A steel container of fresh idly dosa batter on a refrigerator shelf with the lid beside it

How long fresh batter keeps, and how to store it

ByThanan

Fresh batter is a living thing. It carries no preservatives and no soda, which is the point of it, and it also means it keeps on fermenting in your kitchen exactly as it did in ours. Here is what to expect and how to keep it at its best.

Put it in the fridge as soon as it arrives

This is the single thing that matters most. We hold the batter cold from the moment it is ground until it reaches your door. Chennai heat undoes that quickly, so the pack should go into the fridge rather than sit on the counter. Two or three hours out in May is enough to push it past where you want it.

How long it lasts

Refrigerated, most batter is at its best for the first two days and still good for three to four. It does not spoil suddenly on the fourth day. It gets steadily more sour, and at some point it crosses the line from pleasantly tangy to sharp.

That line is a matter of taste. Plenty of people prefer a three day batter for dosa because the extra sourness gives a better crust. For idly, fresher is usually softer.

Signs it has gone too far

  • A sharp, alcoholic smell rather than a clean sour one.
  • Water separating on top that is grey rather than pale.
  • Any pink, orange or fuzzy patch. That is not fermentation, throw it out.

A little liquid on the surface on day two or three is normal. Stir it back in.

Can you freeze it

Yes, and it works better than most people expect. Freeze it in a container with room at the top, because it expands. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, never on the counter and never in a microwave.

Frozen batter loses some of its lift, so it suits dosa better than idly. If you are freezing, do it on the day it arrives rather than on day three.

If your kitchen runs cold

Rare in Chennai, but it happens in an air conditioned flat. If the batter seems flat and has not risen at all, leave it out for an hour before you cook. It will wake up.

We grind every morning and deliver the same batch, so what reaches you has not been sitting anywhere. Order before 6 PM and it arrives the next morning. Browse the shop.