Sambal is a spicy condiment that is made from fresh chillies, garlic, onions, and other spices. It’s hot and fiery and is popular in Asian countries, including Malaysia and Singapore. But what’s the best way to preserve it?
Can You Freeze Sambal?
Yes, you can freeze sambal for up to 6 months. Once prepared, portion it up into freezer-safe bags and place it in an airtight container.
Do Does Sambal freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Sambal? Yes
How to Freeze Sambal
Sambal is super hot and spicy and is a perfect accompaniment to serve up alongside Asian cuisine.
If you have a signature Sambal recipe up your sleeve, you might consider making it in batches before freezing it and defrosting it as and when you need it. Let’s take a look at how to freeze Sambal the right way:
- Portion
While you can freeze Sambal in one big batch, doing so will make things a little more difficult when you come to defrost it. Therefore, we’d recommend portioning it at this stage, so you can easily remove the Sambal you need from the freezer at any given time. - Bag Up
Take your individual portions of Sambal and add them to suitably sized freezer-safe bags. Before sealing the bags, press out as much air as possible to protect the Sambal from freezer burn. - Place in an Airtight Container
Given the potency of the chillies and flavours within Sambal, it’s important to place the bags inside a freezer-safe container. This will prevent the spices from impacting any other foods in the freezer. - Label and Freeze
Write today’s date and the use-by date on the lid of the container and place the Sambal in the freezer. Remember, you can freeze Sambal for around six months.
3 Tips for Freezing Sambal
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing sambal to have the best results:
Always Use Bags
If you place Sambal directly into a freezer-safe container, you will find that it’s likely to stain the tub. This is a direct result of the chillies. Therefore, make sure you bag up the Sambal first before placing it in a suitable container and adding it to the freezer.
Portion It Out
Sambal can be frozen all in one batch, but portioning it first is a much better idea. Doing so ensures you can freeze it in much smaller serving sizes and effortlessly remove whatever you need at any given time.
As you might imagine, this makes your life so much easier when you’re planning a delicious Asian meal for your family.
Refrigerate
If you’re planning to use your Sambal within 5-7 days, you can store it in the fridge, and you don’t need to freeze it. Just make sure to keep it in a jar or airtight container to protect the other contents of your fridge from its potent scents!
How Long Can You Freeze Sambal?
You can freeze Sambal for around six months. Many people agree that Sambal actually tastes better after being frozen, as the spices have had much longer to infuse.
That being said, it still tastes delicious when it’s nice and fresh, so you should only really freeze it if you need to preserve it for longer than a week. As mentioned above, Sambal will be good in the fridge for 5-7 days.
You Can Freeze Sambal for up to 6 Months
How Do You Defrost Sambal?
The night before you’re ready to enjoy Sambal, you will need to transfer it from the freezer to the fridge. This will give it sufficient time to thaw.
You don’t need to remove it from its packaging as it will thaw perfectly fine in its freezer-safe bag.
While you can thaw Sambal at room temperature, it’s always best to do it in the fridge. We wouldn’t recommend defrosting Sambal in the microwave.
Can You Refreeze Sambal?
Providing you have thawed Sambal in the fridge, it’s perfectly safe to refreeze it.
However, we would only recommend doing so once, as the more you freeze and thaw Sambal, the more it is likely to be affected by the ice crystals that form during the freezing process.
It’s for this reason that we recommend freezing Sambal in individual freezer-safe bags, as it allows you to easily remove whatever serving size you need for an upcoming meal.
Does Sambal Freeze Well?
Overall, Sambal freezes really well. You shouldn’t notice a great deal of difference between freshly-made Sambal and one that has been stored in the freezer for several months.
Just make sure it’s well wrapped and protected from freezer burn, and this delicious Asian condiment will be ready to enjoy at any time.
