Freezing your pasta sauce can be a great way to meal prep and ensure none of your homemade sauce goes to waste. However, not every sauce will freeze and thaw well. Food Republic spoke to Joshua Frias, Executive Chef at Naples Ristorante e Bar in the Downtown Disney District in Anaheim, California for the inside scoop on what to freeze and what not.
“Some sauces can be frozen with no negative effect, like tomato sauce or a meat ragu,” said Frias “But for some sauces, spending time in the freezer can be a death sentence, ” Frias said.
“In general, you never want to freeze an emulsified sauce such as hollandaise, mayonnaise, piccata, or beurre blanc sauces. These sauces are based on two liquids that would normally not blend together (i.e. oil and vinegar), combined into a smooth, velvety sauce using emulsifiers which have molecules that are able to attract and hold together both liquids temporarily in a bonded state,” he explained. In other words, when you freeze an emulsified sauce, the different components freeze at different rates, meaning the liquids separate, and your sauce loses that smooth texture.
Cream-based sauces like a rich alfredo or a cream of mushroom sauce are also problematic. Frias warns, “Cream sauces are also not ideal for freezing since dairy can become unpleasant after spending time in the freezer. Again, just like with emulsified sauces, freezing causes internal components within the cream to freeze at different rates.” He notes that while some techniques can fix a separated cream sauce, it’s often best to avoid freezing these sauces altogether.
Ways to store pasta sauces that shouldn’t be frozen
But fret not, there are ways you can hold on to your emulsified or creamy sauces even if you don’t freeze them. “For some delicate sauces, like emulsified sauces, the best way to preserve them is to refrigerate them until the end of their shelf life, and then just throw them away,” advises Frias. “Freezing an emulsified sauce is never going to result in a workable sauce once thawed out.” Instead of freezing, he suggests making smaller batches more often to maintain the sauce’s integrity.
To reheat these sauces, Frias recommends using a double boiler. “The double boiler will help to make sure the sauce is not overheated, and the gentle temperature rise will help to not overstress the emulsion bonds, keeping the sauce in sauce form.” A double boiler provides gentle, indirect heat, perfect for heating and emulsifying creamy or delicate sauces like hollandaise or alfredo without overheating. You can make one at home by placing a heatproof glass or metal bowl over a pot with an inch or two of simmering water, ensuring the bowl fits snugly without touching the water.
However, if you’re absolutely set on freezing a cream sauce, Frias provides one method for restoring the sauce’s consistency. “When cream sauces become gritty in the freezer, it is because the fat separates from the liquid in the cream. Whisking the cream vigorously at room temperature is usually enough to bond the fat back into the liquid cream, restoring the smooth texture.” If that doesn’t work, he suggests adding a little fresh cream while whisking to help bring everything back together.
