With their crisp, clean taste and mild flavors, bean sprouts are a staple in Asian cooking and vegan dishes. Bean sprouts make a fine ingredient in soups, salads, stir-fry’s, and stews! They are quite nutritious too.
Bean sprouts are a great source of vitamin C, folic acid, dietary fiber, and protein. They are also high in copper, which promotes better cardiovascular, kidney, skin, and muscle health. If there’s one type of vegetable that you simply need to stock up on, you can’t go wrong with bean sprouts. But can you freeze bean sprouts?
Yes, bean sprouts can be frozen but you have to work the veggies a bit so the sprouts won’t lose their crunchiness. When kept in the fridge, bean sprouts will only stay fresh for a week. But when kept in the freezer, bean sprouts will last for 10 months to a full year! As always, the freezer temperature must be kept at a steady 0° Fahrenheit to extend the vegetable’s shelf life. Below is a step by step guide on how can you freeze bean sprouts:
How to Freeze Bean Sprouts?
Bean sprouts may lose their crunchy texture once they’ve been frozen. The crispiness of the veggie is attributed to its high water content. The good news is, it’s possible to retain the crunch of bean sprouts by blanching the vegetables prior to freezing.
Start by washing the bean sprouts thoroughly, removing dirt and other bits. Boil a pot of water and prepare a large bowl of ice water nearby. Vegetables tend to cook quickly and blanching is a quick process so make sure the chilled water is just a few inch away from where you’re blanching.
As soon as the pot of water boils, immerse the spouts (use a metal colander so the sprouts are easy to collect) for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, take the blanched veggies directly into the chilled water, immersing the sprouts completely to stop the cooking process.
After 3 minutes in ice water bath, drain off excess moisture and start prepping the sprouts for freezing. We recommend packing the sprouts in manageable portions just so thawing is easier. Get a resealable plastic bag or a rigid plastic container and pour the sprouts in. Do not overfill or the veggies will bruise. Seal or close the airtight lid and write the storage date before sticking in the freezer.
For leftover bean sprouts, those that have been cooked thoroughly, just transfer the vegetables to a rigid plastic container. Make sure the container has an airtight cover so frost won’t seep in and ruin the bean sprouts. Finally, write the storage date and stick in the freezer.
How to Defrost Frozen Bean Sprouts?
To thaw the sprouts, transfer the container from the freezer to the fridge. Leave the veggies to thaw for about 2 hours or so. Drain excess liquids and the bean sprouts are now ready to use. If you’re using the bean sprouts in soups or other hot dishes, there’s no need to thaw the bean sprouts at all. Just add the frozen bean sprouts straight into the hot dish during cooking.
Summary
Bean sprouts add a delicious crunch to soups and stews, not to mention a long list of essential nutrients! It’s great to know that bean sprouts keep so well in the freezer. Now that you know how can you freeze bean sprouts, there’s absolutely no need to worry about what to do with the leftovers.