-Proof Containers
• Superior Glass Food Containers Set

These airtight containers will keep your carrots fresh for longer. Airtight containers will keep grated carrots fresh for a longer duration as well. This container will prevent moisture from escaping for at least a week, giving you plenty of time to use them in a delicious carrot cake.

You should put the carrots inside the container and refrigerate them. Stored shredded carrots in the fridge will keep for up to a week.

Consider Freezing the Carrots 

If you do not feel that this refrigeration method will not keep the carrots fresh for as long as you need, you can decide to freeze them if necessary. Select a plastic bag that will hold all of them. Then, you can freeze using one of two methods.

The first is to blanch the carrots and then freeze them. To blanch carrots, you will need to:

• Boil water in a large pot
• Prepare a bowl of ice water and a lined tray
• Boil the carrots for 3-5 minutes
• Put in the ice water for 3-5 minutes
• Freeze on the tray, then put into the bags for freezing up to a year

Blanching is the best way to keep these shredded carrots fresh for a very long time. 

The second way is to place the carrots in a bag in a freezer. Fresh carrots can be frozen without blanching by slicing the carrot into thin circles and placing them flat inside an airtight container. However, they will lose their texture much faster this way. Blanching takes time but is more effective.

Freezing should be a secondary method to storing in an airtight container. It is harder to use frozen carrots in recipes.

Can You Freeze Raw Shredded Carrots?

You can freeze raw shredded carrots if you want to keep them for longer than a few days or weeks. This is done by using blanching, a simple technique that seals in flavors and textures.

To store your raw shredded carrots in the freezer, you will need to:

• Gather all of your carrots in one spot
• Boiling the carrots for around two minutes
• Cooling them in ice water for around two minutes
• Putting them in sealed plastic bags

Once you have made sure that all of the air is out of the bags, you can put the shredded carrots in the freezer.

Freezing shredded carrots is a great option for those who use shredded carrots often but have no idea when they will need them. The carrots can be removed from the freezer and utilized in an instant.

Many might find the blanching process a little bit tedious. You might wonder if it is necessary when freezing these vegetables. We will go over this next.

Can Fresh Carrots Be Frozen Without Blanching?

As we discussed, freezing fresh carrots is a great way to store them for a long period. However, the blanching process might be unappealing to some. You might wonder if it is possible to store carrots without putting them through this process first.

You can freeze carrots without blanching them first. This is done by:

• Rinsing off the carrots
• Slicing them into circles
• Freezing them on a tray for a few hours 
• Transferring them to a bag

Through these steps, you can freeze fresh carrots without blanching them.

Note that not blanching the carrots may impact the way the carrots taste, touch, and feel. This process seals in all of these traits, which can be vital.

If this could be an issue for you, make sure you blanch the carrots before freezing them. It might seem like a hassle, but it will be beneficial in the long run.

Related How Long Do Cooked Vegetables Last in the Fridge?

Can You Shred Carrots Ahead of Time?

Shredding carrots can take time. You might wonder if you can shred and store them days before you bake to save precious moments in your life. After all, prepping makes everything easier.

You can shred your carrots ahead of time, but only a few days in advance. If you do this too soon, they will:

• Shrivel
• Harden
• Turn a whitish color

These carrots can be used, but they will not be the same as they were before.

Keep this in mind if you want to prepare your veggies. Ensure that the day of baking is a maximum of4 days away, and then store your carrots in a Ziploc bag in the fridge.

You should not store your carrots in the fridge for more than 4 days. They will become unusable for the recipe you were planning at that point.

How Long Can I Keep Shredded Carrots in the Fridge?

As we mentioned above, there is a certain amount of time that you can keep carrots in the fridge before they are not fresh anymore. This length can vary depending on what you are keeping them in.

Shredded carrots remain edible for about two weeks in the fridge. After this, they will become:

• Dry
• Moldy
• Wrinkled

You do not want to keep carrots past this point in the fridge.

If they are whole, they can last a bit longer. Shredded carrots are more susceptible to moisture loss, so they will not make it as long as their larger carrot counterparts.

To keep carrots for longer, wait to shred them until you need them. If you have leftovers, try to use them before 2 weeks have passed, or you will be throwing them away.

How Far in Advance Can You Grate Carrots for Carrot Cake?

As we mentioned earlier, you can prepare shredded carrots up to four days in advance for the best results. What about with moist carrot cake? How far in advance can you grate carrots for this popular recipe?

While you can follow the four-day rule, it is best to shred carrots for this cake the day before. This early action will allow:

• The cake to be moist
• The carrots to keep a crunch

These items will make your cake that much better.

When storing carrots for cake, you can use a plastic bag for easy access. Ensure that it is sealed tight when put away to keep in as much freshness as possible.

If you happen to let a few days pass, it is not the end of the world. Just know that your shredded carrots might not be as fresh as they would have been the day after.

Can You Use Packaged Shredded Carrots for Carrot Cake?

If you are baking a carrot cake or similar item, you might find this process tedious. If your carrots are not keeping, you can always use store-bought pre-shredded carrots in your recipe. 

It can be a hassle to shred and store your carrots, especially for something like carrot cake. Bakers might wonder if you can use packaged shredded carrots for carrot cake rather than going through the storage and shredding processes home-grated carrots require.

You can use packaged shredded carrots for carrot cake. They are the same vegetable, after all. However, it is critical to note a few disadvantages if you decide to use this material instead of grating them yourself.

When using packaged shredded carrots, note that your carrots might be:

• Unevenly grated or delivered in a texture you do not prefer
• Dried out due to long-term storage techniques
• Unusable if they have been sitting out for too long

All of these items might happen with packaged shredded carrots.

Note: Shredded carrots from the store should find their use as soon as possible. They keep for a little longer but also tend to be more dried out than fresh carrots.

If you give up on storage and pick store-bought, you will be losing:

• The fresh qualities that come with freshly grated carrots
• The taste of carrot in your cake or other items

If you are seeking freshness, grating your carrots is the way to go. The difference will be noticeable in your creation.

Bake and Use

Once you have your carrots stored, you can use them in your baking as you need. Take them from the airtight container or thaw them to put them inside a batter or mixture. Utilize as many as you can at once to prevent the need to throw them away.

If you do not use all of your carrots, you can continue to store them in the airtight container until they seem like they are drying out. From there, you can freeze them or throw them away if they are unusable.

There are many ways that these stored veggies can be put into action. Carrots can be used:

• Inside a carrot cake
• In a healthy meatloaf
• In carrot cupcakes

All of these are great to make with fresh carrots. However, storing fresh carrots will not compromise the flavor when done a few days in advance.

Final Bite

The main thing to remember here is the fresher, the better. While you can definitely shred and store carrots ahead of time, it’s always best to do it the same day.

I hope this article has been helpful. Thanks for stoppin’ by!

For more, don’t miss How Long Does Cake Last in the Freezer, Fridge, or Left Out?