Delicious, healthy and perfect for a quick and tasty breakfast – Kedgeree is the perfect meal and whilst this is traditionally a breakfast dish, we think you should be able to eat it whenever you want! But, is this possible?
Can You Freeze Kedgeree?
Yes, you can freeze kedgeree for up to 3 months. But it does contain rice, and you do have to be careful when freezing rice. But, as long as you freeze it well, there is no reason you can’t freeze any leftover kedgeree.
Do Does Kedgeree freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Kedgeree? No
How To Freeze Kedgeree
Before you get to freezing your kedgeree make up your batch of the stuff and then allow it to cool completely. As soon as it has cooled, get to freezing it as you don’t want to leave it out at room temperature for too long:
- Portion it: Divide the kedgeree into portions. This makes it much easier to thaw out just the right amount and not waste any.
- Decant into Bag: Grab some freezer bags that can be sealed tightly. Pop a portion of kedgeree into each bag.
- Seal: Squeeze out any excess air from the bags and then seal the bags tightly. This helps keep the kedgeree fresh and avoids that freezer burn taste. Label the bags with the date and the contents – you don’t want to forget what is in the bag!
- Freeze: Pop the bags into the freezer and freeze until you need a portion of delicious kedgeree.
If you prefer to use freezer-safe containers with lids, then you can, but freezer bags should work well and take up a lot less space in the freezer.
3 Tips for Freezing Kedgeree
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing kedgeree to have the best results:
Use Thick Bags
Kedgeree is far from the most subtle smell so make sure you use good-quality, thick freezer bags as you don’t want your whole freezer to take on the smell of spiced rice and smoked fish.
Freeze In Portions
To avoid wasting kedgeree in future, make sure you freeze it in suitably sized portions based on how much you know you’ll eat in a sitting.
Freeze It Quickly
You don’t want to leave rice sitting out for long. As soon as it has cooled, get it frozen.
How Long Can You Freeze Kedgeree?
Once your kedgeree is frozen, you should use it within 3 months.
Rice can be a little tricky to freeze and thaw out due to the bacteria it contains so you do need to be careful and use it as soon as you can.
Kedgeree can be kept for up to 3 days in the fridge. Once it has cooled to room temperature, it needs to be immediately placed into the fridge.
How Do You Defrost Kedgeree?
When it comes to defrosting your kedgeree you need to make sure you take care. As we already mentioned, rice can be a little difficult to freeze successfully and it is one of the food products that are more likely to make you sick.
However, you can freeze and reheat rice successfully as long as you are careful.
Always use the slow ‘in the fridge’ method to defrost a rice base dish like kedgeree. This helps to stop the rice from sitting at room temperature which is the temperature that the bacteria contained in it is most likely to grow.
This bacteria can’t be killed off by cooking which is why it is important to take so much care.
Just make sure you follow these basic rules for defrosting kedgeree:
- Remove the Night Before: Take the kedgeree out of the freezer the night before you need it and allow it to thaw out slowly overnight in the fridge.
- Place In the Fridge: Make sure you keep the kedgeree in the fridge until you need it. You don’t want the rice to come up to room temperature until it’s time to cook it.
- Don’t Try to Speed it Up: Don’t try and speed up the thawing process as any of these options either what up the rice or encourage it to be sitting t room temperature for too long.
- Reheat: Reheat your kedgeree in the microwave and ensure it is piping hot before eating.
Can You Refreeze Kedgeree?
No, you should never refreeze kedgeree. It is the bacteria in rice that causes the biggest problems. Every time you freeze and then thaw out the kedgeree this bacteria has more chances to thrive and then make you ill.
Only freeze the kedgeree once and once it has been reheated and cooled you need to throw away any leftovers.
Does Kedgeree Freeze Well?
Despite the difficulties in freezing rice dishes, kedgeree is a dish that does freeze fairly well.
As long as you follow the instructions and thaw out the kedgeree properly, then you shouldn’t even notice much if any difference at all between fresh and frozen kedgeree.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing kedgeree or kedgeree in general, then these may help:
Although traditionally made with smoked haddock (or even kippers), there’s nothing to stop you from using other fish such as salmon. So can you freeze salmon kedgeree? Well, yes you can! The process is exactly the same as the one outlined in this article.
Yes, you can reheat kedgeree the next day either in a pan for a few minutes or in the microwave.
