Can You Freeze Pak Choi? – All About How To Store Pak Choi In The Freezer

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Can you freeze Pak Choi?: Does the thought of storing a larger amount of Pak Choi bother you? If yes, we are ready to provide you with real-time solutions.

In this article, we shall brush ourselves with the best ways to stock Pak Choi, both in cooked and uncooked means, how can we store Pak Choi, some essential tips to keep in mind before freezing Pak Choi, and much useful information for every reader about freezing Pak Choi.

Can You Freeze Pak Choi

Can You Freeze Pak Choi?

Yes, you can freeze Pak Choi for a long time. The frozen Pak Choi will last for upto 1 year. To freeze your raw Pak Choi, you have to wash, cut into slices, and pack in a ziplock bag. For freezing cooked Pak Choi, you have to blanch it. To get a detailed step by step guide on how to freeze cooked or uncooked Pak Choi, refer the following sections.

How to Freeze Raw Pak Choi?

Freezing raw pak choi is simple and easy. The following steps can be followed for getting the best results.

  • Wash and dry: Wash Pak Choi evenly to remove any dirt present on the vegetable, care should be taken to avoid making it mushy. After washing, it can be dried by laying over a paper towel, but it should be noted that the vegetable should not be wiped with any cloth. If the washed vegetable is allowed to rest on the towel, the excess water present on the surface shall be absorbed sometime.
  • Cut into pieces: Next, cut the Pak Choi into smaller pieces for easy storage and handling too. If you want to retain strands of the vegetable, this step can be skipped. Make sure that if you are cutting the vegetable, the knife should be clean.
  • Pack into a clean zipper bag: Now place the cut pieces or strands of Pak Choi into a clean zipper bag. We recommend using a zipper bag as it prevents direct contact of the vegetable with air. Make sure to remove excess air while closing the zipper bag. Now it is ready to be frozen.

Freezing Cooked Pak Choi

Freezing cooked or blanched Pak choi is also easy way to keep the vegetable available for later days. Follow the steps given below for cooking your favorite vegetable as and when you desire.

  • Wash and chop the Pak Choi: It is always advised to wash the Pak Choi for removing any debris or dust present before storing the same. The next step involves cutting the Pak Choi into smaller pieces as per your requirement.
  • Blanch Pak Choi: You can use a perforated steel basket for this step. Firstly boil water on the stove, and keep the slice pieces of Pak choi in the perforated basket. Once the water starts boiling, place the basket containing Pak Choi inside it for 30-40 seconds. This will cook the Pak Choi to a certain level, ensuring that the basket is filled with boiling water to a level where the Pak Choi strands are dipped.
  • Cooling: After 30 to 40 seconds, remove the basket from the boiling water and wash the same immediately with ice-cold water. This will stop the cooking process of the vegetable. Any more cooking than the mentioned time will make the vegetable mushy when used. Thus, Pak Choi is cooked only to a certain level to ensure that rest of the cooking happens when it is brought under usage.
  • Drying and placing zipper bag: Drying the vegetable involves placing it on a paper towel to remove moisture present in it. Ensure to make the blanched Pak Choi as dry as possible before placing it inside the zipper bag. Remove air present inside the zipper bag while locking the same. Once these steps are complete, the Pak Choi is ready to be frozen.

How Long Can You freeze Pak Choi?

If the above steps are followed systematically, we can assure you that, Pak Choi can be stored in the freezer for almost 12 months. Also, keep in mind that the temperature should be consistently hover around zero degree celsius. However, it is seen that the nutritional value of the vegetable shall come down if stored for a longer period.

How To Defrost Frozen Pak Choi?

Frozen Pak Choi can be defrosted by removing the Pak Choi from the zipper bag where it is frozen. Then, place it in water at room temperature for some time, slowly the frozen layer dissolves and the Pak Choi is ready to use again.

The other way is to keep it open for some hours, but it takes a longer time compared to the previous step. In many cases the Pak Choi is difficult to remove from the zipper bag, hence it is directly placed in water and later removed without causing any damage to the vegetable.

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Other Ways to Store Pak Choi

If you are wondering if or not there are other ways to store Pak Choi for a longer time. The below list will meet your inquisitive brain:

  • Storing in the refrigerator: Intended for short-term use as with any other vegetable.
  • Freezing Pak Choi: Long-term use of Pak Choi can be expected in this process.
  • Canning with pressure: Pak Choi is stored in a sealed container for a longer shelf-life.
  • Pickling Pak Choi: Pak Choi pickles can be relished at all times of the year by pickling them.
  • Dehydrating Pak Choi: By removing the moisture from Pak Choi, it can be stored for a few days.

Tips For Freezing Pak Choi

There are certain tips for freezing Pak Choi that will ensure a greater life of the vegetable also, it will keep the taste of the product intact.

Remove Yellow Leaves:

It will always ensure that the frozen Pak Choi is of good quality. The yellowing strands or lens of Pak Choi are indications that the nutritional value has degraded in the vegetable. Hence, it is advised to remove the yellow leaves from the storage quantity.

Be Gentle While Washing:

Be careful while washing the Pak Choi as it is tender and delicate. More pressure on the raw leaves can result in mushy defrosted Pak Choi. So, ensure not to go heavy on the raw Paak Choi during the cleaning process.

Use a Straw to Remove Air:

It is a wise option to remove air with a straw as it will help to remove the maximum air present inside the zipper bag. Sometimes, even with our best efforts, we fail to release the air present inside the zipper bag. Therefore using a straw is the best way to remove air from the zipper bag.

Can We Freeze Defrosted Pak Choi?

No, we shall not recommend you this, during the first frosting or freezing of the Pak Choi, a lot of moisture from its surface whether it is done through blanching or without. Hence, when the same vegetable is de-frosted, it is difficult to freeze it again without making it mushy. Once Pak Choi turns mushy, it not be right to freeze it again.

FAQs on Can You Freeze Pak Choi

1. Can Pak Choi be frozen after cooking?

No and Yes. If you have completely cooked the Pak choi on the flame or under heat, it will be a futile effort to freeze Pak choi. And Yes you can cook the Pak choi by blanching and then following the necessary steps for freezing.

2. How long does pak choi last in the fridge?

The Pak Choi will last for 5 days in the fridge.

3. Can you eat pak choi uncooked?

Yes, you can eat raw or uncooked Pak Choi when it is young. But it is best to consume briefly cooked Pak Choi.

4. How to freeze Pak Choi without turning it mushy?

Avoid applying too much pressure on the vegetable while cleaning it also, don’t over cook more than 40 seconds while blanching. It will prevent the vegetable from becoming mushy when defrosted.

Key Takeaways

Overall, it can be said that Pak Choi can be stored frozen and consumed for a pretty long time provided it is frozen properly. Given its delicious taste and nutritious value, many people are eager to buy it in bulk. If you are a fan of this amazing vegetable and don’t know what to do with the bulk Pak Choi that you have brought from the market, the article can prove to be a reliable mentor.

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