Can You Freeze Chickpea Stew?

How To Freeze Chickpea Stew

The best way to freeze chickpea stew is in handy portion-sized containers or bags. Pick out how big you want each portion to be.

Do you want to freeze in individual portions for one or family-sized portions for the whole family? Once you have decided then grab enough freezer-safe containers or freezer bags and follow this method.

1. Label
   Label your bags or freezer container with the date and the contents. It is easier to do this before you add any liquid as it can get messy if you try and write on freezer bags when they are full.
2. Cool
   Allow the chickpea stew to cool completely before freezing.
3. Portion
   Ladle portions of chickpea stew into your containers or freezer bags. Don’t overfill because the stew will expand a little as it freezes and burst out of the container if it hasn’t got enough space.
4. Seal
   Seal the freezer bags tightly or pop on the lid to your containers.
5. Freeze
   Place the chickpea stew into the freezer carefully. You will need to keep the bags or container upright until the stew has frozen otherwise it may spill and make a mess. Let the chickpea stew freeze for a few hours in this position. After this, you can put them into the freezer as normal.

How to Freeze Chickpea Curry

Chickpea curry is also a fantastic way to use your chickpeas and not only is it tasty but it’s healthy too. You will be glad to know that you can also freeze chickpea curry but like a chickpea stew.

Make sure you freeze any rice separately and carefully. We have instructions on this for you to take a look at here. For the chickpea curry itself, you can follow the same instructions outlined above for freezing chickpea stew.

3 Tips for Freezing Chickpea Stew

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing chickpea stew to have the best results:

• Use Good-Quality Bags – The last thing you want is stew leaking in your freezer so if you’ve opted for bags then make sure they’re thick and of good quality to prevent leakages. 
• Add Fresh Herbs After Thawing – Once you’ve thawed and reheated a portion of chickpea stew, add a sprinkling of fresh parsley or coriander to bring it back to life and give it a note of freshness. 
• Label It – If you’ve got a Perisian-inspired chickpea stew, a French version and a curry then you will struggle to tell the difference between the 3 once they’ve been frozen so make sure you write clear and detailed labels. 

How Long Can You Freeze Chickpea Stew?

Chickpea stew can remain frozen for up to two months which is the perfect amount of time if you are either freezing leftovers or if you plan to batch cook up a pot of chickpea stew to eat for lunches or easy meals throughout the next few weeks.

You Can Freeze Chickpea Stew for Around 2 Months

How Do You Defrost Chickpea Stew?

When it comes to thawing and reheating the chickpea stew the best method to use to defrost your chickpea stew in the fridge. This allows the stew to defrost slowly and thoroughly while never allowing it to sit at the optimum temperature for harmful bacteria to grow.

So just grab out your stew, make sure it’s in a bowl so that it doesn’t leak all over the fridge and put it into the fridge the night before you plan to use it. By the morning you should have delicious stew ready to heat up.

If you do want to speed up the process you can use the microwave.

Empty the stew into a microwavable bowl and put it into the microwave on a defrost setting for a few minutes. Give it a stir and make sure it is thoroughly defrosted before heating the stew up.

Can You Refreeze Chickpea Stew?

No, we would not recommend that you refreeze the chickpea stew once it has been thawed out and reheated. This is because it just isn’t worth the risk that harmful bacteria may grow and cause you to get sick.

Does Chickpea Stew Freeze Well?

Yes! Chickpea stew does freeze very well. Although the taste may change very slightly it shouldn’t’ be enough of a change for you to even notice. By the time it has been heated up again, it will be just as delicious as it was when it was first made.

There really is no excuse not to make a batch and pop it in the freezer for your daily lunches.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing chickpea stew or stew in general, then these may help:

Can You Freeze Lentil Stew?

Lentil stews can thankfully be frozen in much the same way as chickpea stew. Allow it to cool, portion it into bags or airtight containers and then freeze. When it comes to enjoying it, just defrost in the fridge overnight then warm through the following day.

Can You Freeze Canned Chickpeas?

Canned chickpeas have an incredibly long shelf life so we would recommend keeping them in the cupboard if they are unopened. However, perhaps you’ve opened a tin but only need half?

The good news is that you can freeze the leftovers. Just drain and then tip into a freezer bag. After 30 minutes in the freezer, give them a vigorous shake to try to prevent them from clumping together.