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Original poster

Roasting frozen cauliflower will be a disaster, won't it?

31 replies

SpaceOp · 30/03/2022 16:59

I accidentally ordered a bag of frozen cauliflower instead of fresh florets (serves me right for deciding, for the first time in YEARS, not to jus buy a whole cauliflower).

But I bought it to do roasted veg. It won't work with frozen will it? I need to accept that I'll be making cauliflower cheese, right?

OP posts:
acquiescence · 30/03/2022 17:02

I defrosted some (not in microwave, left out for a few hours) and then roasted, worked really well in a hot oven. I left on a tea towel to absorb excess moisture. Good luck!

UnaOfStormhold · 30/03/2022 17:05

I accidentally froze some cauliflower this last weekend, defrosted and roasted and it was fine. I wouldn't make it a centrepiece of the meal but as an accompaniment it was fine. Probably better roasted than it would have been boiled for cauliflower cheese as it was soft with crispy edges rather than soggy all over.

MaChienEstUnDick · 30/03/2022 17:18

You need to get the water out of it before roasting it so as pp says, defrost it and drain/dry it really well. Then a really hot oven. I don't think it will be the same as fresh but it should be edible.

Lulu1919 · 30/03/2022 17:26

I found it was soggy ...

HoldingTheDoor · 30/03/2022 17:29

I regularly roast frozen cauliflower and it's perfectly fine. It isn't soggy at all imo and I don't bother defrosting it.

Original poster
SpaceOp · 30/03/2022 17:41

Oooh, well this is certainly exciting news and useful feedback! Thank you all. I'll give it a go. We love roasted cauliflower around here so if it is doable from the freezer (albeit defrosted first) that would save fridge space AND my annoying habit of only using it later than I planned!

I'll give it a go. I am roasting it with butternut, aubergines and onions on this occasion so might get the others in a bit earlier or do them separately.

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chardonm · 31/03/2022 05:23

I do that all the time, no sogginess and I just chuck on straight from freezer. I use a baking sheet not roasting pan so they are just on one layer.

Nnique · 31/03/2022 05:25

Frozen cauliflower works really well for roasting actually - I keep both broccoli and cauliflower florets in the freezer specifically for that purpose. No need to thaw beforehand either, just pop it in and wait patiently for the deliciousness!

Nnique · 31/03/2022 05:41

(As pp said it’s best in a single layer)

Original poster
SpaceOp · 31/03/2022 11:55

What temperature and what time?

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Mrsjayy · 31/03/2022 11:58

I used to buy frozen cauliflower cheese it cooks in the oven fine

Nnique · 01/04/2022 10:22

@SpaceOp it depends on how you like it to turn out and on your oven, but I’d say start with 180° for 25-30 min and see how it goes.

Original poster
SpaceOp · 01/04/2022 11:32

I like it crispy on outside. I have struggled to achieve this with regular cauliflower recently so perhaps this is going to change my life! Will report back after dinner tonight!

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Nnique · 01/04/2022 11:52

Make sure it’s in a single layer then and just keep it cooking until it’s hopefully the way you like it - you can also turn it up to 200 for about 5 min at the end to crispen it up more.

Original poster
SpaceOp · 01/04/2022 11:59

The problem I've had before it that it gets totally soft and soggy on inside and not crispy on outside. But I can't work it out because I didn't USED to have this problem It's extremely annoying.

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Nnique · 01/04/2022 12:09

Are you cooking it at a lower temp than you used to? Or using less/more oil? Do you parboil it?

(When using fresh, I mean)

Frozen cauliflower/broccoli doesn’t get as crispy in my experience which is why I like it - I use fresh when I want that crispness and frozen when I prefer it a little less crisp. It gets a lovely half-crisp chewiness that I like (but not soggy). So I guess you’ll have to see whether you like it or not, and maybe experiment with various temps and cooking times.

Original poster
SpaceOp · 01/04/2022 12:45

I'm doing it, I think, exactly as always. Single layer on a baking sheet. Some oil, herbs/spices, salt. And done!

First few times, all came out fabulously. Then stopped. I assume I'm doing something wrong or different but don't know what.

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Nnique · 01/04/2022 12:48

How strange! I’ve not used raw cauliflower for roasting in ages so I can’t comment on whether or not it’s changed for me...

Hopefully you’ll like it from frozen!

Original poster
SpaceOp · 04/04/2022 10:29

Taste wise, all good. But no, it didn't crisp on the outside. Having said that, I'm not convinced my oven is in the best shape. It definitely needs cleaning (Lakeland OvenMate must be purchased) and I notice that I can feel air coming out. But the weird thing is that for most things I'm still getting good results - I made DD's birthday cake and it was as fabulous as ever, last night we had a full roast no problem. But I wonder if there's something about cauliflower....

I might try next time cooking it in my top oven with no fan.

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Nnique · 04/04/2022 11:12

It doesn’t get crispy in the same way when it’s been frozen. You could try it under the grill for a couple of minutes at the end to see if that helps? Or maybe you could make oven bhajis and get crunch that way!

Original poster
SpaceOp · 04/04/2022 11:42

@Nnique

It doesn’t get crispy in the same way when it’s been frozen. You could try it under the grill for a couple of minutes at the end to see if that helps? Or maybe you could make oven bhajis and get crunch that way!
I actually wondered about grilling it completely. Maybe par boiling it, steaming dry then smacking under the grill. I still just wish I could figure out why it USED to work. Me, DS and DH went through a phase in lockdown where roasted cauliflower with cumin and fennel with a pilaf rice was a regular and favourite veggie meal. And miraculously, two of DS's friends, one of which can be a bit fussy, also loved it when they happened to be over at ours one evening.

I did take my technique from a BBC Good Food video on Instagram. I've tried to find the video to see if there's something I'm doing wrong now but I can't find it.

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Nnique · 04/04/2022 11:49

Yes it is strange...I know what you mean - when it’s done from raw it gets really crispy!

Do you parboil it before you roast? Because I just cook from raw and it gets very crispy that way.

Original poster
SpaceOp · 04/04/2022 12:01

No, never parboiled before. Basically, just used to lay it on a baking sheet, plenty of space. Add some oil, salt, and preferred herbs/spices. Stick in oven. Stir half way. Would take about 40 minutes.

But I assume I'm remembering something wrong. Temperature maybe? I don't know and it's driving me mad. Maybe I should make more effort to look through the BBCGOODFOOD insta archive!

Do you think we're both too invested in this now!? Grin

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Nnique · 04/04/2022 12:02

Heh yes I was thinking we might look rather odd to someone who comes upon this thread!

What temp do you roast at?

Original poster
SpaceOp · 04/04/2022 13:14

Usually quite hot - 180 fan. Maybe I should experiment with a lower slower temp.

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