tempeh is popular Indonesian dish which is prepared from soybean. it is made by fermentation which increases the probiotic count in the tempeh and vegan people count is as an alternative for protein source for them. preparing tempeh can be done by boiling soy bean along with some other similar items and then drying it for some time. after that a yeast culture is created for fermentation.
then it is kept for some time to form a cake block in incubation period, after that it is frozen to be consumed later or consume fresh. you can also use distilled white vinegar or rice vinegar or pasteurized apple cider vinegar while fermentation process to make a good tasting tempeh.
tempeh can be be easily frozen and most often it is sold in frozen condition which helps in preservation of active enzymes in the tempeh which are useful for us. if you are thinking to freeze some quantity of tempeh which was left after a meal then you can see some texture and flavor changes post thawing when consumed directly if you plan to add it to some dish preparation then its fine wont be a problem.
taking in consideration nutritional value of tempeh, it contains about 11 grams of fats, 9 grams of carbs, 19 grams of proteins an gives around 200 calories of energy when 100 grams of tempeh is consumed.
when we talk about fresh frozen tempeh it is hard to find in non native countries but if your country has specialty store from countries like Indonesia and other south east region then you will definitely find it their in frozen section. it is stored frozen and is uncooked, so you can pre cook the patty for 10 minutes to help it get thawed and become tender to absorb the flavors of recipe from herbs and spices well when cooked.
you can also get purchase pre packed pasteurized tempeh which comes in vacuum sealed cling wraps to enhance its shelf life so that it can last longer and consumed directly without any hassles of pre cooking. you can cook it directly or consume it directly without any issues to enjoy with anytime anywhere.
How to freeze tempeh
freezing tempeh is simple task and can be done in couple of minutes. if you have sealed packed tempeh which you bought from market then you can just place it freezer in its original packing without any issues to use it later.
if you place to freeze some tempeh which is left after making the dish then all you need to do is wrap it in the cling wrap and place the tempeh in the freezer bag safely to consume later and then seal the bag by removing all the air in it. when done place a date label on it or recipe label on it in which you want to use it and then place in freezer.
Tip: if you want to increase tempeh shelf life then i would recommend it that you season it with some salt and pepper prior to storage which would act as preservatives and help to keep the tempeh in perfect condition for long time. you can also rub it with other spices and herbs of your choice if you like or boil it in mixture of spices for 1-2 minutes prior to freezing to get different flavor tempeh.
How to defrost Tempeh
tempeh self life in fridge is about 5-8 days after which starts to get some different flavor and aroma. if you freeze it properly then it can be kept in freezer for very long time without any issues. i would recommend that you consume all the tempeh in 1 month after buying to get best taste from it.
Once tempeh is frozen you can transfer it to the fridge for some hours to defrost it nicely after which you can use it in your recipes or consume directly. if you will add frozen tempeh to your recipes when cooking then also it wont be a problem and you will get all the good flavors and taste from tempeh without issue. if you want for some reason to heat thaw the tempeh then that can also be done using microwave for 20 seconds or stove for couple of minutes.
Tempeh uses
tempeh can be used in preparation of lot of dishes to make then tasty including sandwiches, sloppy joes, hot dogs, salads, tacos, veg stir fry, bbq tempeh chops on grills, in preparation of soups etc.
many people also like to fry the tempeh in air fryer or normal pan and then eat after dipping in their favorite sauces to have a good time or you can also marinate it with variety of flavors and then grill the slices of tempeh to have a nice tender tempeh dipped in your favorite marinate.
Conclusion
Tempeh is filled with lot of good nutrients for our body, so you can eat it without any worries. if you are getting it cheap then buy and freeze it without any issues and later you can cook it to prepare tasty recipes but make sure it doesn’t not change color or taste because if that’s the case then its being spoiled and you can throw it.
let us know in what all dishes you make use of tempeh to enhance the taste and make them delicious in comments below. if you want to know weather you can freeze soy milk or not just like soybean made tempeh then check our post on freezing soy milk for using it in future.
share this with all the non veg lovers and veg lovers as it is considered as one of the popular alternative to pork and meat for vegetarians. so anyone who want to try something different than non veg to get good taste in food like non veg can try tempeh and have a good time.
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