For a healthy addition to your diet, you can’t beat coconut oil. It’s full of healthy fats that are good for your brain. It’s also great for your skin too! It tends to have an extended shelf life but how else can you go about storing it?
Can You Freeze Coconut Oil?
Yes, you can freeze coconut oil for up to five years! You should freeze it in handy portions and melt it before freezing to ensure successful freezing and to make it usable when you want to take it out of the freezer.
Do Does Coconut Oil freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Coconut Oil? No
How to Freeze Coconut Oil
The reasons for freezing coconut oil are different for the reasons you may want to freeze most foods and oils.
You don’t necessarily need to freeze it to extend its shelf life. You actually freeze it to make it easier to use in your recipes and in any skin lotions you may want to make at home. Let’s explain a little further.
Coconut oil is super easy to use for most of the year and you can easily measure out the amount you need, although this can be messy it is easy to achieve. The problem comes when coconut oil becomes cold.
It becomes much harder to separate and therefore more difficult to measure out. This is where freezing comes into the equation.
You freeze it in small and measured amounts which makes it much easier to use at any time of year! This is why we recommend that you use the method below to freeze the coconut oil in small cubes. So, let’s dive in and find out how to freeze coconut oil.
- Melt
Melt your coconut oil. You don’t want it to be cooking so heat it up slowly until it has just melted. - Portion into Ice Cubes
Grab some ice cube trays or silicone moulds. Pour the coconut oil into each section of the tray. Leave a small gap at the top to allow for any expansion as the coconut oil freezes. - Flash Freeze
Put the moulds or ice cube trays into the freezer. Keep them flat so that you get even portions of coconut oil and to prevent the oil from spilling and making a mess in the freezer. Leave for an hour or two, or for longer if you are short on time. - Transfer to a Bag
Once the coconut oil cubes are completely frozen you can take them out of the freezer. Pop the cubes out of the tray or moulds and transfer them into a freezer bag. - Seal
Seal the bag tightly and add a label so you know what is in the bag. Add the date to the label too. It’s unlikely you will find it hard to use up the coconut oil before it spoils but it’s best to be safe and be cautious. - Freeze
Put the bag into the freezer. Whenever you need some coconut oil grab a cube or two out, then reseal the bag and put the rest back into the freezer.
3 Tips for Freezing Coconut Oil
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing coconut oil to have the best results:
Consider Quantities Carefully
Make sure you choose portions sizes that match the amount of coconut oil you use regularly. Luckily, for most purposes, the size of an average ice cube is about perfect. You could also use any silicone mould that fits the portion sizes you need.
Know How to Use It
Using frozen coconut oil is the next question people ask and you can use your frozen oil in many ways. Small portions of frozen coconut oil can be used in your cooking, baking or rubbed over your skin as a soothing lotion.
You could even pop one into your bath to add some moisturising properties to your water.
Melt in the Microwave
The best method for melting your coconut oil before freezing is in the microwave. Just be careful and keep an eye on it as it melts. You don’t want it to start cooking. Pop it into a suitable bowl and put it into the microwave for a few seconds at a time and stir regularly until the coconut oil is liquid.
How Long Can You Freeze Coconut Oil?
Coconut oil keeps for a pretty long time out of the freezer! You can keep it on the shelf for up to two years. You can extend this for up to between two and five years in the freezer.
When you grab it out of the freezer check for signs of drying out or spoiling such as cracking or the oil looking flakey before using.
You Can Freeze Coconut Oil for up to 5 Years
How Do You Defrost Coconut Oil?
Defrosting coconut oil is as easy as freezing it was. Perhaps, even easier! If you need the oil defrosted then you can put however many cubes you need in a bowl and pop them into the microwave. Stir every few seconds until the oil has melted.
If you are using coconut oil as your cooking oil then you don’t even need to freeze it. You can pop it into your pan and allow it to melt as the pan heats up. Then, you are ready to start cooking.
Can You Refreeze Coconut Oil?
We wouldn’t recommend that you refreeze your coconut oil. This is a stable oil and doesn’t change too much in the freezer but this doesn’t mean it won’t start to degrade.
So to ensure your oil stays at optimum quality don’t refreeze it once it has been thawed out.
Does Coconut Oil Freeze Well?
Coconut oil does freeze well. You shouldn’t notice too much difference in texture by the time it has melted and the taste won’t change at all!
The only thing to be careful of is that your coconut oil is kept airtight in the freezer because this is what will protect it from getting that freezer burn taste.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing coconut oil or coconut in general, then these may help:
Infused coconut oil can be frozen in the same way as normal coconut oil. However, you should be aware that there is a chance the flavour of the infusion will degrade within the first few months. It may, therefore, be better to store it as you normally would in the cupboard.
Yes, organic coconut oil can be frozen in the exact same way as normal coconut oil.
