Can You Freeze Cooked Couscous?

Yes. Of course, you can freeze couscous. It is quite simple if I say so myself. That’s why the question should be ‘How can you freeze couscous’, instead of ‘Can I freeze couscous’.

And I am going to share with you all the details and the tips you will need to successfully freeze your couscous and properly store it.

What is Couscous:

Before we dig deep into the details of storing couscous, we need to first understand couscous and what it is made of.

Couscous is a famous middle-eastern dish made of plain flour and water, it is cooked by the released steam over boiling water and usually enjoyed in family gatherings and large feasts, that’s why there are often a lot of leftovers. But don’t worry, by the end of this article, you will know exactly what to do with them.

It is important to know that there are three famous ways of cooking couscous, either Lebanese, Palestinian, or Moroccan. These are the best types of couscous found in the market.

The reason why you should concern yourself with this, is the fact that each type needs to be prepared in a specific way for it to be frozen properly and withstand the longest time in the freezer. I am going to show you this in details later on.

What Happens to Couscous When You Freeze it?

It is a known fact that a large percentage of frozen food doesn’t retain the same quality as their previous pre-frozen state. Like most of the fruits for example, simply because they have a large percentage of water, the change of the state of the water from liquid to solid hugely affects the physical state of the food.

Same goes with the couscous. However, the method of storing the couscous, and the presence of other food stored with it greatly affects its state after freezing.

Preparation of Couscous Prior to Freezing:

Each type of couscous requires a certain preparation method for it to be stored in the freezer well and last for the longest time. That way it will be easier for you to, later on, reheat it and enjoy it like the freshly cooked one!

Remember. These are just the basic way to cook most types of couscous, but it doesn’t mean it is the only way. That’s why I recommend you to read the instructions on the package as well.
And of course, you can add whatever spices you like with your couscous.

Palestinian (Pearl) Couscous: Stovetop Preparation:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of uncooked couscous. (it is important for the couscous to be pearl shaped)
• 2 cups of liquid (You can either use water with salt, pepper, and spices or chicken stock)
• A tablespoon of oil
• A pinch of salt

Steps of cooking:

1. Place the pot filled with the liquid and the seasoning on the stovetop. Wait for the liquid to boil, then add in the uncooked couscous.
2. Lower the temperature of the stove to ‘Low’, allow the couscous to simmer for 10 minutes after covering the pot with the lid.
3. Shut down the heat, but don’t uncover the pot, let the couscous stay for another 5 minutes in the pot.
4. Uncover the pot and stir the couscous with a fork.
5. Serve your couscous and enjoy!

Moroccan Couscous: Stovetop Preparation

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of uncooked couscous. (you can easily find this one on Amazon)
• 2 cups of liquid (You can either use water with salt, pepper, and spices or chicken stock)
• A tablespoon of oil
• A pinch of salt

Steps of cooking:

1. Place the pot filled with the liquid and the seasoning on the stovetop. Wait for the liquid to boil, then add in the uncooked couscous.
2. Lower the temperature of the stove to ‘Low’, allow the couscous to simmer for 10 minutes after covering the pot with the lid.
3. Shut down the heat, but don’t uncover the pot, let the couscous stay for another 5 minutes in the pot.
4. Uncover the pot and stir the couscous with a fork.
5. Serve your couscous and enjoy!

Lebanese (Moghrabieh) Couscous: Stovetop Preparation

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of uncooked Lebanese couscous.
• 2 cups of liquid (You can either use water with salt, pepper, and spices or chicken stock)
• A tablespoon of oil
• A pinch of salt

Steps of cooking:

1. Place the pot filled with the liquid and the seasoning on the stovetop. Wait for the liquid to boil, then add in the uncooked couscous.
2. Lower the temperature of the stove to ‘Low’, allow the couscous to cook for 10-15 minutes with frequent stirring.
3. When the time is over, drain the water from the couscous.
4. Serve your couscous and enjoy!

