Can You Freeze Turmeric Paste?

This comprehensive guide tells it to you exactly at is: covering everything from when should you freeze turmeric paste to how, in detailed steps, along with all the tips and hacks you need to make sure you freeze it in the most efficient, easiest way possible with the least hassles.

Put together with the help of time-tested personal experience, expert opinion, and hours’ worth of research, and this guide is your best friend when it comes to freezing turmeric paste!

Read on to find out everything you need to know about freezing turmeric paste successfully at the comfort and ease of your home!

How to Freeze Turmeric Paste

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

While this is not always the most recommended method if say you do not require or end up using the entire amount of turmeric paste you have frozen.

In that case, you will have to thaw all of it, but the leftovers will have to be discarded, as refreezing is never advised.

That said, this is the easiest method. Follow this to freeze your turmeric paste only if you are absolutely sure that you will be using up all of it in a recipe in the future.

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Materials

• Appropriately sized, rigid, freezer-safe container with tight-fitting lid

Tools

• Large airtight resealable heavy-duty freezer bag

Instructions

1. Transfer the turmeric paste into the container – This is slightly tricky in the sense that you need to choose the perfect container for this.
   
   While it cannot be too big such that there is too much space left in it even after the paste is inside, there also needs to be around an inch of headspace left for the turmeric to expand while freezing. So, choose your container accordingly, and definitely make sure it is freezer-safe.
   
   
2. Seal container tightly – The container must have a tight-fitting lid. Snap it on securely once all your turmeric paste has been transferred inside.
   
   
3. Put container into airtight freezer bag – This added layer of protection is to make sure that your turmeric paste holds up in the freezer for up to 3 weeks against freezer burns. Again, make sure the bag is appropriately sized and of good quality.
   
   
4. Seal freezer bag carefully - Squeeze out all the air possible from the freezer bag, and seal it tightly and securely.
   
   
5. Label and freeze – Label the freezer bag. Your turmeric paste is good to freeze!
   

Freezing Turmeric Paste Dollops

This method is one of the most widely recommended ones for freezing turmeric paste! It is also known to ensure better preservation of the turmeric paste in the freezer, thanks to the flash-freezing.

Whip the turmeric paste in a bowl

Again, you will not need to do too much of this as the turmeric paste is an advantage here. Just whip till it is stiff.

Use the whip to place dollops of turmeric paste on a baking sheet or tray

First, line the baking tray or sheet with some parchment or wax paper.Then, as mentioned, use the whip to form dollops of paste, and place each dollop on the paper, leaving some distance between the dollops.

Cover the baking tray with a large airtight freezer bag, seal and flash-freeze

This is to make sure that your turmeric dollops are not exposed to any freezer airs.

Put it inside the freezer and allow the paste dollops to flash-freeze for at least six to seven hours. To be safe, you can even leave them in the freezer overnight.

Transfer frozen dollops inside a rigid airtight container

Once the turmeric dollops have frozen hard, pick them off the sheet and place inside a rigid airtight, freezer-safe container. Snap its lid on tightly and securely.

Put container into airtight freezer bag and seal carefully

Squeeze out all the air possible from the freezer bag, and seal it tightly and securely.

Label and freeze

Label the freezer bag. Your sweetened turmeric paste dollops are good to freeze!

Freezing Turmeric Paste in Ice Cube Trays

If your turmeric paste is not too stiff or solid, it is a great idea to freeze it in ice cube trays.

This is a very widely recommended method! It helps preserve your turmeric paste really well, and also saves storage space; allows you to freeze and use in portions!

Divide the turmeric paste into single-serving portions

This is important as it makes your storing process much easier and more hassle-free, as well as the later processes like thawing.

Pour the turmeric according to serving portions into the ice cube trays

Do this carefully, and be sure to not fill the cubes to the brim with the turmeric paste as it will expand while freezing. 

Cover the ice trays with aluminum foil and flash-freeze

Once the ice trays have been covered securely with aluminum foil, stick them in the freezer and let the turmeric paste flash-freeze for at least 5 to 6 hours. To be safe, you can even flash freeze overnight.

Transfer the cubes to airtight freezer bags

Once they have frozen properly into cubes, take the trays out, pop out the cubes and transfer them into airtight freezer bags. Do this process quickly so that the frozen turmeric paste cubes do not start to thaw. 

Seal securely, label and freeze

Squeeze out as much excess air as possible from the freezer bags after putting the turmeric cubes inside. Once the bags are sealed securely and labeled, they are ready to freeze!

While freezing in ice cube trays is a great method to freeze turmeric paste in portions, it is not the only one. The next method is also preferred by many people.

Freezing Turmeric Paste in Portions 

This is the other, really good method to freeze turmeric paste in portions that does not involve as much hassle as freezing them in ice cube trays. 

Freezing in portions is always recommended for freezing any foods, as this makes sure that you are able to only take and use as much as you need at a time without having to touch or thaw the rest or get into re-freezing them, which is strictly advised against. 

Pour the turmeric paste according to portions in small airtight freezer bags

You can also use a sturdy spoon if it helps make it easier. Remember to not fill the freezer bags to the brim. Leave around an inch of space as the turmeric will expand while freezing.

Seal the freezer bags carefully

As soon as you are transferring the turmeric paste portions into the freezer bags, seal them securely after squeezing out all the excess air from them. 

Double-bag all the bags

This is highly recommended as it helps give your turmeric paste the added layer of protection it requires to survive the freezer burns in the freezer. Just be sure to make all the bags involved totally airtight.

This goes without saying, but using good quality, totally airtight and watertight freezer bags is central to making sure your turmeric paste stays well in the freezer.  

