Can You Freeze Curry Paste?

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Last updated and verified on 30th August, 2022.

Can you put curry paste in the freezer?

You could freeze curry powder however there are a few points to be considered before doing so. The key to freezing curry paste is to separate your leftovers into single-serving packages.

If you’ve ever passed by the entrance of a Thai restaurant, you’ll probably imagine the delicious smell of delicious, tasty curry dishes. The aroma that comes out when a good curry paste is sprayed onto the hot frying pan is absolutely divine.

The most delicious Thai curries are prepared using fresh ingredients that have been which are then blended into an emulsion. If you’ve purchased a bag of curry paste for more than one-use or you’ve created large quantities of curry paste by yourself it’s unlikely that you’ll want to throw away even a tiny bit of this delicious ingredient.

We’ve prepared a guide to curry paste that will provide the best practices for freezing the curry paste as well as how to make use of it.

The Guide To Freezing Curry Paste

There are two easy and practical methods for freezing curry paste in single-serving containers.

  1. Make use of Ice Cube Trays
    • The curry ingredients can stain the plastic. So before you pour your curry mixture into an ice-cube tray spray it with cooking oil spray or pour a portion of cooking oils into an empty bowl. Use a basting brush to cover the tray’s interior. This will help prevent staining, but not affect the flavor or ruin the paste.
    • The length of time it takes for curry paste depends on how thick it is, similar to water it can take up to 3 hours to freeze leeks.
    • Once you’ve finished after that, take a measurement of the amount needed to paste to make your favorite recipes, and then add it to each tray.
    • Place the paste in the freezer until the mixture is completely frozen for at least 2 hours in order to ensure safety.
    • When each cube is completely frozen, you can break them off of the tray and put them all in an air-tight freezer Ziploc bag, or Tupperware container.
    • By freezing them in a separate manner so that they don’t get stuck together and you’ll be able to take each cube one at a time whenever you need to.
  1. Use plastic Wrap
    • Take a piece of plastic wrap, and place it flat on your counter.
    • Make single servings of your curry paste, and put them in tiny balls or dabs in the wrapping paper roughly 2 inches from one another, by rows.
    • Once you have all of your curry paste in order take out a second sheet of plastic wrap and then place it on top of the previous.
    • Then press all edges on each curry paste. Use cutting tools to make cuts of the paste between every line.
    • After they’ve been cut Once they’re cut, cover the plastic with curry paste to ensure a tight seal.
    • In this stage, you are able to put all of your individually wrapped curry paste balls in one safe freezer Ziploc bag, or Tupperware container, and then take them out one at a when you need to.

When To Not Freeze Curry Paste

Expert chefs often advise not to freeze curry or any other paste or dish that contains onions or garlic within the dish. If members of the family known as the allium are frozen, and then removed from the freezer, they can turn bitter and lose some of their sweetness.

If you have refined taste buds, you may not need to freeze your curry sauce in any way, rather make or purchase the amount you’ll be able to utilize in some weeks.

What’s The Best Way To Thaw Frozen Curry Paste?

For the majority of recipes, you cook your curry paste prior to adding the other ingredients. This is why it isn’t necessary to let the curry paste thaw prior to making use of it. Simply put it in an oil-based pan in the manner your recipe calls for, and then let it cool while cooking.

If you’d rather cook with defrosted curry paste you can take a cube or plastic-wrapped portions in the evening before you’re sure what you’ll cook using it.

Place it in your fridge until you’re in need of it. It should take about an hour to fully defrost your refrigerator. If you need to speed up the process then you could let it melt on the counter.

How To Know When Your Curry Paste Has Gone Stale?

In the event that you do not keep it in the refrigerator or freezer, it’ll become stale after a couple of hours. The ingredients will possess some natural preservative properties however the oil can go rancid in the event that it’s not stored correctly.

If you’ve forgotten to properly store your curry paste. You might notice an unpleasant smell or the development of mold.

If you’ve kept the curry paste in your refrigerator or freezer there’s a good chance it’ll go bad. Many, myself included have reported that they used refrigerated curry paste after an entire year without adverse results.

