Dumplings are a sweet or salty dough filled with meats, vegetables, fruits, or fish. They can be prepared fried, baked, or steamed, so it may be confusing how to keep them in good condition, but today, I have the recipe for you, and I will show you how to store gyozas.
You can store raw dumplings with a dry filling for 24 hours in the fridge, and the cooked dumplings last between 3 and 4 days. You can also freeze them for 3 or 4 months.
If you want to know how to preserve dumplings correctly, keep reading.
How to keep dumplings in the fridge
As dumplings cannot be too long at room temperature, it is best to store them cold. Therefore, you can keep them in the fridge or freezer, whether raw or cooked.
To keep raw dumplings in the fridge, consider that those with wet fillings should not be stored in the refrigerator.
If you store the dumplings with wet filling in the refrigerator, the dough will become watery and rough, but the dumplings with dry filling can last a few hours in the fridge. You need to put them inside an airtight container lined with paper towels.
Place the raw dumplings with dry fillings in the coldest part of the fridge and leave them there for 24 hours. You should follow the same steps to store the cooked version.
To preserve cooked or raw dumplings with dry fillings, you need to do the following:
- Step 1: Wait for the dumplings to cool.
Place the dumplings on a rack or plate to cool completely before storing.
- Step 2: Place the dumplings in an airtight container.
First, line the container with paper towels, then arrange the dumplings next to each other. Place a layer of waxed or absorbent paper to put others on top.
- Step 3: Save the cooked dumplings.
Leave the dumplings in the coldest part of the fridge. That way, you can store them for 3 or 4 days. Remember, the shelf life of the raw dumplings with dry filling is shorter, lasting 24 hours.
How to freeze dumplings
Can dumplings be kept? It is the ideal option to preserve them if they are raw.
- Step 1: Wait for the dumplings to cool.
This step only applies to cooked dumplings. In the case of raw, go to the next step. Place the cooked dumplings on a rack or plate to cool.
- Step 2: Perform the first freezing of the dumplings.
On a tray, you will place a nonstick sheet, parchment paper, or wax, then put the raw or cooked dumplings next to each other without touching them.
Put the tray in the freezer and wait for 4 or 6 hours until the dumplings get hard. This will prevent them from sticking later.
- Step 3: Transfer the dumplings to an airtight bag or container.
When the dumplings freeze, transfer them to an airtight bag or container that can withstand the freezer so they will not suffer freeze burns and will not stick to the others because you previously froze them.
- Step 4: Set the storage date of the dumplings.
On the bag or container, write the date of storage or preparation of the dumplings. You can also put some tape or label them and place the date with a marker.
- Step 5: Save the dumplings in the freezer.
The dumplings can last between 3 and 4 months in the freezer, whether cooked or raw. Cooked dumplings cannot be re-frozen, while you can store raw dumplings in the fridge or freezer after cooking them.
You do not need to thaw dumplings, as you can reheat them directly frozen and never thaw raw dumplings, or they could fall apart.
How to reheat dumplings
You can reheat the dumplings in the same way as you cooked them. You can bake them, heat them in a pan with a bit of oil, in a steamer, in hot water, and even in the microwave.
Set the oven to a temperature of 190°C and heat the dumplings for 5 minutes if you refrigerated them or between 10 or 12 minutes if you froze them.
You could also add a splash of oil in a pan, wait for it to heat up sufficiently, and place the dumplings, and before covering it, add a splash of water.
To reheat the dumplings in water, wait until the water boils and pour it for 3 or 5 minutes. While steaming, it could take between 5 and 8 minutes to heat up.
If you want to reheat the dumplings in the microwave, cover them with damp paper and run 30-second runs at medium power until they heat up thoroughly.
How do you know if dumplings got bad?
Dumplings will have gone bad when they have one or more of these characteristics:
- Bad smell or taste: Dumplings may look good, but if they have a strange smell or a strange or bad taste, do not eat them because they are damaged.
- Mold: It is quite common for dumplings to develop mold, so when you see green, blue, white, or black spots or lint, discard them and do not eat them.
- Change of consistency: if the dumplings become very soft and dense, they are damaged, and the same if they harden a lot.
How long do dumplings last?
| Product | Duration |
| Refrigerated raw dumplings | 24 hours |
| Refrigerated cooked dumplings | 3 – 4 days |
| Frozen dumplings | 3 – 4 months |
What is the best way to preserve dumplings?
The best way to preserve raw dumplings is to freeze them because they can only be in the fridge for a few hours if they have a filling that is not wet.
If the dumplings are cooked, you can preserve them in the fridge for several days. However you could also store them in the freezer, but when reheated, they will have a different consistency.
If you are interested in learning how to preserve some other food, on this website, I have an extensive list of topics dealing with this exact point.
