Thai green curry is an authentic Thai cuisine that’s popular all over the world. It’s known for its spicy hot flavor and creamy texture. The green curry itself doesn’t take long to make, but gathering the ingredients and making the curry paste is what’s takes a long time. Therefore, most people will make a large pot of Thai green curry. Since it takes a lot of time to prepare the curry, you’ll want to save time and just store the leftovers. Storing green curry in the refrigerator will keep them fresh for only about a week. What if you want to store them longer than that? Would the freezer be an option?
Can you freeze Thai green curry? Yes, the ingredients used to make this curry will make them freezer very well in the freezer. Prepping them first and properly storing them will ensure they last a very long time in the freezer.
Should You Freeze Thai Green Curry?
When it comes to Thai green curry, this food takes time to prepare them. Therefore, if you enjoy eating this curry and don’t have time to prepare them, you definitely should freeze Thai green curry.
You can either freeze them in portions or in a large container. Freezing them in portions will make it easier to thaw them. Also, it will prevent you from having to thaw the entire container of green curry. Once it’s thawed, you should never refreeze them. Doing so will destroy their texture, along with the flavor of it.
How to Freeze Thai Green Curry
Freezing Thai green curry is a great way to keep them for a later date. Since all the curry is already cooked, it’s simple and fast to freeze them. Below are the steps to store the green curry in the freezer:
- Let the green curry cool down first. Make sure it doesn’t stay out at room temperature for too long or it could go bad.
- Depending on how much you’ll be freezing them, grab a couple of freezer bags. Avoid using an airtight container as the green curry will stain them. With a freezer bag, you can dispose of them after the green curry is thawed.
- In each freezer bag, scoop the curry into the bag. If you’re going to frequently use Thai green curry, portion them into smaller bags. Otherwise, you can place the curry into just one bag.
- Keep about an inch of space at the top of the freezer bag so you can seal it.
- Gently press on the bag to remove any excess air that’s in there. Then seal the bag tight.
- Label the bag with a date and place it in the freezer.
After about 5 minutes, check the freezer bag to make sure the bag is sealed tight and there are no leaks. If there are leaks, the green curry could spill all over the freezer and it will require a lot of time to clean up the mess.
Can You Freeze Thai Green Curry Paste?
Thai green curry is made from the paste you made or bought. The paste will usually contain green pepper, shallots, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime peel, cilantro roots (coriander), and cumin seeds, white peppercorns, shrimp paste, and salt.
With all the ingredients, it takes a lot of time to prepare the paste. Therefore, you’ll want to save time by storing them. Luckily, Thai green curry can be frozen. After all the ingredients are mixed together to form a paste, the texture will be very compacted and last in the freezer for a long time.
Depending on how often and how much you’ll use the paste to make Thai green curry, you can store them in the refrigerator. Simply scoop them into an airtight container or a jar, cover it with oil, seal the container and place it in the fridge. The oil will help prevent air from reaching the curry paste. Storing them in the fridge will keep them fresh for up to a month.
If you need to store the green curry paste for longer than a month, freezing will be the best option.
How To Freeze Thai Green Curry Paste
To store Thai green curry paste, the recommended method is to use an ice cube tray. After the tray is used, you’ll need to throw them away due to the staining of the curry paste.
- In a clean ice cube tray, scoop the curry paste and put them into each slot of the tray. Fill them at about 80% of the way.
- In each slot, cover the curry paste with olive oil. The oil helps prevent the paste from oxidation.
- Wrap the ice cube tray with a cling wrapper all around.
- Place the tray of green curry into the freezer for about 3 hours or until it’s completely frozen.
- Once the curry paste cubes are frozen solid, immediately transfer them to a freezer bag. However, you can just leave them in the tray if you want. A freezer bag will help save space in the freezer.
- Press on the bag to remove as much air from the bag as much as possible and seal it tight.
- Label the bag with a date and place it in the freezer.
Best Storage Container For Thai Green Curry
How long Thai green curry will last in the freezer will depend on what storage container you used. A good container should keep the air out of the container. If the green curry is exposed to air, it will get freezer burn, which will result in the curry going bad quickly.
Below is the best storage container that we recommend for storing Thai green curry in the freezer.
