Can you freeze rice noodles? (+3 Ways to reheat noodles)
In this article, we will answer the question “Can you freeze rice noodles?”, and how to make rice noodles at home?
Can you freeze rice noodles?
Yes, you can freeze rice noodles. As a matter of fact, rice products freeze just fine and almost remain the same after thawing. In contrast to cooked ones, uncooked rice noodles show very little change in their texture and appearance when thawed.
When you have rice noodles in the kitchen, you do not have to worry about dinner. So it sure is a quick fix and this article is a complete guide on how you can freeze store cooked, uncooked, and leftover rice noodles for later use.
How to reheat rice noodles?
Reheat rice noodles by placing them in a microwave-safe container and add a little liquid such as oil or water to prevent drying. Place the noodles container in the microwave. Do not microwave for more than 10 minutes.
How to store cooked rice noodles?
- Strain the cook noodles nicely to get rid of all the water
- Place them in a zip lock bag
- For short storage put them inside the fridge
- If you want to store them for a long time then place the same ziplock bag in the freezer
- Reused by pouring boiling hot water on them
Can you freeze cooked rice noodles?
Yes, you can freeze cooked rice noodles. Actually, rice products tend to freeze well. Moreover, if the rice noodles are cooked properly and frozen right, there won’t be any significant change in the texture or flavor after freezing and thawing. Uncooked rice noodles freeze better than cooked rice noodles.
How to freeze rice noodles?
Uncooked rice noodles
Uncooked noodles have the longest shelf-life in the freezer. Store them in a freezer bag or an air-tight container or even better, a vacuum sealer. Store them in a single serving portion size to avoid degrading the quality of the whole batch at once. Label before freeze storing.
Cooked rice noodles
Always freeze the sauce and the noodles separately and do not cook the noodles completely. Just leave a little room for the heat that they will absorb to become tender during reheating.
Store the noodles and the sauce in separate freezer bags or air-tight containers. It is recommended to store them in single-serving portion sizes to avoid contaminating the bulk whenever you want some noodles for dinner.
Toss the noodles with some oil like olive oil or vegetable oil to prevent clumping. Do not forget to label the bag before storing it.
Leftover rice noodles
It is not recommended to freeze store leftover noodles that have already been mixed up with the sauce because the sauce is only going to reduce the shelf-life of the noodles. Noddles stored with sauce result in soggy and clumpy noodles when thawed and reheated.
But it is better to eat a not-so-fresh dinner than tossing it in the bin. Just toss the leftover noodles in the freezer bag or an air-tight container, label the date, and put it in the freezer.
How to thaw and reheat frozen rice noodles?
Plan ahead and leave your frozen bags of noodles in the refrigerator overnight to defrost completely. Thawing on the counter will lead to rapid quality degradation. There are three ways to consider when reheating your thawed noodles.
Microwave
Put the thawed noodles on a microwave-safe plate and place the plate in the microwave. Let it stay in the microwave for a minute or until completely heated. Keeping some water in the microwave beside the plate will help lock the moisture inside the noodles.
Skillet
Season or grease your skillet with some oil and toss the noodles onto a hot skillet. Stor gently but continuously to heat evenly and to prevent clumping.
Oven
This method works best for reheating leftover noodles that were brimming with sauce. Preheat your oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes. Spread the noodles evenly on a baking sheet or tray and put the tray in the oven for about 20 minutes or until completely heated.
Other FAQs about Rice which you may be interested in.
Can I use basmati rice for fried rice?
The shelf-life of rice noodles
Cooked noodles will stay fresh for about 4 days when kept at steady refrigeration temperatures. Rice noodles, cooked or uncooked, will preserve their freshness for about 2 months in the freezer when stored correctly. Beyond this time, the noodles will remain safe to eat but the quality is not desirable.
It is recommended to consume all the thawed and reheated noodles. Because refreezing and rethawing will damage the quality of the noodles considerably due to freezer burn and ice crystal formation.
The ice crystal size builds like a snowball rolling down the hill with each refreezing and reheating. Rice noodles have a pretty delicate texture, so, the risk of refreezing and reheating should better be avoided.
Thaw the amount of noodles that you will be consuming. Discard any thawed and reheated noodles within 2 days of refrigeration.
Recipes to try with rice noodles
- Rice noodles and vegetables go hand in hand. Drench your rice noodles in nut based sauce like pecans, pistachios, or cashews for a bold nutty kick to your noodles. Peanut sauce noodles served with pork and some greens to break the color is the perfect dinner for peanut lovers.
- Go Italian and fry your noodles in chili oil and serve warm with sauteed and mushy cherry tomatoes.
- If you love curry and you love noodles too, bring them together to make coconut rice noodles. Some ginger and turmeric bring out a lot of flavor and color to the curry.
- Make rice noodles with shrimp and coconut lime dressing if you like seafood. Ground shrimp can be used as a base for curried rice noodles.
Conclusion
In this article, we answered the question “Can you freeze rice noodles?”, and how to make rice noodles at home?
References
https://foodsguy.com/freeze-rice-noodles/
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/slideshow/rice-noodle-recipes