Although it might not be as popular as it once was, lard is a delicious fat for using in various cooked dishes. But, as you well know, a little goes a long way. So, what’s the best way to store it?
Can You Freeze Lard?
Yes, you can freeze lard for up to 12 months. Wrap the lard in a layer of baking paper, being sure to remove as much air from the parcel as possible. Then, wrap that in a layer of cling film, and place it in the freezer.
Do Does Lard freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Lard? Yes
How to Freeze Lard
Freezing lard is simple, but follow along with our steps to ensure that you preserve your lard as well as you possibly can. This method is for freezing a complete block of lard:
- Remove Packaging: Generally, the packaging that items are stored in when you buy them is not designed for long-term storage. Removing it is a good idea so we can wrap it properly.
- Wrap in Baking Paper: Wrapping the lard in a layer of baking paper keeps any humidity and moisture from the lard trapped within it or on the surface. Essentially, this layer of wrapping is just here to retain the flavour and texture of the lard.
- Wrap in Cling Film: The layer of cling film is here to keep moisture out from the lard. Make sure that the cling film you use forms a total seal all around the lard.
- Freeze: Lard can be placed anywhere in the freezer without concern. Since it doesnāt have a considerable water content, it can be placed on the walls of the freezer without getting freezer burned.
How to Freeze Lard Ice Cubes
Another great way to freeze lard is in ice cubes. This gives you small cubes of lard that can be grabbed from the freezer and immediately used in your cooking:
- Portion Into Ice Cubes: Firstly, spoon the lard into the slots of an ice cube tray. Ensure you pack the lard in tight so that there are no air gaps.
- Wrap: If you want to avoid making a mess, wrap the ice cube tray in a sheet of cling film.
- Freeze: Pop the tray into the freezer and allow the cubes to freeze solid for several hours.
- Remove: Remove the ice cube tray from the freezer and then pop the cubes out of the tray and immediately into a bag. You’ll want to do this quickly to prevent them from thawing.
- Refreeze: Return the bag to the freezer with a clear label, where they will keep for around 12 months.
3 Tips for Freezing Lard
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing lard to have the best results:
Keep Away From Other Fats
While fat and water donāt mix, which is something that we likely all remember from science class at school, different types of fat can mix very easily. To be sure that the fat youāre using doesnāt mix into something that would be very odd to use, we recommend keeping different types of fat far from one another.
Consider a Sealed Container
While the baking paper and cling film system above would work well for sealing lard, you canāt be too careful. In the event of a power cut, the lard might start to melt. If that takes place, it will be really tricky to clean up! Consider using a sealed, rigid container.
It Might Not Even Be Worth It…
Lard can last for a long time without being frozen. Lard will typically last for 6 months in the fridge very easily. Do you really need to freeze it? That freezer space could be handy when dealing with other items.
How Long Can You Freeze Lard?
You can freeze lard for quite a long time, and thereās no absolute upper limit.
We would say that after a year in the freezer, it will start to lose quality, but even then it might be quite hard to tell – especially when you’re going to cook it.
Lard will keep in the fridge for around 6 months. It just needs to be wrapped in a sheet of cling film.
How Do You Defrost Lard?
The simplest and best way to defrost lard involves your fridge. Remove the lard block from your freezer, and then place it into the fridge.
Once itās there, it will thaw overnight and then be stored at a safe temperature for medium-length storage.
Can You Refreeze Lard?
Yes, you can refreeze lard.
Lard is quite a strange substance in that itās animal-derived, though safe to thaw and refreeze. This is down to the fact that itās pretty inhospitable to bacteria.
If you do refreeze lard, make sure to follow the steps that we laid out above.
Does Lard Freeze Well?
Yes, lard does freeze well.
The main reason for this is that the lard is very dense and has very little water content – it wonāt get freezer burned, and it also wonāt have a damaged texture.
Related FAQs
If youāve still got questions about freezing lard or lard in general, then these may help:
If you’re using the lard to cook food in, such a potatoes, then you can use it from frozen. Grab a slice or cube of lard, pop it into a hot tray and it will melt, almost instantly.