1. Plastic Deli Food Storage Containers
This airtight container is perfect for storing Thai green curry in the freezer.
Features:
- Microwave, Freezer, Dishwasher Safe
- Heavy-duty 100% BPA-free polypropylene plastic
- Stackable Storage
With this container, it will prevent freezer burn to the green curry. The airtight lid will help seal the fresh flavors, liquids, and textures for a long time.
Another great option is the stackable design. To save space in the freezer, you can stack them on top of each other.
2. Igluu Meal Prep Containers
This airtight container is perfect for storing Thai green curry in a smaller portion.
Features:
- Divided food storage containers
- Highly durable food-safe plastic
- Freezer, microwave, and dishwasher safe
The Igluu airtight container will keep green curry fresh for a long time in the freezer. Also, their airtight lid will prevent the curry from incurring any freezer burn.
This airtight container features 3 compartments. Great for portioning out the green curry. Use the amount you need without having to thaw the entire curry.
How Do You Defrost Thai Green Curry?
The best method to defrost Thai green curry is to simply place them in the refrigerator overnight. By letting the curry thaw slowly, the texture and flavor will not be lost.
To do this, simply grab the bag or container of Thai green curry and place it on a plate or tray so that it can collect the melted water. Place it in the refrigerator for about 6-8 hours, but overnight is recommended.
In the morning or when you’re ready to use them, check to see if it has thawed completely. If it hasn’t, place it on the countertop for a couple of hours before reheating them.
Unfortunately, there’s no quick way to defrost Thai green curry. If you try to use the microwave or heating them in a pan, the ingredients will likely separate from each other.
Therefore, leaving them in the refrigerator overnight is the best defrosting method to preserve their taste and texture.
For Thai green curry paste, defrosting isn’t necessary. Simply grab a couple of the curry cubes from the freezer and place them into a pan. Defrost the green curry at low heat until it melts completely.
Avoid using high heat as you risk burning or frying the outside of the green curry cube while leaving the inside still frozen.
How Long Can You Freeze Thai Green Curry
Thai green curry can last in the freezer for up to 3 months. After that, they still are safe to eat, but the quality of the curry will deteriorate.
If the curry were made with coconut milk or other low-fat dairy products such as yogurt, it will go bad if frozen too long. The longer it’s frozen, the more likely the texture will split apart. Once it’s thawed, you may notice all the ingredients have separated from each other.
Therefore, regardless of the ingredients used, the Thai green curry should be used within 3 months for the best quality.
If it’s past 3 months and you still want to use them, you can cook them and add extra ingredients to bring the flavor back.
Thai green curry that’s well over 6 months should be discarded right away. At this point, the curry has suffered from severe freezer burn and will likely lose its flavor and texture.
Can Frozen Thai Green Curry Go Bad?
Frozen Thai green curry can go bad whether it’s in the freezer or after it’s thawed.
In the freezer, Thai green curry will stay fresh for up to 3 months. After that, the texture and taste of it will start to decrease. It won’t go bad right away and you can still eat them. However, if it’s stored for a prolonged time in the freezer of over a year, you should discard it since the frozen curry is bad. The texture and taste of it will degrade to the point where it will just be a block of solid ice with no taste.
Another way frozen curry can go bad while stored in the freezer is the frequent opening and closing of the container in which it’s stored. As you open the container, the curry will thaw a little, and air will get into it. Air will cause the frozen curry to get freezer burn. Frequent opening of the container will shorten the shelf life of Thai green curry by a half.
Therefore, if you’re planning to use frozen Thai green curry often, it’s best to portion them into smaller containers. That way, you won’t expose the frozen curry to the air.
Related Questions
Is red or green curry hotter?
Green curry tends to be hot than red curry. The spices used in the curry are what make them hotter. For the green curry, it’s hotter due to the addition of Bird’s Eye chilies.
Can you freeze Thai red curry?
Just like Thai green curry, the red curry can be frozen as well. To freeze them, just use the same method as we’ve described above.
Can you freeze Thai green curry with noodles?
It’s not recommended to freeze them together. Noodles will freeze well, but it does not hold their texture when it’s thawed. As it defrosts, the noodles will become soft, mushy, and break apart.
Instead, you should keep the green curry and noodles frozen separately until they are ready to be used.