DecodedGuides

Can you freeze broccoli?

Yes, you can freeze broccoli

Best quality within 10 to 12 months.

Fresh broccoli florets on a chopping board
Photo: Christina & Peter / Pexels

Where these times come from. USDA FoodKeeper has no entry named "broccoli". The times on this page are the USDA figures for broccoli, copied without change from its Broccoli and broccoli raab (rapini) entry. The full entry lists other kinds too.

Broccoli

Up to 10 to 12 months

What the freezer time means

Freezer times from USDA FoodKeeper are about quality, not safety. Food kept frozen at 0 F (-18 C) stays safe indefinitely; what changes over the months is texture, moisture and flavour. Wrap broccoli tightly, press out air, and label the pack with the date so the window above is easy to track.

Thaw in the fridge, not on the counter. Anything that thawed in the fridge can be refrozen, with some further loss of quality; anything left at room temperature for more than 2 hours should not go back in.

Storage habits that make the difference

Store leafy greens loosely wrapped in the crisper drawer, ideally with a paper towel to absorb extra moisture. Keep potatoes, onions and garlic in a cool, dark, dry place outside the fridge, and store potatoes away from onions since they spoil each other faster. Trim and wash vegetables just before cooking.

Can you freeze other produce: fresh vegetables?

Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (public domain). How we decode the data.