Who doesnāt love a hearty bowl of porridge in the morning? Topped with honey and nuts, porridge is one of the healthiest and most filling breakfast options out there and is likely to keep you full until lunch. But what happens if you donāt have time to prepare porridge from scratch every morning?
Can You Freeze Porridge?
Yes, you can freeze porridge for up to 3 months. As you well know, there are lots of varieties of porridge and people tend to make it in different ways. However, most cooked porridge that has cooled can be placed in a container, sealed, and frozen safely.
Do Does Porridge freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Porridge? Yes
How to Freeze Porridge
Youāll be pleased to hear that porridge oats freeze extremely well, no matter the recipe that you follow to prepare them.
While we donāt deal with cooking your porridge here, below are the steps you need to follow if you want to freeze porridge.
- Cool: After heating your porridge (either in the microwave or on the stovetop), you will need to allow it to cool. If youāre preparing a big batch of porridge oats, this can take a little while, so you might want to split it into smaller containers.Ā
- Split Into Portions: Once cooled, itās time to split your porridge into portions. The best way to do this is to ladle the porridge into individual containers, but you can also use freezer-safe bags if youāre short on space.Ā
- Label and Freeze: Write todayās date, as well as the use-by date of the porridge on the front of the bags or lids of the containers, before placing it in the freezer. Remember, you can freeze porridge for around three months.
You’ll be pleased to hear that porridge oats can be frozen in many forms besides basic porridge, including as a bircher or as flapjacks.
3 Tips for Freezing Porridge
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing porridge to have the best results:
Prepare Porridge in Large Batches
Making porridge ahead of time before freezing is a great way to plan a healthy breakfast every morning. When you have some time in the kitchen, make a big batch of porridge on the stove and separate it into smaller portions that can be frozen, as this will give you a daily portion of porridge without the need for prep time in the mornings.
Leave Off the Toppings
We all love something different on our porridge, be it dried or fresh fruit, nuts, or even cereals. But if youāre planning to freeze your porridge, itās a good idea to leave the toppings off until you serve it. Freezing topped porridge can affect its texture and may cause the toppings to spoil while in the freezer.
Reheat From Frozen
While itās helpful to defrost porridge in advance (as we explain below), if youāve forgotten to thaw your morning serving, you can always reheat it from frozen in the microwave. Although it takes slightly longer, it ensures you donāt have to miss out on your morning bowl of goodness!
How Long Can You Freeze Porridge?
In most instances, cooked and cooled porridge will be fine in the fridge for up to 4 days, but freezing it is the best way to preserve its taste and texture in the long term.
Porridge that has been stored correctly should be perfectly fine in the freezer for several months.Ā We stick to roughly 3 months, however, to ensure you can still enjoy your porridge at its best.
When kept in an airtight Tupperware container, porridge will last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge before it needs to be thrown out.
How Do You Defrost Porridge?
As mentioned, you donāt necessarily need to defrost porridge, as it can be reheated from frozen. You can remove your serving from the freezer and place it in the microwave before heating it on a low setting.
Alternatively, you can thaw porridge by removing it from the freezer the night before you plan to eat it, placing it in the fridge. Then, by the morning, your porridge will have thawed and will be ready to reheat in any way that you choose.
Can You Refreeze Porridge?
While refreezing porridge that has been correctly stored and defrosted in the fridge is safe, itās not recommended. Thawing and freezing porridge affects its moisture content, and you may find that your porridge tastes a little bland or watery the more you refreeze it.
If youāre worried about wastage, itās much better to reduce your portion sizes, so you can easily take out the required amount of porridge from the freezer.
Does Porridge Freeze Well?
Porridge freezes extremely well. Youāre unlikely to notice any difference in the taste between freshly prepared porridge and oats that have been cooked, cooled, frozen, and reheated.
This makes it the perfect breakfast option for busy mornings and means it can be reheated in a matter of minutes on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing porridge or porridge in general, then these may help:
Bircher muesli can be frozen for around 3 months. Once you’ve made your bircher and allowed it to sit in the fridge overnight, portion into small Tupperware containers, seal tightly with a lid and then store in the freezer.
Yes, porridge that has been made with milk is perfectly safe to freeze. It can be frozen for 3 to 4 months.
