Can You Freeze Chimichurri? Tips to Freeze Chimichurri
If you love freshly prepared salads with special sauces, then you might also love the flavors of chimichurri. Got you to have your hands on some leftover chimichurri sauce or want to know ways for preserving chimichurri sauce? This blog will give you the exact steps to freeze chimichurri at home.
Chimichurri is usually served fresh as it is a perfect blend of fresh herbs and spices. However, there’s no harm in preparing sauce in bulk and storing it for later use. You can drizzle it over fresh salads or cooked meats to appreciate different flavors.
If you freeze chimichurri it will retain its flavor for a sufficiently long time without causing any mess in the freezer. Follow the exact steps till the end and you will get answers to all your ‘can chimichurri freeze’ related queries. Before we get into the process of freezing, you will find a quick and easy chimichurri recipe that you can try at home.
Best Chimichurri Recipe
This Chimichurri recipe is sufficient for one person and you can adjust the measurements as per your requirements. We suggest you take the measurements exactly as given here for a better taste.
Again, we will suggest you make this recipe and eat it fresh for a more robust flavor and aroma. To prepare chimichurri sauce, you will need these ingredients:
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 4-5 garlic cloves diced
- Minced ginger
- 1 chopped jalapeno
- ½ cup vinegar (plain or red wine)
- ½ cup chopped and fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley
- Oregano as per taste
- ¾ cup olive oil
Start by mixing garlic, ginger, jalapeno, onions, and olive oil in a small bowl. Allow these ingredients to rest for 10 minutes so that the flavors are well-absorbed in the oil. Then, add freshly chopped greens and oregano to the mix. Use the sauce immediately or store it in the freezer and use it from frozen.
Steps to Freeze Chimichurri
To freeze chimichurri, there isn’t any cumbersome process that one should obey. Follow this easy method and store your herbs effectively for a long period of time.
Ice Cube Tray Method to Freeze
You can freeze chimichurri using the ice cube tray method easily. However, there are chances that some flavors might go bland upon freezing. Thus, you can follow certain essential tips to prevent this from happening as given in further sections.
In this method of freezing, you will need a clean ice cube tray or airtight container, or you can also use any clean ziplock bag. Start by pouring chimichurri sauce or filling it in an ice cube tray and wrapping it with a clean cling film. This way air won’t penetrate inside the cubes.
Freeze the cubes for a couple of hours and then transfer them to freezer-safe bags for further storage. Label the bags and store them in the freezer. You can use them later on as per your need.
How to Use Frozen Chimichurri Sauce?
If you freeze chimichurri sauce by the above method, then you might wonder how to use frozen sauce, right? Well, the best way to use chimichurri sauce cubes is to use them directly. If you are willing to add chimichurri sauce to any recipe then add the frozen cubes directly to the pan. On the contrary, you can remove the number of cubes you need for your recipe and place them in a bowl in the fridge overnight as well.
How Long Can Chimichurri Last in the Freezer?
If it would be possible to freeze for up to one year, an entire bag of chimichurri, then, we would love to share such a method with you. However, that’s not the case when freezing chimichurri and it’s a strict no from our side to leave your frozen chimichurri in the container for such a long period.
Chimichurri sauce inside the container can stay fresh for three months at the most. If you place your container in the freezer for anywhere more than three months then it will lose its taste. Thus, the best you can do with your sauce is to freeze it in the month of July and use it in September.
However, if you are not following the method given above and left your sauce in the fridge directly. Then, it will stay fresh for one or two weeks only.
How to Thaw Frozen Chimichurri? Tips to Defrost Chimichurri Sauce
Frozen chimichurri sauce performs well if you add it directly to the pan while your meal is still cooking. However, here’s how to defrost chimichurri sauce or thaw frozen chimichurri. First of all, you must know the exact amount of sauce you will need for your recipe.
This way you won’t waste any extra sauce later on. Thus, the best way to thaw frozen chimichurri is to get the number of cubes you need from the bag and thaw them in the fridge overnight.
The next morning, you will get a mushy sauce and you can heat it up in a microwave for some time. However, do not refreeze thawed chimichurri, or else they will go bad in the freezer. While defrosting chimichurri cubes, do not directly pop them in the microwave, or else you will lose their flavors.
Tips for Freezing Chimichurri
You can freeze the entire sauce in a bag, but we recommend putting the chimichurri sauce in an ice cube tray and freezing individual cubes. It is because freezing and thawing individual cubes is a better alternative than thawing the entire stack of sauce.
You can do different flavor combinations when freezing chimichurri as well. Also, don’t forget to add extra chillis or ginger garlic in the ice cubes to retain the flavors.
Freeze chimichurri into cubes and add clear labels to the containers so that you don’t confuse them with other green ingredients.
Now you know how to freeze chimichurri and surprisingly it freezes well than other pestos. Thus, try unique flavorful combinations while freezing chimichurri and get praise from your family. You can effectively freeze and use chimichurri for 2 to 3 months.