Soya mince is a great option if youāre avoiding meat. It’s one of the most versatile meat alternatives and can be hidden in various dishes. But, if you want to buy it in bulk, how should you store it?
Can You Freeze Soya Mince?
Yes, you can freeze soya mince for up to 3 months. The best way to freeze plain soya mince is to place it into an entirely sealable freezer container. When in the container, eliminate as much excess air as possible, then freeze.
Do Does Soya Mince freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Soya Mince? Yes
How to Freeze Soya Mince
To freeze soya mince, first ensure that itās entirely cooled to room temperature – this is the best way to ensure that you prevent condensation as much as possible, which will cut down on the risk of bacterial growth.
- Portion: When the mince is cooled, portion it into a sealable freezer container, either a bag or a rigid container.
- Seal: Ensure that you press out as much air from the container as possible, and then seal it shut all the way – do not allow any air to get into the container, as this could lead to freezer burn over time.
- Freeze: Once sealed, label the mince package with the correct date, and place it into the freezer, to be stored for up to three months.
Yes, uncooked soya mince can be frozen in freezer bags for around 3 months. Ensure you freeze it in portions, so you don’t have to refreeze it.
3 Tips for Freezing Soya Mince
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing soya mince to have the best results:
Eliminate Air
Removing as much air from the package with the mince as possible is a great way to reduce the risk of freezer burn. Freezer burn can occur when small pockets of air condense to water before freezing, expanding, and ruining the texture of your food.
Wrap in Foil
If youāre especially concerned about freezer burn, one of the primary ways it can happen is when food is touching some exceptionally cold within the freezer. This lowers the temperature of the food, leading to freezer burn over time. To prevent this, wrap the package in foil to create a physical barrier between it and any ice in the freezer.
Freeze in a Sauce
We say this quite often, and thatās because itās some good advice – when freezing something within a liquid, the entire liquid will typically freeze before that ice spreads to the food. Therefore, keeping the soya mince within an amount of liquid will prevent freezer burn from setting in as quickly.
How Long Can You Freeze Soya Mince?
You can freeze soya mince for around three months, and freezes particularly well. This is because, within the mince itself, thereās relatively little moisture since itās mostly just soy protein and other elements from soy flour.
To ensure you freeze soya mince for as long as possible, we recommend wrapping a rigid container containing the soya mince in foil. This will eliminate direct contact with ice, reducing the risk of freezer burn.
Cooked soya mince can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for around 3 days. Beyond this, there is a risk that it will have gone bad, so it should be thrown out.
How Do You Defrost Soya Mince?
The best way to defrost soya mince is to remove the lid from the container and microwave the entire container.
Microwave the soya mince on high in batches of two minutes, stirring the mince and allowing it to stand for a few moments between increments.
Continue to do this until the soya mince is entirely steaming hot all the way through – this will ensure your food is safe.
Can You Refreeze Soya Mince?
Yes, you can refreeze soya mince. While being thawed, cooked, and refrozen, soya mince doesnāt lose much of its structural integrity. The point at which that happens is when freezer burn starts to set in.
The best way to avoid freezer burn is to use up the food youāre freezing before the burn gets a chance to set in. We recommend eating soya mince within three months of freezing to ensure that you get it as its best.
Does Soya Mince Freeze Well?
Yes, soya mince does freeze well.
Soya mince freezes well because there isnāt a lot of water running through the individual particles of soya meat, meaning that theyāre unlikely to rupture and become slightly destroyed when theyāre frozen.
If youāre exceptionally concerned about soya mince succumbing to freezer burn, we would suggest wrapping the sealed container in aluminium foil since that will prevent the food or the container from coming into direct contact with ice, which would speed up the process of freezer burn setting in.
Related FAQs
If youāve still got questions about freezing soya mince or soya mince in general, then these may help:
Yes! If you have frozen raw soya mince and then cooked it, you can go ahead and freeze this. Once it has cooled, portion it up and then freeze.
Yes, Quorn can be frozen for around 2 months. Most Quorn products can be frozen.
