Can You Freeze Porridge – How Long Does Porridge Last In The Freezer?

by

Can You Freeze Porridge: Talking about porridge the first thing that comes to our mind is a savory bowl of breakfast topped with nuts fruits honey seeds as one of the most filling and healthy breakfast or snack options, right?

Well, you must be wondering whether you could make a bulk of porridge in advance and freeze it to be able to use it up for the next few days. This article is going to elaborate more on this topic, and we will also share with you an amazing step-by-step guide regarding the same. Sounds interesting? Let’s dive into the topic without wasting any more time.

Can You Freeze Porridge

Can You Freeze Porridge?

Porridge does freeze extremely well and is very unlikely to show any differences in taste or safety between freshly prepared porridge and oats that are cooked, cooled, frozen, and reheated. This makes porridge an amazing breakfast option for busy mornings.

How To Freeze Porridge?

Well, to preserve your porridge you have to learn how to prepare and store them properly. Here are some easy steps to help you freeze your porridge correctly in order to make them last for the longest. The steps are:

Cool down: Once you have prepared your porridge properly either in your microwave or stove-top, let it settle down and cool down on its own at room temperature. The time for cooling down will depend upon the quantity of your Porridge. To fasten the process you can also spread it in a broader container and place it under the fan.

Split Into Portions: Once your porridge is properly cooled down, you will have to split it into smaller portions depending on the quantity and your consumption style. You can do this by ladling the porridge in individual glass air-tight containers or you can also use freezer-safe bags if you are falling short of space.

Label and Freeze: The last step is to label your container of porridge or bag first with contents and the current date and best use-by date to never fall uncertain at the time of reuse, mention the contents, and then place it inside the freezer. You can freeze porridge in various forms apart from the basic one.

Best Tips To Freeze Porridge

Now that you have learned the steps to effectively freeze your porridge, there are some tips that we highly recommend you follow in order to get the best and the most long-lasting results while freezing porridge. These tips are as follows

  • Prepare Porridge in Large Batches – Try preparing your porridge in large batches if you are planning to use them ahead of time as a healthy breakfast every single morning. This will allow you to have your daily portion of porridge every morning without the need to spend extra prep- time every morning.
  • Leave Off the toppings – We all love garnishing our porridge with dry fruits, nuts, cereals, fresh fruits, seeds, etc. But, if you are planning to freeze them all together we will recommend you to not do so. This is because the toppings are going to dry out and change their texture inside the freezer which will not only spoil them but also alter the taste of your porridge.
  • Refreeze from frozen –  While defrosting, it may happen sometimes, that you do not have In such a situation you have directly reheat it inside the microwave but make sure to keep the temperature at the lowest setting.

See More:

Can You Freeze Uncooked Porridge?

Yes, dry oatmeal porridge can also be frozen inside the freezer for a really long time but first, you will have to know what style of oats you are preserving oats come in the form of groats that are newly harvested with their hulls removed, steel cut oats that come in smaller pieces due to being cut with sharp blades, rolled oats that coming fine flakes or lastly instant oats that are rolled thinner.

Among these, groats porridge takes the longest time to cook and hence needs to be reheated longer while defrosting all of the above oats must be checked by their best-by dates before putting them inside the freezer because dry porridge can potentially develop an off flavor and smell depending upon how you have stored them.

While storing uncooked oatmeal porridge make sure to arrange for a storage place that is cold dry clean and dark. Remember that overexposure to air, direct sunlight, moisture, and heat can adversely affect the freshness and quality of your porridge making it deteriorate quickly.

Keeping the place clean is important because unwanted items in your porridge are simply going to attract bacteria.

How Long Does Porridge Last In The Freezer?

As already mentioned earlier, porridge lasts beautifully for a really good time inside the freezer if stored properly. Cooked and cooled porridge can last for about 2-3 days inside the fridge itself for hot/ humid weather conditions and about a week for cold areas.

However, freezing is the best recommended way to keep the taste and texture of your porridge intact for several months.

To make sure to consume your porridge while it is at its best version, you must use it up within 3 months. Beyond that, your porridge will not spoil but may lack its initial taste and flavor.

Instant dry porridge lasts for about 6 to 9 months, rolled oats for approximately 1 to 2 years, and steel-cut oats for up to 3 to 5 years. Plastic buckets that have oxygen absorbers can preserve your dry porridge for up to 20 to 30 years if sealed properly and kept in a cool and dry location.

For better knowledge on grain varieties like roux do check out our article on Can you Freeze Roux and clear your doubts in the freezing process.

How To Defrost Porridge?

Well, you do not need to necessarily defrost your porridge before consuming it as it can also be directly reheated from frozen. You can either remove it from the freezer and thaw it inside the fridge first overnight and reheat and consume it the next morning.

Alternatively, you can also reheat it directly in the microwave or pan making sure the heat is applied in the lowest setting, however, this process is going to take more time as compared to the previous method.

Now, if you are curious about whether you can refreeze your porridge or not, this is going to be something that e will recommend not doing for better. This is because thawing and defrosting all together adversely affect the moisture content of your porridge which may taste a little bit blunt and watery the more you keep refreezing it.

In case you are worried about wasting the leftover porridge, you can try freezing it in lower or single-serving portions in the first place so that you can easily take out your required amount and reheat it as per your choice without the need to disturb the entire thing.

FAQs On Can You Freeze Porridge

1. How do you freeze oatmeal porridge?

To freeze oatmeal porridge, first, you need to use a ladle and pour your cooked oatmeal into a broad container and let it cool down under the fan. Next, portion it out in smaller containers or bags by squeezing out the excess air first and then putting it inside the freezer.

2. Can you freeze cooked rice porridge?

Yes, cooked rice porridge can be frozen for up to 3-4 months but make sure to use only Tupperware or good quality thick freezer bags to ensure the rice is air-tight and doesn’t ferment.

3. What happens if you put oatmeal in the freezer?

Dry oats porridge will extend its shelf life if frozen correctly inside freezer bags, otherwise, the top layer is likely to dry out and make the bottom layer soggy which is going to spoil the entire taste of your porridge.

4. How long does cooked oatmeal last in the freezer?

If stored properly, a cooked oatmeal porridge can last inside the freezer for up to 6 months but always remember that it will show its best quality only if it is kept constantly frozen at 0° F and will keep safe indefinitely.

Conclusion

So with this, we have reached the end of this article, and we hope that we were successful in making this article informative enough to solve your doubts regarding freezing and preserving porridge. Make sure to follow all the instructions and safety tips thoroughly to be able to preserve your porridge efficiently and get the best results out of it.

Prepare the raw porridge first, freeze it overnight, and then garnish any toppings whatsoever every time you reheat it rather than freezing the porridge along with its toppings.

Also, do not forget to stay tuned with us for more such informative yet interesting food-related articles like Can you Freeze Semolina Pudding and many more.

Leave a Comment