I bet you love the rich, creamy depth coconut milk adds to curries and stews. But, faced with a half-used tin, you may wonder, can this survive a stint in the freezer?
Can You Freeze Coconut Milk?
Yes, you can freeze coconut milk for up to 3 months, but it might not be something you want to do. Freezing any fatty, dairy-like product will always change the texture.
Do Does Coconut Milk freeze well? Sometimes
Can you refreeze Coconut Milk? No
How to Freeze Coconut Milk
Below is my basic method for freezing coconut milk. This works perfectly if you have half a can leftover that you don’t know what to do with:
- Grab Suitable Containers
You should find a good airtight container or a few of these if you want to portion out your coconut milk.Ā So find a small airtight container with a lid that closes properly.
- Portion Milk Into Containers
Pop your coconut milk into the containers. Put the lid on or seal the container in some way using clingfilm, for example. If you want to ensure you donāt end up with coconut milk all over your freezer, put the container in a freezer bag.
- Label and Freeze
Add the name and date so that you can keep track of when it was frozen and pop it into the freezer with the container upright. Itās that easy!
Curry made with coconut milk can be safely frozen for around 3 months. Portion it out into airtight containers, seal and freeze. Thaw thoroughly in the fridge overnight before reheating it.
Yes, you can freeze coconut milk from a tin. You will need to remove the coconut milk from the tin, pour it into an airtight container, seal it up then place it into the freezer. Do not freeze coconut milk in the tin.
How Long Can You Freeze Coconut Milk?
Coconut milk doesnāt take brilliantly to freezing and will deteriorate over time in the freezer so you canāt leave it in there too long. So, make sure you plan to use it within a couple of months.
You should only keep coconut milk frozen for 2 to 3 months maximum.
Once opened, coconut milk should be used within 7 days or by the expiration date on the carton, whichever comes first.
How Do You Defrost Coconut Milk?
Thawing coconut milk is where things can go wrong. Defrosting it too fast could leave you with an even more grainy texture and a more difficult ingredient.
So your best option is to take it out of the freezer the night before you want to use it and then put it in the fridge overnight.
If you need to defrost it a little quicker, you can put the container in a bowl of lukewarm water and leave it on the side. If you use this faster method, then you will need to use it straight away.
Once your coconut milk is fully thawed out, then it is recommended to blend it with an immersion blender for a few seconds. This will help reduce the graininess of the texture and ensure that any separation of the fats and proteins has been dealt with.
Can You Refreeze Coconut Milk?
Refreezing coconut milk is not something we would condone.
If you freeze, thaw, refreeze and then defrost your coconut milk, you will completely destroy the cream texture.
You’ll end up with grainy, lumpy milk that’s full of floating coconut fats. That doesn’t sound particularly appetising, does it?
Yes, you can freeze dishes made with previously frozen coconut milk. Just make sure to thoroughly reheat them before consuming and never refreeze once thawed and reheated.
Does Coconut Milk Freeze Well?
Unfortunately, coconut milk is not one of those products that freeze well.
It canāt be left in the freezer for too long and the texture changes considerably once it has been frozen and thawed.
Luckily the taste doesnāt change too much and you can sort out some of the texture issues with a quick blend once it has thawed.
Frozen coconut milk works best as an addition to sauces, in curries and soups, as these types of recipes hide the texture change.
Mix With Cornflour
Consider mixing coconut milk with a small amount of cornflour before freezing it. The cornflour can help maintain the emulsion of the fat, preventing the texture from becoming too grainy when defrosted.
Sources
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HOW ABOUT THIS: dairy product – Freezing any fatty, dairy product will always change the texture.
Q Exactly where IS the dairy in Coconut milk? Do they now milk coconut trees – or is the flesh still being blended .
Very valid point! Poor word choice there, we’ve since changed this to ‘dairy-like’
Thanks for spotting it Lucy