Made from fermented soybeans, miso is a popular paste that is used in a range of Japanese recipes. It’s known for its unique umami flavour and is particularly important to the enjoyment of sushi! But what’s the best way to store it?
Can You Freeze Miso? Yes, you can freeze miso. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. The best way to freeze miso is to freeze the paste in an ice cube tray, before adding the cubes to a freezer-safe bag. This means you can remove the paste you need for your recipe without defrosting the entire bag.
Does Miso Freeze Well? Yes
Can You Refreeze Miso? Yes
How to Freeze Miso
Freezing miso is super straightforward if you know how to go about it. Although it’s regarded as a ‘living’ paste, you can safely freeze it without worrying about a deterioration in taste or texture.
It also remains malleable when it has been frozen, which means you can remove whatever portion you need for your upcoming dish.Â
Below are the steps you need to follow to freeze miso paste correctly:
- Place Into an Ice Cube Tray
Portion your miso paste into each of the sections within an ice cube tray. It’s entirely up to you how much you add to each section, but most recipes call for a very small portion. As such, you probably don’t need to fill the tray to the top. - Flash Freeze
Add the miso to the freezer and leave for a couple of hours. - Add to a Container
Line a freezer-safe container with parchment paper and place each of the frozen cubes of miso on top. Alternatively, you can drop them in a freezer-safe bag. - Label and Freeze
Write the use-by date on the lid of the container or the front of the bag and add your miso to the freezer. Remember, you can freeze miso paste for around three months
3 Tips for Freezing Miso
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing miso to have the best results:
You Don’t Need to Freeze It
Unopened miso paste doesn’t need to be refrigerated or frozen as it will be perfectly fine in its original container at room temperature. You only really need to refrigerate or freeze miso when you’ve opened it.Â
Use Smaller Portions
Most recipes call for miso paste to be used in very small portions. As such, when you’re freezing the paste, split it into the smallest possible portions before you add it to your freezer-safe container or bag. This will ensure you can remove the called-for amount of miso from the freezer without wasting the paste.Â
Use From Frozen
Depending on how you’re planning to use the miso paste, you might be able to use it in a recipe straight from frozen. This is particularly the case if you’re adding it to a curry or oriental soup, as it will thaw naturally when you add it to the heat.
If you want to defrost miso before using it, we explain how to go about it in one of the following sections.Â
How Long Can You Freeze Miso?
You can freeze miso paste for around three months. Typically, unopened miso paste will also be good for this length of time at room temperature, but you should check the use-by date on the jar before deciding how best to store it.
As soon as you have opened the miso paste, you should store it in the fridge or freezer to ensure it retains its taste.
An opened jar of miso paste should be good in the fridge for a week or so before you should think about using or freezing it.
You Can Freeze Miso for up to 3 Months
How Do You Defrost Miso?
If you’re using miso paste in a recipe, you probably don’t need to defrost it. Simply add it to the heat and watch it slowly infuse into the dish.
However, if you want to thaw miso paste before using it, remove however much you need from the freezer and place it in the fridge.
It won’t take too long to thaw and it can be used in any way that you see fit once it has returned to its initial consistency.
Can You Refreeze Miso?
Yes, you can refreeze miso but we would only recommend doing it once. The more times you freeze and thaw miso paste, the more likely you are to affect its taste due to the ice crystals that form during the freezing process.
It’s for this reason that we recommend freezing miso paste in an ice cube tray, as you can easily remove the serving size of paste that you need for any given recipe.
This reduces the likelihood of you wasting miso paste that is leftover.
Does Miso Freeze Well?
Miso paste freezes really well, providing you follow the steps introduced above.
While you don’t necessarily have to freeze it, particularly when your jar is unopened, doing so should present you with no difficulties and you will be able to enjoy this popular Japanese ingredient as and when you need it.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing miso or miso in general, then these may help:
How Long Will Miso Keep in the Fridge?
Unopened miso can be kept in the fridge for an incredibly long time – up to 1 full year. If you have opened it, then keep it stored in an airtight container for around 3 months.
Can You Freeze All Types of Miso?
Miso can come in a few forms, depending on what else it has been mixed with. There are 3 main forms. The good news is that all 3 types of miso can be frozen using the rules we’ve outlined on this page.
