How to Freeze Egg Noodles
There’s nothing too complicated about freezing egg noodles, which you’ll be pleased to hear! The following steps outline how to freeze cooked egg noodles, but you can miss out step one if you’re freezing them before cooking.
- Allow to Cool
If you’re freezing leftover egg noodles from a meal, you will need to allow them to cool before freezing them. This can take an hour or so, and you can speed up the process by transferring them to a fresh dish while they cool. - Add a Little Olive Oil
Pour your noodles into a colander and add some olive oil before tossing them for a few seconds. This will ensure the noodles don’t clump together during the freezing process. - Separate into Portion Sizes
If you have a sizeable batch of egg noodles that you plan to freeze, separate them into portions before you bag them up, as it will make your life a lot easier when it’s time to defrost them. - Place in Freezer Bags
Divvy up your portion sizes into freezer-safe bags. Once your noodles are inside, press as much air as you can from the bag before sealing. - Label and Freeze
On the front of the bag, write the date that you cooked your egg noodles, as well as their use by date. Remember, you can freeze egg noodles for around three months.
3 Tips for Freezing Egg Noodles
Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing egg noodles to have the best results:
- Avoid Sauce – Egg noodles drenched in sauce won’t freeze overly well due to the high moisture content. As such, it’s best to add your sauce separately and leave the noodles that you plan to freeze plain. Lots of sauces are suitable for freezing, so you shouldn’t have an issue with freezing the sauce separately.
- Keep in the Fridge Instead – Cooked egg noodles will be good for up to three days in the fridge, so if you think you will enjoy them in the coming days, you don’t need to worry about freezing them. Again, though, if you’re refrigerating egg noodles, it’s best not to cover them in sauce beforehand.
- Evenly Distribute Veg and Meat – You can freeze noodles that include a range of vegetables or meat that you’ve added during the cooking process. Just remember to add an appropriate amount of meat and veg to each portion before placing the egg noodles in the freezer.
How Long Can You Freeze Egg Noodles?
You can freeze egg noodles for around three months.
Uncooked egg noodles can be frozen for longer than cooked noodles, so they should be good in the freezer for 4-5 months.
As mentioned, make sure you don’t cover your egg noodles in the sauce before you freeze them, as this will affect their texture once thawed.
You Can Freeze Egg Noodles for up to 3 Months
How Do You Defrost Egg Noodles?
The best way to defrost egg noodles is to remove a portion from the freezer and place it in the fridge overnight. However, if you’re in a rush, you can defrost them in the microwave on the appropriate setting.
Once thawed, you can then reheat your egg noodles in various ways, be it in the microwave, in a frying pan, or even in the oven.
Can You Refreeze Egg Noodles?
Providing you’ve defrosted your egg noodles in the fridge and not in the microwave or on the countertop, it’s safe to refreeze them. However, freezing egg noodles more than once can compromise their texture, and they could go soft.
Separating your egg noodles into portion sizes before you freeze them is a great way to ensure you don’t need to freeze them more than once, as you can take out only the noodles that you require at any given time.
Do Egg Noodles Freeze Well?
Whether cooked or uncooked, noodles freeze well. If you’re freezing cooked leftovers, make sure your egg noodles are plain, as noodles covered in sauce don’t freeze overly well.
But overall, egg noodles are an excellent dish to preserve in the freezer, so you don’t need to worry about wastage when preparing your next family meal.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing egg noodles or noodles in general, then these may help:
Can You Freeze Rice Noodles?
The same rules tend to apply to rice noodles. We would suggest only freezing them for 6 to 8 weeks, however, as their texture can change far quicker as they’re a little more delicate than normal egg noodles.
Can You Freeze Noodles from the Chinese?
Generally speaking, you can freeze noodles from the Chinese. Do not leave the noodles at room temperature for long as this is when bacteria can form. As soon as they are cool, either place in the fridge or directly into the freezer.
