Broth made from cooking leftover bones has returned to favour because of how good it is for you. Bone broth contains all sorts of vitamins and minerals. The added benefit of bone broth is just how tasty it is! But, how do you store it for the long term?
Can You Freeze Bone Broth?
Yes, you can freeze bone broth for around 6 months. Large portions of bone broth can be frozen in freezer bags, or smaller concentrated portions can be frozen into ice cubes.
Does Bone Broth Freeze Well? Yes
Can You Refreeze Bone Broth? No
How to Freeze Bone Broth
There are a few ways to freeze bone broth, but these are two of the most useful:
How to Freeze Bone Broth in Bags
This method is perfect if you like to have portions of stock to use as a base for soups, stews, casseroles or any recipe you like!
- Cool: Once you have cooked bone broth, you need to remove the bones and let it cool completely.
- Label Bags: Grab some freezer-safe containers or good-quality freezer bags. You want to ensure they don’t leak in the freezer before the broth freezes. Label the bags or containers with the date and contents.
- Portion Out: Ladle portions of bone broth into each container or bag. You need as many containers as you want to freeze portions.
- Freeze: Pop the lid on any containers and pop them into the freezer. If you have chosen freezer bags, it is a little trickier because you need to keep the bags upright until the bone broth has frozen.
How to Freeze Bone Broth Ice Cubes
If you want a handy cube of tasty, healthy and umami flavour, then freezing concentrated cubes of bone broth is ideal. You’ll need to reduce bone broth, which becomes more concentrated for this method.
- Grab Ice Cube Trays: Grab yourself some ice cube trays. You may need a few, depending on your bone broth.
- Portion Out: Spoon bone broth into the sections of the ice cube tray. Leave a gap at the top of each section to allow the bone broth to expand as it freezes. It is important not to overfill the ice cube tray.
- Flash Freeze: Place the ice cube trays carefully into the freezer. Keep them upright and flat until the cubes are frozen.
- Bag Up: When the cubes have frozen fully, you can remove the trays from the freezer. Transfer the bone broth cubes into a freezer bag from the ice cube trays.
- Freeze: Label the bag with the contents and the date. Seal the bag tightly and pop it into the freezer.
When using glass in the freezer, you must check the container is suitable for the freezer before using it. Once you know this, you can fill it with bone broth around 80% before sealing and freezing. You need to give it plenty of room to expand.
3 Tips for Freezing Bone Broth
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing bone broth to have the best results:
Consider Portions
As with freezing most items, you need to consider the portions you use and then freeze them in suitably-sized containers. If you make ramen with your bone broth, then you’ll want to freeze it in large bags. If you want to add some meaty depth to a sauce, you might only need an ice cube.
Avoid Having as a Drink
Unfortunately, the flavour will never be quite the same and will degrade. You’ll want to avoid drinking it on its own. Instead, use frozen bone broth in dishes.
Label Bags First
Trying to write on bags that contain liquid can be challenging. Instead, write the labels before you fill them.
How Long Can You Freeze Bone Broth?
Bone broth freezes well and can be frozen for up to six months. You can freeze it for this length of time no matter which method you choose to freeze it. Perfect for always having a handy stash of bone broth and stock in the freezer.
Bone broth will keep in airtight containers for around 1 week in the fridge. It may remain safe to consume beyond this, but the flavour will degrade rapidly.
How Do You Defrost Bone Broth?
To defrost bone broth, remove it from the freezer and put it in the fridge. Ensure it is in a bowl, so it doesn’t make a mess in the fridge as it thaws.
This is the best method to use as it helps maintain the broth’s quality.
If you are using a couple of ice cubes of the bone broth, then you can use them from frozen. Just take them out of the bag, pop them straight into the pan, and use a low heat to heat the pan and the broth before adding the rest of your ingredients.
Can You Refreeze Bone Broth?
We wouldn’t recommend refreezing your bone broth once you have thawed it out. It is a meat product, and as a result, you do have to be careful not to allow bacteria to grow.
The optimum temperature for these harmful bacteria to grow is when the broth is at room temperature, and the more times you freeze and thaw the broth, the more chances it has to be at this temperature.
Does Bone Broth Freeze Well?
Bone broth does freeze well. If you like to drink your bone broth, we recommend doing this when it has been freshly made, as this is when it will taste its best.
However, you shouldn’t notice any difference between fresh and frozen bone broth for cooking.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing bone broth or bone broth in general, then these may help:
Your best place to find this answer is on the packaging. Generally speaking, all packaging will contain details on whether the contained product is suitable or not for home freezing.
Yes, meat bones can be frozen so that you can make bone broth in future. However, bones will take up a lot more room in the freezer than the broth. You’re better off making the broth beforehand.
