If you want to alter the flavor of your vegetable and you don’t want it to be tremendously noticed, adding water chestnuts will be your best bet. The flavor offered by water chestnuts is very light and they are good for the body thanks to their many uses and benefits. We want to find out whether or not water chestnuts can be stored inside the freezer.
Water chestnuts can be frozen for a short while, they can remain inside the freezer for some months to extend their shelf-life. Whenever you buy water chestnuts to be used for a particular recipe, you are likely not going to use all of them. Irrespective of if you bought water chestnuts because you want to store the leftovers or you just want to take them, you can store them for a later time by freezing them to use them any time you want.
If you have decided to freeze your water chestnuts, there are steps you can follow but these steps are quite simple without taking too much of your time. If you just started to use water chestnuts, perhaps, you are just curious about them, you will find out some information that will help you. You are advised to continue reading to find out all you need to know.
Your Guide to Freezing Water Chestnuts
Just before we move to tell you about how you should freeze water chestnuts, let’s check out some of the basic information you should know concerning water chestnuts. This is for you to know the exact product you want to work with. Talk of highly underrated vegetable products, water chestnuts can be categorized as one of them. Water chestnuts deserve to be recognized for being versatile in their benefits and uses.
Benefits of Eating Water Chestnuts
Check below for a list containing some benefits offered by water chestnuts:
- They are considered to be high-volume and this means that they have a high content of water. You will be kept full for a longer time when you consume them.
- They could help to lower blood pressure levels and also reduce the risk associated with heart diseases.
- They have low calories and they provide a variety of nutritional additives.
- Contained in them are natural antioxidants.
- The freshwater chestnuts have higher nutrients than the canned variety of water chestnuts.
- Water chestnuts have very high levels of potassium with fiber protein and B-6.
- Water chestnuts add crunchiness to any of your dishes without affecting the general flavor.
Water Chestnut Facts
Water chestnuts have the name “nut” as part of their names, but they are not part of the nut products. They don’t even have any close relations to any nut product. They are classified to be aquatic vegetables grown in similar locations and climate as rice. Water chestnuts could be commonly found grown and harvested in Taiwan, China, Asia, Australia, and Africa. They are white and crisp and when sliced, they have a resemblance to a potato. You can eat them raw or cooked.
They are quite common in Asian dishes and salads, curries, and stir-fry. You may recognize them as part of the ingredients in Chinese take-outs. Water chestnuts can be added to any dish. They add great crunchiness and they do not really alter the flavor associated with your meal.
Freezing Water Chestnuts
We will like to ensure you have been fully informed concerning water chestnuts before we proceed to check out the various steps you can use to freeze water chestnuts. This is for you to know whether or not you will face any challenges when you are working with water chestnuts and for you to be fully prepared for the possible steps to take when you face such.
The process of freezing them is not a difficult one, it is quite simple and you don’t have to put in a whole lot of preparations or any special steps before you complete it. You will need to preserve water chestnuts for the shelf-life to be extended so that they will not get spoilt before you have the chance to later use them. We will first check out some upsides and downsides of freezing your water chestnuts.
Pros of Freezing your Water Chestnuts
- Freezing is an excellent option
- You can freeze it raw or cooked
- The texture or taste will not be altered by freezing.
- You will be able to save your leftovers and prepare in advance for any future use when you freeze them.
- Freezing will extend the shelf-life of your water chestnut.
- Freezing is quite quick
- The freezing process is a very simple one.
Cons of Freezing your Water Chestnuts
- You may have to leave it to thaw for a long time if you have frozen them raw.
- Previously canned water chestnuts should not be frozen.
- You will require a little bit of preparation work when you want to freeze water chestnuts.
You now know both the upsides and downsides of freezing your water chestnuts, we will now proceed to check out the steps to freeze them. Don’t forget that the steps can best be applied to freshwater chestnuts and will not work well with canned water chestnuts.
How to Freeze your Water Chestnuts
- It is possible to freeze either raw or cooked water chestnuts.
- Ensure that they are well cleaned if you want to freeze your water chestnuts raw. You can decide to peel them before freezing or after freezing.
- Allow the water chestnuts to become cool if you want to freeze your water chestnuts cooked. Put them inside air-tight containers or freezer bags, allowing about ½-inch of headspace. Seal your storage item, then date and label it.
- You will need to follow an extra step before freezing if you want to freeze your water chestnuts raw. Pour water on your water chestnuts ensuring it covers them and then add one teaspoon of lemon juice to help stop them from getting discolored when stored.
- After combining the lemon juice and water with the raw water chestnuts, proceed to transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. Tightly seal them, date, and label them before you proceed to freeze them.
- The raw variety will remain inside your freezer for 6 months but the cooked variety will stay inside your freezer for about 1 year still fresh.
Using your Water Chestnuts After Freezing
You must know how you can use the water chestnuts after removing them from the freezer if you want to freeze them. This is also a very simple process and you wouldn’t need to put in any extra effort or work.
- Remove the water chestnuts from your freezer.
- You can then add them into your meal directly from frozen if you have frozen cooked water chestnuts.
- Raw water chestnuts will have to be allowed to defrost for about one hour at room temperature before you use them. They will usually not take too long to defrost but due to their high water content, they are needed to be thawed and well-drained before being used.
Storing your Water Chestnuts in the Fridge
This will work if you will use the water chestnuts just within some days that you have leftovers, refrigerating them is not a bad option. If they are raw and unpeeled, soak them inside the water and allow them to stay in the refrigerator uncovered for about two weeks. You are recommended to change the water in a day or two.
If the raw water chestnuts have been peeled, store them inside the refrigerator for about a week. If you want to prevent any discoloration, use water to cover them and add some lemon juice too. Leave them to stay soaked like this until they will be used.
Related Questions
What Kind of Taste Do Water Chestnuts Have?
Whether water chestnuts have been cooked or they are still raw, they are crunchy. When they are still raw, they seem crunchier. Their flavor is lightly sweet and they also have some nuttiness. They are not a member of nut products even though their flavor could be slightly nutty.
Do Water Chestnuts Help With Weight Loss?
Usually, water chestnuts are taking for their crunch and they are a vegetable that has low calories. They are wonderful to be added to any of your diets. They could offer some benefit if you want to use them in losing weight. They help to reduce cravings and curb appetite. They usually help to make you fuller for a longer time when they are eaten.
Can Water Chestnuts Go Bad?
Just like any other food, if you do not store them properly, water chestnuts will become spoilt. You will know if they are spoilt by checking some basic things. You don’t have to be concerned about them becoming bad if you have stored them appropriately inside the freezer. Check below for some tips to discover if they are bad:
- Check out for mold or any unusual substance in the water chestnuts. Throw them away if you find any.
- Taste them, if their taste is off, you should not eat them any longer.
- Check if their color is odd or dingy.
- Check if their aroma is odd or does not seem right
