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Can You Freeze Crumble?

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By Ross Young

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When added to stewed fruit, crumble makes for a mouth-watering dessert, particularly when served with lashings of cream or custard! But what’s the best way to preserve your crumble? Can you freeze crumble?

Crumble

Can You Freeze Crumble?

Yes, you can freeze crumble for up to 3 months. You can freeze a crumble topping on its own by placing it in a sealed freezer-safe bag. Alternatively, you can freeze a fruit-based crumble once it has already been baked.

How to Freeze Crumble

In this section, we deal with how to freeze crumble topping and how to freeze a fruit-based crumble.

The good news for you is that both processes are pretty straightforward and ensure your crumble can be used long into the future. 

Whichever method you opt for, the crumble should be good for several months in the freezer without deteriorating significantly in quality. Let’s look at how to freeze crumble in detail now:

How to Freeze Crumble Topping 

If you have prepared some homemade crumble topping and have some leftover, there’s no need to let it go to waste. Rather, you can freeze the crumble topping by following the steps below: 

  1. Add to a Freezer-Safe Bag
    Place your crumble topping in a freezer-safe bag. Try and remove any clumps and make it reasonably fine so it doesn’t stick together. 
  2. Seal Tightly
    Next, push out as much air as you can from the bag before sealing it. 
  3. Label and Freeze
    Write today’s date and the use-by date on the bag and place your crumble topping in the freezer. 

How to Freeze Fruit Crumble

If you have already put together a stewed fruit base, you can go ahead and add the crumble topping. Here’s how to freeze it as a crumble: 

  1. Prepare it But Don’t Bake it
    Build your fruit crumble as you ordinarily would by following your favourite recipe (such as this one), but don’t bake it. It’s much better to bake it from frozen as opposed to reheating it.
  2. Cool
    Make sure all of the ingredients have cooled completely before you proceed to the next step.
  3. Wrap
    Using plastic wrap or tin foil, tightly wrap the fruit crumble in the tray that you plan to cook it in. 
  4. Bag Up
    Slide the wrapped tray into a suitably sized freezer-safe bag. 
  5. Label and Freeze
    Write the use-by date on the front of the bag and place your fruit crumble in the freezer.

Freeze Crumble Before or After Baking It?

You can freeze crumble either before or after baking – both options have their own benefits.

Freezing before baking allows you to cook it directly from frozen, retaining a fresh taste. If you’ve already baked the crumble, you can freeze the leftovers and reheat them later.

However, for the best texture and flavour, I would always freeze crumble before baking it.

How Long Can You Freeze Crumble?

You can freeze crumble for around 3 months.

Leaving the topping in the freezer for any longer than this will cause ice crystals to build up in the mixture, which will result in a crumble that isn’t quite as crispy as you would have liked.

If you find that the ice crystals have caused your crumble to clump together, gently separate them before proceeding with the cooking process. 

How Long Does Cooked Crumble Last in the Fridge?

Cooked crumble is best enjoyed soon after baking it. It’s not recommended to keep it in the fridge for longer than 24 hours as it may become mushy. It will remain safe for up to 2 days though.

How Do You Defrost Crumble?

To defrost your bag of crumble topping, remove it from the freezer and place it in the fridge. It will take several hours to thaw, so try and remember to take it out of the freezer the night before you need to use it.

As mentioned, if you’ve frozen an entire fruit-based crumble, you don’t need to thaw it as you can cook it straight from frozen.

Can You Defrost Crumble in the Microwave?

Yes, you can defrost crumble in the microwave. Place it on a microwave-safe dish and heat in short bursts. Check regularly to ensure even warming.

Can You Refreeze Crumble?

Yes, you can refreeze crumble. The only potential issue with doing so is that the topping is likely to soften due to the formation of ice crystals in the mixture.

If you think you have more crumble than you can eat at any given time, it’s a good idea to split it into portion sizes before freezing it, so you can easily remove the servings that you need and are less likely to refreeze it.

Does Crumble Freeze Well?

Generally, crumble freezes well.

While the topping might not be quite as crispy as you hoped, it should still taste great. You can also add a spray of oil to the top of the crumble before cooking it, as this will help to crispen its topping. 

Sources

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Southern Living

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