Can You Freeze Bok Choy?

Chinese food has its unique flavor and taste. Those who love Chinese cuisine would have tasted Bok Choy soup. Bok Choy is a Chinese vegetable resembling a cabbage and is relished for its mild and crispy taste. The exterior leafy part tastes moderately bitter, but the white stalk has a crunchy, juicy texture. Bok Choy soup is one of the favorite Chinese soups that people enjoy. So, it is natural for them to stock up on Bok Choy. Therefore, the question of storing Bok Choy arises.

Can You Freeze Bok Choy?

If you need a quick and short answer, here it is. Yes, you can freeze Bok Choy raw, blanched, and cooked to remain fresh inside the freezer for up to a year.

How Do You Freeze Bok Choy Raw?

Generally, experts advise freezing green vegetables after blanching them because the blanching process arrests the enzyme action that causes flavor, texture, and color loss. However, some people do not prefer blanching Bok Choy because it can wither and become mushy. So, they love to freeze Bok Choy raw. Yes, it is possible to freeze raw Bok Choy, but the process requires you to take preliminary steps.

1. The initial step is washing and cleaning the Bok Choy. The vegetable can have mud residue. So, washing it is essential. Then, you dry the vegetable completely because residual water can make it mushy.
2. Check the leaves and discard the pale yellow ones.
3. It is better to cut the Bok Choy into small slices to make it convenient for use in soups and stir-fries. However, you can skip this step when freezing baby Bok Choy.
4. Place the sliced vegetable inside freezer bags. Expel excess air and seal the bag. Stick the date label and place the bag into the freezer. Please avoid placing heavy foods on top of the Bok Choy packet to prevent it from getting damaged.

Should You Blanch Bok Choy Before Freezing?

Though you can blanch Bok Choy before freezing it to help retain the enzymes responsible for maintaining the vegetable’s flavor, it is not required. Blanching involves placing the sliced vegetables in boiling water for a few minutes before transferring them to an ice bowl. Subsequently, you drain the water and dry the vegetable. This process adds more moisture to the vegetable and could result in the frozen Bok Choy becoming mushy.

Therefore, Bok Choy need not be blanched before freezing. However, you can remove the dirt by patting it with a damp towel. Avoiding blanching Bok Choy saves time and energy. Besides, freezing it raw gives better results than freezing it blanched.

How Do You Freeze Fresh Bok Choy?

You can freeze fresh Bok Choy raw or blanched, depending on your preferences. The vegetable maintains its texture and quality. We advise you to choose the newest, greenest-looking vegetables. It saves time in sorting out the yellow leaves.

1. Clean the vegetables thoroughly and dry them to remove all moisture traces.
2. Chop the Bok Choy into small consumable pieces.
3. Boil water in a large bowl. Simultaneously, keep an iced water bowl ready.
4. Place the chopped/sliced Bok Choy in a colander and dip it into the boiling water for around 40 seconds.
5. Remove the half-cooked Bok Choy and immerse them in ice water. This step stops the Bok Choy from getting fully cooked. Thus, you prevent the Bok Choy from becoming mushy when defrosted.
6. Dry the vegetable again using a paper towel.
7. Flash freeze the chopped Bok Choy. Place the chopped veggies on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Insert the tray into the freezer and freeze for 15 to 20 minutes until the veggies become firm.
8. Transfer the Bok Choy into a ziplock bag. Squeeze it to expel excess air and seal the bag tight.
9. Stick the date label on the bag and freeze it.

How Long Does Frozen Bok Choy Remain Fresh For Consumption?

Frozen Bok Choy, if stored properly, can remain fresh for twelve months. You can still consume the vegetable after 12 months if you maintain the freezing temperature below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. However, its quality deteriorates with every passing month.

How Do You Defrost Frozen Bok Choy?

The Bok Choy defrosting method depends on the recipe you choose. If you wish to use the Bok Choy in stir-fries, soups, or stews, you need not defrost the frozen veggie. Instead, you can directly transfer the required quantity of frozen Bok Choy into the recipe when it is cooking. The heat will defrost the Bok Choy and help maintain its texture and flavor.

However, you can defrost Bok Choy if you wish to use it differently than mentioned above. Under such circumstances, you can submerge the ziplock bag with the frozen Bok Choy in a bowl containing water at room temperature for two hours. We advise changing the water at frequent intervals to expedite the thawing process.

You can be tempted to hasten the defrosting activity by using hot water instead of tap water in the above step. However, we recommend not to do so because it can cook the vegetable and make it mushy.

Can You Refreeze Bok Choy?

We do not advise you to refreeze Bok Choy because it can damage its structure and flavor.

Can You Freeze Bok Choy After Cooking It?

Yes, you can freeze cooked Bok Choy, but they will not remain fresh for consumption for as long as raw frozen Bok Choy.

Can You Freeze Bok Choy Soup?

Yes, freezing Bok Choy soup is possible if you take the necessary precautions.

Can You Vacuum Seal The Bok Choy?

Removing air from the freezer bag before freezing Bok Choy prevents the vegetable from freezer burn. Therefore, it is best to vacuum seal Bok Choy.

Can You Freeze The Dried Bok Choy?

Generally, you have to dry the Bok Choy before freezing it. But, you can freeze the dried Bok Choy directly bought from the store.

Can You Store Bok Choy In The Fridge?

Yes, you can store Bok Choy in the fridge for a week. However, we recommend keeping them inside resealable plastic ziplock bags.

Final Thoughts

Bok Choy is used in typical Chinese recipes like coups, fried rice, stews, etc. This tasty vegetable can be frozen to maintain its flavor and structure for 12 months, provided you follow the correct procedure.

So, can you freeze Bok Choy? YES.