Can You Freeze Oats?

Last updated on July 18th, 2022 at 02:02 am

Do you have some leftover oats? Maybe you bought a lot of oats and don’t want them to go bad. Oats are a great source of protein and also contain vitamins and minerals. 

Made into oatmeal for a healthy breakfast or added to yogurt or smoothies for a yummy snack, oats can be used for a lot of different recipes. If you enjoy eating oats, at one time or another you have probably had a lot of leftover oats or oats you don’t want to go bad. 

Oats last for a while but they do eventually expire. If you are wanting to save them for longer, can you freeze oats?

You can freeze oats to save them for later. Dry oats as well as oatmeal can be frozen. This will help them to last for weeks up to months.

Oats are healthy for you. They contain so many nutrients our bodies need like fiber, phosphorus, thiamine, magnesium, and zinc. There are also many types of oats. These are:

• Oat groats
• Steel-cut/Irish oats
• Scottish oats
• Rolled/Old Fashioned oats
• Quick/Instant oats

Grains like oats and rice freeze well and usually last for months when stored properly in the freezer. Just be sure to use them up within a year for best results. 

If you enjoy eating oats, you may tend to buy them in bulk. Since oats do eventually go bad, you may want to store them long-term. The best way to do this is to store the oats in the freezer. This can keep them good for weeks up to months. 

Freezing oats can also keep them away from any pests. When you want to use the oats weeks or months later, all you have to do is thaw them and use them however you want to. So, yes, you can freeze oats!

What Happens If You Freeze Oats?

Freezing is a great way to keep food good if you aren’t going to use it right away. If you are wanting to preserve food for longer, you can freeze it. 

Some foods freeze better than others do. Oats are a food that you can freeze. But, what happens when you freeze oats?

When you freeze oats, it helps to preserve them for longer than if they were stored in the pantry or fridge. However, over time, the oats will decline in quality, freshness, and flavor. 

All grains last for a while when stored in the freezer and this includes oats. The cold temperatures of the freezer keeps the food from oxidizing. The freezer keeps oats and oatmeal good for longer and is the best long-term storage location for the grain. 

Freezing slows down oxidation which causes food to go bad. This is why we can store food in the freezer and keep it good for longer. Oats can be stored in the freezer and saved for up to a year. Freezing oats can also keep any unwanted pests from getting into the oats. 

Now, when oats (as well as any other food) is frozen, it loses quality the longer it is stored in the freezer. After they have been stored for a certain amount of time, oats lose quality in how they taste as well as their freshness. 

So, when you freeze oats you are preserving them until you want to use them but don’t freeze them too long or they just won’t taste very good at all. 

How Long Can You Freeze Oats?

Oats don’t last forever. Even in the freezer they will lose quality over time. Some say you can freeze oats indefinitely and while this may be true, you won’t want to eat them after they have been stored in the freezer for many years. 

They don’t taste good at all. So, how long can you freeze oats?

You can freeze dry oats for up to a year. After this, you will need to toss them because they will no longer be edible or enjoyable to eat. Oatmeal can be frozen for up to 3 months.

All food expires or will lose a lot of its quality with time. This is still true with oats (or any other food) that is stored in the freezer. While they can still be good for months after they expire if they are stored well, after about a year in the freezer the oats just won’t taste very good. 

If the oats are in oatmeal form, they could grow mold or have a bad smell or taste which means that they have gone bad. Oats can only be frozen for about a year. After this, they don’t taste as good because they will have lost their flavor and freshness. 

Now, if it is oatmeal that you are freezing, this can only be stored in the freezer for about 3 months before it should be tossed.

How Do You Store Oats In The Freezer?

To prevent oats from going bad, you need to store them in the freezer properly. Dry oats can be stored in the pantry in its original packaging or airtight containers. But, how do you store oats in the freezer?

When freezing, store dry oats in a freezer safe bag, or a plastic or glass airtight container. If freezing oatmeal, store this in a freezer bag or an airtight container as well. 

Whenever you are storing oats, you should always be careful not to store the oats in a place with a lot of heat, moisture, or sunlight. These can cause the oasts to deteriorate faster. Dry goods are usually kept in the pantry but they can also be stored in the fridge. The fridge is clean, dry, dark, and cool. 

Just be sure to keep them tightly sealed so no moisture gets into the container. 

Keeping the container the oats are in tightly sealed is important if you want them to stay fresh and good. When storing oats in the freezer, it’s a good idea to use freezer bags. These can keep your freezer organized since you can stack them or set the bags side by side. 

You can also use airtight containers to freeze oats in. As you can see, storing oats is easy and simple to do and it is a great way to keep the grain good long-term.

Final Thoughts

You can freeze oats. Oats can stay good in the freezer for up to a year. Just be sure to properly store the oats and you will have them on hand for whenever you need to use them. 

Freezing can also keep the oats away from any pests. 

This grain is healthy for you and if you enjoy eating them, you may buy a lot at one time. Since oats will go bad over time, you can store them long-term in the freezer. So, to preserve the oats, freeze them!