Can You Freeze Peanut Oil?

3 minutes

Peanut oil has seen a rise in popularity over recent years as more and more people have been using it for its high smoke point and relative healthiness. But how do you store excessive quantities of peanut oil?

How to Freeze Peanut Oil

Freezing peanut oil isn’t quite as simple as you might first think, the reason is that peanut oil has a slightly different freezing temperature to other liquids in your kitchen.

To ensure success, follow our steps:

1. Select Appropriate Containers: Most liquids expand when frozen, so you need to use a container with some headspace. When the liquid is in the jar, the peanut oil you’re freezing should have twenty percent of the jar remaining for expanding into.
2. Decant the Peanut Oil: Decant the peanut oil into as many jars or containers as necessary to be sure that you’ve got plenty of space without the oil breaking any of the jars.
3. Seal the Containers: Sealing the containers is a simple step, but a tight seal will prevent frost from getting into the container and causing contamination within the freezer.
4. Freeze: Transfer all of the containers into the freezer, being sure that you place them along the walls of the freezer.

3 Tips for Freezing Peanut Oil

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

Freeze It in the Fridge
Peanut oil freezes at 37˚F. Since most people keep their fridges at around 40˚F or below, there’s a good chance that you might be able to freeze the peanut oil in your fridge. If you’re running low on freezer space, this could be a great option.

Write a Clear Label
Labelling peanut oil with the correct date will help you to avoid the consumption of any oil that’s gone rancid. It will also help you to determine the type of oil if you have frozen olive, vegetable and rapeseed oil too.

Use an Ice Cube Tray
If you only use small portions of peanut oil, then consider freezing it into cubes. Pour the oil into the slots of an ice cube tray, wrap it in cling film and then freeze.

How Long Can You Freeze Peanut Oil?

You can freeze peanut oil for up to a year. Whether the oil has been used or not used at all, it will freeze solid and well for around a year.

You can ensure you get the whole year by avoiding contaminants – any contaminating bacteria or bits of grime will ruin the whole batch of oil. Therefore, make sure your oil is clean and clear.

How Do You Defrost Peanut Oil?

You can defrost peanut oil quickly by simply standing it on the counter overnight. Over the course of those hours, the peanut oil will go from solid and opaque to thawed and clear.

You could speed this process up by standing it in the sun, but we would advise against heating it since a large volume of hot oil is dangerous.

Can You Refreeze Peanut Oil?

Yes, you can refreeze peanut oil.

Ultimately, it contains no meat, fish, or dairy. This means that you can refreeze it as many times as you might want without worrying about degradation or food hygiene.

Does Peanut Oil Freeze Well?

Yes, peanut oil does freeze well. As with any frozen item, though, it’s likely to lose its flavour over the course of long-term freezing.

Therefore, if you store peanut oil for a year or more, you can bet it will have lost some flavour and aroma. However, its frying and cooking abilities will not have degraded.

Related FAQs

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