Label the bags and freeze

Label all the bags with the storage date, so that you do not end up forgetting to use them up in time and keeping them in the freezer indefinitely. They are good to freeze! 

How to Freeze Turmeric Rice

Turmeric rice is a delicious, authentic dish that is not only absolutely delicious, but is also healthy and brimming with nutritious benefits!

It can be prepared easily with turmeric paste, and can be frozen just as easily as well! Here, I show you how to freeze it in portions.

In general, too, it is always recommended more strongly to freeze any food in serving portions so that you can only take, thaw and use the amount you need at a time without having to touch or thaw the rest.

It helps avoid having to refreeze, which should be avoided at all costs.

Cook your turmeric rice as you would

In case you would like a refresher, here is a quick and simple guide on cooking a plate of delicious turmeric rice:

Allow the rice to cool down completely

Never freeze any food while it is still hot or even warm. Allow the rice to come down to room temperature before prepping to freeze it. If possible, you can also keep it in the fridge for a while.

If you are freezing leftover rice, these two steps can be skipped to go right into this next one.

Portion into small airtight freezer bags

Once cooled down, transfer the rice, based on serving portions into small airtight freezer bags.

Seal securely, label and freeze

Make sure to squeeze out as much air as possible from the freezer bags. Then seal them tightly and securely.

Label them with the storage date, and stick them in the freezer. Your rice can be frozen for up to 3 months!

How Long Can You Freeze Turmeric Paste?

For best results, the frozen turmeric paste should not be kept in freezer storage for beyond five to six months and should ideally consumed within that time frame. 

The shelf life of turmeric paste in the freezer is quite impressive considering you can only keep it in the refrigerator for at the most, a week.

However, I really do not recommend keeping turmeric paste in the freezer for longer than six months.

This is also I always recommend freezing with the storage date labeled. This way, you do not end up keeping the turmeric paste in the freezer for too long.

How to Store Frozen Turmeric Paste?

As discussed, turmeric paste can be kept in freezer storage in airtight containers with tight-fitting lids, or also whole or in portions, or even in the form of cubes.

Whichever method you go with, the sealing and freezing needs to be done very carefully;

good quality airtight and watertight freezer-safe containers need to be used, and it needs to be ensured that the turmeric is frozen at the same, consistent temperature in the freezer.

For all the processes and methods prescribed here, using heavy-duty, airtight, resealable, freezer-friendly bags and pouches to freeze the turmeric paste in is a must.

If you are using containers instead, ensure that they are freezer-safe and have tight-fitting lids. 

And they need to be sealed really well. A vacuum sealer is actually a great investment for this purpose, especially if you freeze food often. It would help get all the air out.

Remember that your turmeric paste may not hold up well in the freezer even beyond a couple of weeks if the storage is not done properly, following all the instructions correctly and meticulously and making sure you use the best quality materials.

How to Defrost Frozen Turmeric paste?

The best way to defrost frozen turmeric paste is to transfer it to the refrigerator from the freezer and let it thaw overnight. In case of texture changes, giving the turmeric a good whip helps. There are specific methods for defrosting, based on your method of freezing.

In case of just the turmeric paste itself, you can thaw in the fridge, or even in some cases, add the turmeric directly into cooking dishes.The same applies for turmeric paste cubes.

Each cube should hold roughly one teaspoon of turmeric paste, so you can use them accordingly to add directly into cooking recipes that require small amounts of turmeric paste.

The heat will melt them into the dish anyway.

As for the whipped turmeric dollops, you can thaw them on the kitchen counter for around 10 minutes and they will be good to use for cupcakes and small cake fillings.

The dollops are to basically act like whipped turmeric paste, that has already been divided into usable portions.

In case of turmeric paste that has separated during the process of freezing or thawing, don’t worry! It can be fixed.

Jiggle and lightly shake the turmeric while still inside the container and with the lid still on. This helps reconstitute the ingredients significantly.

Otherwise, you can simply give the frozen and thawed turmeric paste a good whip to beat it back into shape as much as possible.

Know that once frozen, turmeric paste will not whip up the same way that fresh turmeric does. However, it can still be used in a multitude of recipes.

Can You Re-freeze Frozen Turmeric Paste?

It is not recommended to re-freeze frozen turmeric paste, as, to freeze and thaw it once would already take a toll on its consistency, texture, and even flavor. But to repeat that whole process once more might render the turmeric ruined beyond salvation. 

Try your best to use up all of the turmeric paste the first time around that it is thawed. In the case of leftovers, it is best to discard them as chances are that they are no longer suitable for consumption. 

This is also the reason that I advise you to freeze turmeric paste, or honestly any food for that matter, in serving portions, or together at once only if you are confident that you can use it all up at one go. Refreezing is really not worth it. 

Does Turmeric Paste Freeze Well?

Yes, turmeric paste freezes fine. If frozen carefully and correctly following the instructions properly, you can store your turmeric paste in the freezer for up to even six months.

While you can freeze turmeric paste safely, do know that at times, the texture can change considerably.

Frozen turmeric paste will never have the same consistency or be able to be whipped up the way we can do with fresh turmeric paste. 

Also, remember that you must use up the turmeric paste mandatorily within a maximum of five to six months of freezing.

Keeping it in the freezer for beyond that will not improve it in any way; consuming the turmeric paste might even be dangerous to an extent.

FAQs

Bottom Line

We hope this comprehensive, step-by-step guide covering the best methods to freeze turmeric paste successfully at the safety and ease of your home has helped you!

For any further questions you may have regarding freezing turmeric paste, please do let us know by reaching out to us! If you have any other tips and tricks, feel free to reach out and let us know; we will add them to this guide so they can help more people!

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