Can You Freeze Curry – How Long Can You Freeze Curry In The Freezer?

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Can You Freeze Curry?: Curry is a delicious dish that’s loved all over the world. And most of the time it’s made in large quantities, leaving behind a lot of leftovers.

Do you also have leftover curry and wonder how to store it for the next family get-together? Can you freeze curry? Don’t panic; we are here to help you with the best storage, freezing method, defrosting process, and much more related to extending the shelf life of your curry.

Most of the curries, including popular ingredients like chicken, lamb, and vegetables, tend to freeze really well and retain all of their delicious and complex flavors. Read on to get answers to all your questions related to correctly freezing the curry.

Can You Freeze Curry

Can You Freeze Curry?

Yes, you can freeze curry, and it freezes well if prepared properly for freezing. The type of curry that you are freezing can affect how well it will freeze and the duration for which it stays good in the freezer.

Generally speaking, most curries, as well as curry paste and leaves, will freeze well and last for 2-3 months. Mind you! Potato curry is unable to withstand freezing.

Many different curries can be frozen easily, but they contain various ingredients that fair differently in the freezer.

Thus, once you understand how to properly freeze different curries, depending on their content and ingredients, you can start to successfully freeze portions to have on hand when you want a delicious yet quick dinner. So let’s find out the best way to freeze your curry.

How To Freeze Curry?

With so many different types of curry, you might be worried about how to freeze each of them in the best possible way. But you don’t need to worry, we’re here to guide you! Below are the steps you need to follow to properly freeze curry:

  • Cool the curry: First, give your curry sufficient time to cool to room temperature. You should never freeze curry that is still warm, as this can hinder the curry from freezing well.
  • Divide into small Portions: If you’ve cooked a lot of curries and have considerable amounts left over, it’s a good idea to portion it up before you freeze it. This will make your life a lot easier when you come to defrost it. Also, it’ll help you take out only as much curry as you can consume in one sitting.
  • Use Airtight Containers: Pour your curry into airtight, freezer-safe containers. Make sure you seal the lids tightly.
  • Label and Freeze: Write the date of cooking your curry, as well as the use-by date, on the lid of each container before placing it in the freezer.

With these simple steps, your curry freezing is done in no time. And this way, you can freeze curry for around three months.

How Long Does Curry Last In The Freezer?

If you’ve carefully frozen your curry in a freezer-suitable container and your freezer maintains a good temperature, your curry should be fine in the freezer for about 3 months.

Whilst you may like to freeze curry for a long time, it’s better to eat it within 3 months. Don’t try to keep them in the freezer indefinitely; they’ll start losing quality after 3 months.

We know that it’s easy to forget how long the containers are in the freezer, especially if you can’t see exactly what they are or when they were frozen.

Thus, to be on the safe side, you should label your freezer containers with the date so that you know when to take the curry out and rotate your frozen food stock a little.

Alternatively, curries can be kept in the fridge for up to 4-5 days, but they might significantly lose their flavor and texture, mainly if they include cooked vegetables or meat. Therefore after 48 hours, always look for symptoms of deterioration.

Curry Shelf Life 
In the refrigerator 4 to 5 days
In the freezer About 3 months

How To Defrost & Heat Up Your Curry?

We’d recommend thawing your curry overnight in the fridge, especially if it contains big chunks of meat. But you can also use the microwave or the stovetop.

When using the stove, put the frozen curry in a pan along with a few tablespoons of water or stock. Heat the frozen curry on low heat until it’s melted, then turn the heat up to medium. Let’s see different defrosting methods.

Defrosting curry in the fridge

The easiest way is to take out the frozen curry from the freezer the night before you need it and leave it to defrost in the fridge overnight. Depending on how big your curry container is, the defrosting can take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours.

When the curry is fully defrosted in the fridge, transfer it to a suitable saucepan and heat it on the stovetop or heat it in the microwave.

Defrosting the curry at room temperature

You need to be a little bit careful with this method, because if you leave the curry at room temperature beyond the defrosting period, the higher the chances are that the curry will start to develop harmful bacteria growth. Be more cautious if you have curry with seafood or meat.

Defrosting curry in the microwave

This is the quickest method, and you don’t need to think about defrosting the curry the night before. Most modern microwaves have a ‘defrost’ setting, so you can use that to defrost the curry.

Stir the container to make sure it’s fully defrosted before switching to the heating setting, and then heat your curry for 3-6 minutes, depending on the size. Stir every couple of minutes to make sure that the curry is heating up evenly.

If you don’t have a defrost setting on your microwave, you can – very carefully – use the regular setting to defrost your curry. In this case, place the curry in the microwave for only a few seconds and stir it in the container to distribute the heat.

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Does Curry Freeze Well?

Yes, curry, whether chicken, lamb, or vegetable, freezes well. Just be aware of the fact that curry intensifies in flavor during the freezing process, which often discourages people from using excessive amounts of spice in curries that they plan to freeze.

Vegetable curries freeze well, but the ones containing potatoes should not be frozen. This is because potatoes are likely to become mushy in the freezer and ruin the curry’s overall texture and consistency.

Vegetable curry contains plenty of liquid to cover the vegetables, which does help protect them from possible freezer burn, but it also works to make them mushier!

Can You Refreeze Curry?

If you’ve frozen curry in different small portions, take out only as much as is required in one go. And you can put the rest back in the freezer as long as it’s not completely defrosted. Otherwise, you really shouldn’t re-freeze curry if you’ve already left it to defrost or even heated it.

This is because every time you change the temperature from cold to hot again and again, you might encourage the development of harmful bacteria, which can potentially cause you an upset stomach.

Get acquainted with other curries like Thai green curry and its freezing process by referring to the guide on Can You Freeze Thai Green Curry and get a better idea.

FAQs On Freezing Curry

1. Can you freeze takeaway curries?

Yes, generally speaking, you can freeze takeaway curries without any issue. The curry freezing method remains the same as the one outlined above. Once cooled, act fast and get it stored in freezer-safe containers.

2. Can You Freeze Curry with Potatoes?

Theoretically, you can freeze potato curry, but it is one of the worst curries to freeze. When the potatoes are frozen, they will turn mushy, which can ruin the texture of your curry entirely.

3. Does vegetable curry freeze well?

Yes, vegetable curry does freeze well, but you should consume it within 2 months. Vegetables tend to go soft and mushy in the freezer, and the thawing process might make the curry more like a soup.

4. Can you freeze curry paste?

Yes, you can even freeze curry paste. This way, nothing will go to waste. When freezing curry paste, it is best to divide it into single-serving portions, so that you do not need to defrost the whole bunch when you want to make one curry.

5. Can you freeze curry mixed with rice?

Yes! You can easily freeze cooked rice, which is great if you’ve made too much or mixed it with curry. You can also freeze rice that has other ingredients mixed in, including curries with veggies or meat, as a simple part of your weekly meal preparation.

Wrapping Up

We hope this article helped you understand the freezing process, shelf life, defrosting process, and all other details related to preserving your curry. If you follow any of the freezing tips mentioned above, do share your experience in the comments section.

Don’t forget to check out our latest article Can you Freeze Chickpea Curry and keep following our website for the best wellness content.

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