Soggy Frozen Stir Fry

pennypincher3562

I normally never eat frozen veg, but in the interests of 'much cheapness' I bought 3 large bags of frozen stir fry today for 2 quid, and decided to give it a go.

I wasn't very impressed with the results. I put it in the pan from frozen, and it was basically a soggy mess.

Is it worth defrosting the veg first?

milasavesmoney

You might try putting it in a colander set over a kitchen towel to thaw and drain. I think that might help.
Also use really high heat to stir fry, making sure your pan is very very hot before you put the oil in. Wait a few seconds to let the oil heat and add your veggies. (this you probably know):)

suki1964

Tbh I find frozen stir fry soggy and horrible

The veg have a high water content as it is, freezing then cooking ( defrosted or otherwise ) will always be soggy compared to fresh cooked

I always stir fry from fresh. Leeks are good to bulk out dearer veg, as is cabbage

missbiggles1

If it says "cook from frozen" then that'll give you the best results, even if not totally satisfactory.

NewShadow

With leftover stir fry (same soggy issue), I've dumped the whole lot in chicken stock with noodles and 5 spice to make a quick noodle soup.

Not quite what you planned, but still tasty.

maman

suki1964 wrote: »

I always stir fry from fresh. Leeks are good to bulk out dearer veg, as is cabbage

Thanks for the reminder. I'm having stir fry tonight and I'd forgotten I've got some cabbage.


Slivers of carrot are another cheap addition.


I tend to have a bit of a search in the salad drawer of the fridge and use whatever's available although I do like to have mushrooms and peppers.


I freeze beansprouts as I'd never get through a whole bag in time and bags are so much cheaper than tins. They do go a bit soggy but when everything else is fresh it's better than wasting them.

pennypincher3562

suki1964 wrote: »

Tbh I find frozen stir fry soggy and horrible

The veg have a high water content as it is, freezing then cooking ( defrosted or otherwise ) will always be soggy compared to fresh cooked

I always stir fry from fresh. Leeks are good to bulk out dearer veg, as is cabbage

Yes, I reckon the soggy factor will always be there to some degree, even with some preparation.

I agree with using leeks and cabbages as a good option. You can often find them heavily reduced (e.g. down to 10p) towards the end of the day, in major supermarkets.

DomRavioli

You likely overloaded the pan and reduced the heat of the pan too quickly by adding frozen food. Your pan has to literally be smoking hot and add the veg in small batches - if you put too much in the water cannot evaporate as you will have brought the temp down.

If it is mixed veg in one bag, add around a handful at a time and batch cook it. When it is all cooked through you can add it back in, and also drain any water remaining.

rosie383

As domravioli says exactly. I bought probably the same three bags as you the other day and doing as above and cooking on a high heat until the water has evaporated off gave a decent enough result when mixed with noodles.
You won't get nice crunchy al dente veg though.

Primrose

I personally wouldn't stir fry frozen vegs. Even using a very hot pan to evaporate surplus water you never get that delightful crisp al dente texture. Far better to use them up in a home made vegetable soup, putting fresh raw vegs into simmer first and then adding the frozen vegs at the end to gently heat through.