How long can you freeze white sauce? If you have made more white sauce than what you can actually use, chances are you tend to preserve the rest in the freezer. But how long?
Freezing is one of the most common ways of preserving perishables. However, it is important to remember that some foods have a shorter shelf life even in the fridge.
So how long can you freeze white sauce? White sauce can last up to six months in the freezer. But to enjoy its best quality, try to consume it for less than a month. The white sauce tends to separate when stored in the fridge for too long.
If you stored white sauce in the fridge, I recommend that you check it regularly. To effectively do that, label the container of the sauce with a date so you can easily identify the date it’s been in the fridge.
I personally do this because I don’t want to waste something that I had put effort into. Labeling helps me identify when the food is safe to eat.
Sometimes though, frozen perishable foods won’t last long in the fridge. This depends on the way foods are stored. So I recommend that you taste the food, in this instance, white sauce before consuming it even it is kept in the freezer.
How to Freeze White Sauce?
There is no one rule that governs the freezing process of white sauce. You can do it in your own way.
However, if this is your first time to do it, it can be daunting. If you don’t do it right, the sauce may not last in the freezer as you expect it to be. So the key here is right storing.
That said, I would like to share with you some tips that I personally use for my white sauce. If you are interested, you can follow the same.
Here are the steps you can follow when storing white sauce in the freezer:
1. Put the sauce in the freezer bag. It is always a good idea to do it by portion so that it will be easier to take some part of it when needed.
2. After putting all the sauce in the freezer bag, seal it. Make sure that you squeeze most of the air out of the bag. The air inside can cause problems in the sauce down the line.
3. Place the freezer bags in a container. The purpose of this double layering is to keep the best quality of the white sauce.
4. Seal the container and put it in the freezer.
That’s it. The sauce will last for months in the freezer. When you need it, just get what you can consume and leave the rest.
I have an important reminder here though. Recognize that white sauce does not freeze well. What this means is that when in the freezer, the fat from the butter and the water from the milk tend to separate.
But there is nothing to worry. It is pretty normal. Everything will be settled.
What you can do is to thaw the frozen white sauce in the fridge and heat it in a pan over low heat. Keep whisking until the sauce combines again. You can add a small amount of butter if you want.
Related: Can You Freeze Sweet and Sour Sauce?
How to Defrost White Sauce?
You won’t enjoy a frozen white sauce. So the best way to go is to thaw it. But how can you do that?
Well, the best way to defrost white sauce is to transfer it to the fridge for 12 hours or so. You can do it overnight. Make sure that you only thaw what you need. This is to keep the rest safe in the freezer.
Final Thought
If you have leftover white sauce, do not worry. You can store it in the freezer. If done properly, white sauce can last up to six months.
The storing strategy determines the shelf life of the white sauce. The steps I shared in this post will be greatly helpful in achieving such. That said, you can follow the steps I shared in this post.
As a final note, do not leave white sauce for too long at room temperature. Like many perishable foods, the white sauce will not be safe to eat if left at room temperature for more than two hours.
If you want to consume it later, make sure that the leftover white sauce is kept in the freezer. You can reheat it before consuming.
I hope it helps.
Related Questions
I think I have provided the answer to the main question. However, I got some other quick questions from my readers that I would also like to tackle in this post.
If you have further questions about the white sauce, this is a great opportunity to learn more. Here are the additional questions that you might be also interested in.
How to make white sauce?
Making the white sauce is easy and pretty straightforward. You just need about 570ml of milk, 50 grams of flour, and 25 grams of butter and seasoning. Heat a pan over medium heat and melt butter in it. Once the butter is melted, add flour and stir it to create a roux. You can then turn off the heat and pour the sauce into the bowl. Add seasoning of your choice and enjoy.
Can you freeze bechamel sauce? Yes, you can freeze béchamel sauce. Bechamel is just another term for white sauce. The freezing strategies I shared in this post are also applicable when freezing béchamel sauce.
