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Oil can be frozen
Freeze fat for longer shelf life
Fats are actually frozen. Used properly, they can even make your kitchen life a whole lot easier. Both spreads and oils can be frozen easily. Even refined variants, such as herb butter or garlic in oil, are in good hands in the freezer.
Freeze oils
Oils have a viscous consistency at cold temperatures, and a creamy consistency at sub-zero temperatures. To avoid oil becoming rancid over time, stored conventionally, you can freeze it in freezable containers. In order to portion the oil practically, ice cube forms are particularly well suited. Alternatively, you can use lockable boxes, freezer bags and even glasses to freeze oil.
Especially refined and practical for cooking are frozen herbs in olive oil:
- Strip dirt off the herbs. Wash them only when absolutely necessary and then dry the herbs carefully. Chop the herbs and put them in ice cube molds. Cover the chopped herbs with plenty of olive oil. Let the herb cubes freeze for a few hours. Break the frozen herb oil cubes out of the mold and transfer them to freezer bags or other sealable containers. For later cooking simply add a frozen cube to the pot or pan. The oil liquefies and gives the dish an intense herbal aroma.
Oil will keep frozen at least three months past its best before date. Oils should be allowed to thaw slowly in the refrigerator and then consume in a timely manner.
Freezing spread fats
If butter or margarine is on offer, you can confidently access and store the not immediately needed spread fat in the freezer. Both should be gently thawed if necessary in the refrigerator.
margarine
For margarine, it is important that it is a full-fat product, not half-fat margarine. In this case, the freezing would separate the fat from the water, which negatively changes the consistency of the margarine.
You can put margarine in the freezer in its sales packaging. It will last for up to nine months.
butter
Butter can be left to freeze in the butter cake. However, it is advisable to store them airtight in a freezer bag or a closable box so that they do not take on the taste or smell of other freshly frozen foods. You may also want to divide the butter pack so as not to thaw everything at once.
Butter is also a special treat if you refine it with herbs and freeze it to storage. The finished herb butter can also be frozen in ice cube molds as described above.
Frozen butter lasts three months beyond the best before date. Thaw them in the fridge or, when frozen, place them directly frozen in the pan. Incidentally, a frozen cube of butter is also suitable for thickening sauces.