Can you freeze cooked couscous?

Yes, you can definitely do that. In fact, it is more preferred to freeze your couscous after cooking it, as, theoretically, raw dried couscous can withstand the longest time if left in a dark, dry, and cool place. That’s why we tend to store the cooked ones in the freezer.

How to Freeze Couscous:

I think it is about time to finally talk about how to properly freeze couscous. It is actually a pretty simple thing to do. Our main goal is to ensure that the couscous retains its taste and texture, all while not becoming one big plop in the freezer.

Remember some types of food don’t handle freezing well. So, if you want to store your couscous in the freezer, better do it when it is plain with no other additives.

Instructions:

1. Start by separating the couscous from all the other ingredients it has been added with. If you can of course. This way you will certainly ensure the best preservation and storage of the couscous.
2. After cooking your couscous as you normally would. Allow it to cool in an open-air space. And don’t skip this step, as cooling the couscous to room temperature is essential for it not to damage your freezer or affect the other food stored in the same freezer. You can also place it in a freezer bag and tightly close it while running cold water on the bag so that it can quickly cool.
3. When you are sure that the couscous is cool enough. Align the couscous on a tray away from each other. You might need to line multiple trays if you have a large quantity of couscous, then place the trays in the freezer till the couscous freeze.
4. Once the couscous freezes, move the ones that are placed on the tray to a freezer bag or an airtight container. It is recommended to separate the couscous into portion sizes so that you can take each bag out whenever you need it. Also, make sure to label each bag with the storage date.

How long can you freeze couscous for?

Properly frozen couscous can withstand a very long time in the freezer, although almost every website will recommend about four months in the freezer, while that’s not entirely true. I mean, couscous can stay in the freezer for way longer than just a few months, it is not wrong either. Because leaving couscous for longer than 4 months can lead to a freezer burnt couscous, which is most certainly inedible.

Better safe than sorry, right?
Rest assured. I have the best solution for you to safely leave your couscous for a bit longer than four months. All you need to do is to tuck your couscous in an airtight container or in a freezer bag drained from any air.

Main tips for freezing couscous:

• Separate the couscous from any other ingredient before freezing it, then mix all the other ingredients while reheating the couscous, and enjoy.
• There is no need to thaw the couscous before reheating it. You can heat it straight up from the freezer.
• Freeze your couscous in portions instead of doing so in one big bag so that it’s easier for you whenever you want to reheat it.

Frequently asked questions:

Can You Freeze Cauliflower Couscous?

Believe it or not, cauliflower couscous is not related to the subject we are discussing here. However, you can, in fact, freeze cauliflower couscous by placing it in a freezer bag inside the freezer.

But, it will need to be completely defrosted before reheating it.

Will freezing couscous make it taste bad?

Proper freezing retains the amazing couscous taste for the longest time. So technically speaking, freezing doesn’t affect the taste of the couscous, it will taste exactly like the freshly cooked one.

There is, however, the chance of freezer burn, which unfortunately might lead to a bit of a stale couscous, but you can certainly avoid this by making sure to follow all the steps of properly freezing the couscous.

Can You Freeze Vegetable couscous?

Well, it is not recommended at all. As frozen vegetables tend to make the couscous rather soggy when they are taken off the freezer. Better freeze both separately.

Will frozen couscous be mushy after reheating?

If stored right, it shouldn’t turn mushy at all.
Go to the top of the article and check the proper way of storing the couscous.

Can you freeze couscous soup?

Yes, you can. You can easily freeze soup that has couscous in it just like how you would normally
freeze cooked couscous. Just pack the soup up in a freezer bag, tightly seal it, and leave it in the
freezer.
When you want to reheat it, add a couple of tablespoons of water and warm it up.

Should couscous be served hot or cold?

There isn’t any certain that couscous should be served with. The sky is your limit when it comes to
this amazing dish.

Different cultures like to have it in different ways. That’s why I recommend you to
try it in both ways and judge for yourself your preferred one!