How to freeze rice cake, expiry date, and 5 recipes! [Explanation with photos! ]

Did you know that mochi can be frozen?

If you know the ``how to freeze mochi'' that I'm going to tell you about, you won't have to worry about ``this mochi looks dark, but is it okay?'' in the future.

Even if you intend to put it in the refrigerator, you may end up forgetting about it and end up ruining it.

By using the ``method for freezing mochi'' that we will introduce this time, you will be able to use up every last bit of mochi without wasting anything.

Mochi nutrition

Nutritional value and calories of mochi

Mochi has 235kcal per 100g.

The three major nutrients that make up mochi are as follows.

Carbohydrate 50.3g
Fat 0.8g
Protein 4.2g

As expected, since it is made from rice, it has the highest carbohydrate content.

In addition to the three major nutrients, it also contains various minerals and vitamins.

【mineral】
Potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, molybdenum

【vitamin】
Vitamin B1, B2, niacin, B6,

【others】
Dietary fiber (insoluble)

Effects of mochi

Benefits of mochi No. 1: You'll feel less hungry than rice

Mochi has more calories than rice, so you can stay active for a longer period of time even if you eat the same amount.

Let me explain what I mean.

First, let's look at the energy content (calories) of mochi and rice.

Mochi: 235kcal
Rice: 168kcal

In this way, when comparing the same amount per 100g, rice cake is about 50kcal higher than rice.

In other words, there is a 50kcal difference in energy intake between a person who eats 100g of rice cake and a person who eats 100g of rice.

People who ate mochi were able to stay active for longer periods of time without running out of energy.

Working adults, students, and athletes who don't have time to eat a leisurely meal in the morning can replenish their energy in a short amount of time by eating mochi.

Benefits of Mochi Part 2: Chew it well to improve your beauty effects

Imagine when you put rice in your mouth and when you put rice cake in your mouth.

When do you chew "more"?

I think many people would probably answer "mochi".

The second benefit of mochi is the various beauty effects that come from increasing the number of times you chew it.

First, by chewing your food thoroughly, your satiety center will be stimulated.

When the satiety center is stimulated, the human body will feel full even with a small amount of food.

This is very beneficial for people who always overeat until they're full, or for people who eat a lot even though they're feeling full.

Also, chewing your food well and moving your mouth will help improve your facial line.

In particular, the muscles around the jaw are one of the things that modern people tend to weaken easily.

By eating mochi, you can improve your facial lines while stimulating your satiety center.

Advantages of freezing mochi

Allows long-term storage

The advantage of freezing mochi is that it can be stored for a long time.

Depending on the storage method and storage environment, if frozen, it can be stored for nearly six months.

With normal refrigerated storage, it can only be stored for about a week.

If you use frozen storage, you won't have to look at the mochi in the vegetable drawer half-heartedly wondering if it's still okay.

In addition, some foods lose their flavor and texture when frozen, but mochi has almost no deterioration due to freezing, so you can freeze it with confidence.

How to freeze mochi

For commercially available mochi

1. Wrap each mochi in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.

2. Remove the air from the freezer bag, close the bag and freeze.

★If there is any moisture, wipe it off thoroughly before freezing.
★If the mochi is individually wrapped, place it in a freezer bag.

For freshly made mochi

1. Sprinkle mochi powder onto the mochi.
2. Prepare a metal tray, place the rice cakes at intervals and freeze them.
3. Once the mochi is frozen, store it in a freezer bag.

How to vacuum pack freezer bags

[How to suck it out with a straw]
1. Place a straw in the freezer bag containing the mochi.
2. Close the bag until it is as thin as a straw.

3. Suck out the air inside the bag and remove the straw while creating a near-vacuum condition.

[How to use water pressure]
1. Store water in the kitchen sink or in a large container.

2. Close the mouth of the freezer bag containing the mochi by 90% and dip it into the water from the bottom of the bag.

3. Submerge the bag except for the opening, and once the air has gone out, close the remaining 10% of the opening.

How to defrost mochi and expiration date

How to defrost mochi

Frozen mochi can be used for cooking while still frozen.

If you need to thaw it, you can thaw it in the microwave or naturally at room temperature.
If you can't cut through the frozen mochi with a knife, it's a good idea to thaw it to soften it a little.

Mochi expiration date

Frozen mochi has a shelf life of 6 months.

This is also the same whether you freeze store-bought food or freeze freshly made food.

