If you’re a fan of Asian cuisine, we’re sure you’re familiar with lumpia wrappers. Lumpia wrappers are often frozen for convenience but thawing them can be a challenge. This article will look at how you can defrost lumpia wrappers without them falling apart.
What Are Lumpia Wrappers?
Lumpia wrappers are thin sheets of dough made from wheat flour, cornstarch, salt, and water. They are also known as popiah or spring roll wrappers.
Lumpia wrappers are usually square or round in shape and are used to hold a mixture of fillings like chicken, pork, cabbage, and carrot. Once the filling has been wrapped, it is fried in oil to make it crispy.
Some lumpia wrapper recipes do not contain eggs, which makes them a great vegan-friendly option.
How to Defrost Lumpia Wrappers
Defrosting Lumpia Wrappers
There are a few different ways to defrost lumpia wrappers.
- The first way is to remove the wrappers from the freezer and leave them on the kitchen counter to defrost. They should take around 30 minutes to defrost, and then they will be ready to use.
- If you are in a rush and don’t have 30 minutes to wait for the lumpia wrappers to defrost, you can microwave them. Use the medium or low temperature setting on the microwave, as the high temperature setting may begin cooking the lumpia wrappers rather than simply defrosting them. Since lumpia wrappers are so thin, it shouldn’t take long to defrost them in the microwave. Keep checking the wrappers to ensure that they do not begin cooking.
- If you are defrosting the wrappers in the microwave, cover them with a napkin to prevent the lumpia from drying out and becoming hard. Once the lumpia wrappers have defrosted, you should remove them from their packaging and cover them with a damp towel. This will keep the wrappers moist and soft so that they do not crack and break when you handle them.
- If the lumpia wrappers have become hard during the defrosting process, you can dip each one in warm water for around 30 seconds. Do not keep the wrappers in the water for longer than a minute, as they will become too soft and break. You should wet your hands or mist the wrappers with water while you are working with them to keep them soft and pliable.
How Long Can You Freeze Lumpia Wrappers For?
Purchasing lumpia wrappers in bulk and freezing some can save you both time and money. After all, who wants to drive to the grocery store every second day? Freezing lumpia wrappers significantly increases their shelf life.
Frozen lumpia wrappers will generally be safe to consume for about six months. However, you should check the expiration date on the back of the packet to be sure.
When to Discard Lumpia Wrappers
It’s important to remember that although lumpia wrappers last long, especially when frozen, they can spoil. Even if the lumpia wrappers are still safe to eat, as lumpia wrappers age their texture changes and they become difficult to work with.
If you are concerned that your lumpia wrappers may be past their expiration date, look out for the following signs:
- Discoloration on the wrappers
- An oily film on the wrappers
- Mold
- A watery or mushy texture
- Foul odor
If the lumpia wrappers are showing any of these signs, it’s time to discard them.
How to Make Your Own Lumpia Wrappers
If you don’t wish to buy store-bought lumpia wrappers in bulk and freeze them, you may want to make your own lumpia wrappers at home. Lumpia uses simple ingredients that most people already have in their pantries, which makes whipping up a batch quick and easy!
Lumpia wrapper recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cake flour
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
Method:
- Place the cake flour, corn starch, and salt in a bowl and mix them together.
- Add the water slowly, a tablespoon at a time, while mixing the dough.
- Once all the water has been added, remove the dough from the bowl and slam it down on the counter repeatedly. This will develop the gluten and create elasticity in the dough.
- After a few minutes, the dough should become elastic and stick together when lifted.
- Place the dough back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge for a few hours or leave overnight.
- Once the dough has hardened, remove it from the fridge and preheat a frying pan on the stovetop. The stovetop should be set to medium heat.
- Once the pan is hot, take the dough and smear it in a circular motion across the pan. Once the wrapper begins to curl at the edges, remove it from the pan. Repeat until all the dough is finished.
- Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for a few days or freeze.