Coconut cream is made by pressing fresh, grated coconut. Coconut cream has a higher fat content (about 24%) and is therefore thicker and more concentrated than coconut milk. This plant-based cream is a staple in Asian cuisine. It gives soups, stews and marinades fullness and velvety smoothness. It is also an excellent ingredient in desserts.
Coconut cream is also often used as a vegan substitute for milk cream! Now if you say you have too much coconut cream, how do you store the leftovers? Can you freeze leftover coconut cream for later use?
Can you freeze coconut cream?
The good news is that you can freeze coconut cream. Coconut cream is just as tender as milk cream because of its high fat content. If it’s frozen and thawed, there’s a good chance the liquid and cream will separate. However, there is a way to restore coconut cream to its original consistency, which we will discuss later.
When refrigerated, coconut cream only lasts about 3 to 7 days. However, when stored in the freezer, coconut cream should stay fresh for 2 to 3 months. Now let’s look at how to freeze coconut cream:
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How do you freeze coconut cream?
With unused tetra packs of coconut cream, there is no need to repack the product for freezing. Just pop the packs of coconut cream in the freezer and you’re done. For canned coconut cream, transfer the cream to an airtight container before freezing.
For the remaining cream, you could divide the product into smaller portions using an ice cube tray. Pour the product into the ice cube tray and freeze until solid. Once the cream has set, remove the bowl from the freezer, pour in the diced cream and place in an airtight container. Close the lid, write the storage date with a marker and stick them in the freezer.
If you don’t want to break up the cream into smaller portions, you can use an airtight container or resealable plastic bags to freeze the product. Simply pour the coconut cream into your preferred container, leaving a few inches of room for the coconut cream to expand as it freezes. Seal the container, write the storage date with a marker, and then stick it in the freezer.
How do you thaw frozen coconut cream?
To thaw coconut milk, transfer the container from the freezer to the refrigerator. Let the cream thaw overnight. Because coconut cream is high in fat, a separation between the liquids and the proteins is likely. If this happens, pour the thawed coconut cream into a blender and blend for 30 seconds until smooth. For optimal flavor, thawed coconut cream should never be refrozen.
summary
Coconut cream is a versatile ingredient, especially in diet-friendly dishes. If you’re using heavy cream because you can’t have dairy, or if you’re simply craving the rich, complex flavors coconut cream imparts, it’s good to know you can save leftovers for later. Now that you know how to freeze coconut cream, you no longer need to worry about what to do with the leftovers.