5 easy recipes using mochi

Microwave frozen mochi

☑材料（１人分）
・餅　1切れ（50g程度）

<How to make>
1) Line a plate with plastic wrap to prevent the mochi from sticking.
2) Quickly soak in water and place on a plate.
3) Without wrapping the top, heat in the microwave at 500W for 1 minute.
4) It is completed when it puffs up nicely (if it doesn't puff up, please adjust the time).

★It's delicious if you eat it with soy sauce or soybean flour if you like.

Standard zenzai

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/3611633

☑材料（20㎝の鍋1杯分）
・小豆　250g
・きび砂糖　250g
・塩　少々
・水　適量
・餅　適量

<How to make>
1) Gently wash the red beans under running water, put them in a pot, add enough water to cover them, and heat over high heat.
2) Once it boils, open it in a colander and discard the water. Repeat steps (1) and (2) three times to remove any scum.
3) Once the water has been removed, put the red beans and enough water in the pot again, heat over high heat, and once it boils, lower the heat to low.
4) Boil the red beans for about 40 to 60 minutes until they become soft (remove any scum that appears, and add more water if needed).
5) When the red beans are soft enough to crush with your fingers, add sugar in 3 portions, add salt, and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.
6) Adjust the amount of sugar and water to your liking and it's done.
7) Heat frozen mochi in the microwave or bake it on a wire rack.

Mochi pizza made in a frying pan

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/4279695

☑材料（3~4人分）
・切り餅　6個
・ピザソース　適量
・プチトマト　4個
・ピーマン　1/2個
・ピザ用チーズ　適量
・オリーブオイル　大さじ1/2

<How to make>
1) Defrost the frozen mochi at room temperature or in the microwave, then soak it lightly in water.
2) Heat oil in a frying pan and arrange the mochi.
3) Cover the frying pan and when the mochi starts to swell, flip it over.
4) Spread pizza sauce, top with your favorite toppings, sprinkle with cheese, and cover.
5) Once the cheese has melted, it's done.

★By soaking the mochi in water first, a suitable amount of moisture will be created in the frying pan.

Tteokbokki style rice cake

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/4271699

☑材料（2人分）
・切り餅　4個
・水　大さじ2
●コチュジャン　大さじ2
●ごま油　小さじ1/2
●水　大さじ2
・白いりごま

<How to make>
1) Cut the frozen mochi into thirds lengthwise (if it is too hard to cut, thaw it in the microwave).
2) Arrange the mochi on a heat-resistant plate and heat in the microwave at 600w for 30 seconds, then turn over and heat for 20 seconds (if you can't do it all at once, you can divide it into two batches).
3) Add the seasonings marked ● into a frying pan and mix with a wooden spoon.
4) Place the mochi in a frying pan, heat over medium heat, and once the seasonings are coated, sprinkle with white sesame seeds and it's done.

★If you overheat the rice cake, it will become soft and sticky, so please adjust the time carefully.

Mochi pork roll

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/4280527

☑材料（8個分）
・切り餅　4個
・豚薄切り肉　160g（4~8枚）
・焼きのり　1枚
・サラダ油　小さじ1
●醤油　大さじ1
●酒　大さじ1
●砂糖　大さじ1

<How to make>
1) Defrost the frozen mochi at room temperature or in the microwave, then cut it into 2 equal pieces lengthwise.
2) Wrap the cut mochi with pork (approximately 1.5 to 2 times to prevent it from falling off while baking).
3) Heat salad oil in a frying pan over low heat, and place the mochi with the pork roll seam side down. Close the lid and bake until golden brown.
4) Once browned, grill the next side and brown on all 4 sides in the same way.
5) Use chopsticks to check that the center of the mochi is soft.
6) Mix and add the seasonings listed in ●, turn the heat to medium, and cook until the mixture evaporates and becomes a deep golden brown.
7) Cut the seaweed into 8 pieces and wrap them one by one.

★If you don't wrap it in seaweed, it's also delicious if you sprinkle green seaweed on top.

Conclusion

How do you freeze mochi?

By simply wrapping it in plastic wrap, placing it in a freezer bag, and making sure to squeeze out all the air, mochi that previously could only be stored for about a week can now last for up to six months.

If you have ever had mold grow on your rice cakes, there is no reason not to do it.

If you have mochi at home, please try freezing it.

>> Click here for how to freeze meat

>> Click here for how to freeze fish

>> Click here for other ways to freeze vegetables