However, the nutritional value and taste will begin to diminish after about one week. It is going to go downhill very quickly following this.

If you’ve bought a packaged brand, it’s likely that it will contain preservatives that will protect the flavor, but this comes at a cost for the nutrition value.

If you create the paste yourself, then you’ll begin to notice a change within one week at the most, and certainly, after two weeks, even if there’s nothing wrong with your recipe and it’s acceptable to consume.

Curry Paste vs Curry Sauce

Curry paste can be described as a spongy, humid mixture of fresh ingredients as well as oil that is typically baked to highlight the distinct flavors prior to making the addition of liquids to your dish.

A curry sauce however is the final product that includes the broth coconut milk or other ingredients you can fill your curry dish. The sauce generally is not made with noodles or rice, but it’s often served with either one or the other.

Freezing Curry Sauce

If you’ve prepared an emulsion from your curry paste, and haven’t consumed it all, you might be tempted to freeze the whole sauce. This is totally safe and is a great idea for those who like simple and quick freezer meals.

The stew-like, saucy meals generally freeze well because the liquid shields the food items from burning in the freezer and also helps to maintain their consistency.

When you are freezing curry sauces, the most important aspect to think about is the other ingredients that make up the sauce.

Each ingredient will be different in freezing, so it is important to ensure all the ingredients in your sauce are suitable to freeze.

A few ingredients that are typical in curry sauces that don’t work well for freezing include:

  • coconut milk: although you can freeze it safely, however, the consistency could alter as the water and fat tend to separate after freezing. Try not to freeze it for a prolonged period (eat in a couple of months, if you can) Be prepared for a rough texture in the liquid, but the flavor should last well.
  • Dairy: heavy cream is used in lots of curry sauces. It is extremely easy to freeze, but low-fat dairy products, like yogurt, tend to split when it’s heated and thawed. If you can, save some of the curry sauce for freezing prior to mixing in the dairy, and then stir the fresh ingredients in when you’re cooking your meal.
  • Meat: meat is good to freeze at first, but when you’re working with frozen meat previously you’ll begin to notice variations in texture if refrozen. If it’s frozen raw and cooked, and then refrozen, there shouldn’t be any issues however, you should not refreeze cooked food.
  • Vegetables with a high amount of water: If you add vegetables with lots of water like tomatoes, for instance, you might discover that your curry is thawed with a greater volume of liquid than the original dish. It shouldn’t affect the flavor significantly as it can be thickened with the addition of a starchy ingredient while cooking it if you like.
  • The pasta or rice: Make sure to keep it separate from noodles or rice as they don’t freeze well. They’ll get mushy, and ruin your curry sauce.

Interesting Facts & Questions

What is the difference between green, red or yellow curry?

The red, green, and yellow curries are usually Thai and have chili being the main ingredient in their recipes. Each color is accentuated by various flavors.

Red curry is made using red chili pepper, garlic ginger, as well as citrus zest based on the ingredients you have at hand.

Green Thai curry has a distinct taste and could be made using green chilis and ginger, lemongrass, garlic, or citrus zest, and an abundance of basil, cilantro, and mint.

In the end, the main ingredient in Thai turmeric curry is turmeric, which is often served with coriander and cumin.

How long does the homemade curry paste keep?

You can keep a freshly prepared curry in your refrigerator made from scratch or bought from a supermarket and recently opened for up 2 weeks.

It is best to utilize your curry paste as soon as you can, but be aware that the flavors tend to evaporate into the air.

What is the best way to substitute curry powder with curry paste?

It is a dry mixture of spices. it is a mix of fresh spices and oils, mixed to create a moist paste.

Another important distinction is the fact that curry paste is commonly utilized to create Thai curries, but you’ll find curry powder used as a component of Indian food items, and these are known to have an entirely different flavor profile.

If you added oils to the curry powder in order to create a paste, you could substitute it into the recipe, and you’ll likely create a distinctive and delicious dish, however, it will not be in any way like the recipe you intended. Curry powder isn’t an effective alternative to curry paste.

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