Quince paste, or Membrillo, is a unique item in most kitchens, and it’s used to cut through the flavour of cheese and rich meat. If you’ve got a stock of quince paste, how do you store it for months on end… Is the freezer an option?
Can You Freeze Quince Paste?
Yes, you can freeze quince paste for up to 12 months. Quince paste typically comes fairly thick, not much like a paste. This makes it easy to slice, wrap and freeze. It’s vital that it is double wrapped!
Does Quince Paste Freeze Well? Yes
Can You Refreeze Quince Paste? Yes
How to Freeze Quince Paste
To freeze quince paste, we recommend taking it out of any kind of packaging it might be in. This may not be the case since people tend to make their own, but if you’re dealing with homemade paste, you simply want the log itself on a work surface.
- Portion: Portion up as much of the quince paste as you might like to freeze, potentially the entire thing if you’d like.
- Wrap: Then, wrap the quince paste in an initial layer of baking paper before wrapping that package in a further layer of cling film. Wrapping in this order will create an effective moisture barrier between the quince paste and the freezer’s interior.
- Freeze: When the quince paste is total wrapped, transfer it to the freezer, where it will store without degradation for up to twelve months.
3 Tips for Freezing Quince Paste
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing quince paste to have the best results:
Double Layer
Around the quince paste that you’re working with, we encourage you to create two layers – the first of baking paper and the second of cling film. This is a wise way to go, as the cling film traps any excess moisture, leading to any frost forming on the baking paper instead of on the paste itself.
Remove Any Contaminants
Quince paste will rarely have any obvious contaminants on it, but when dealing with such a sticky, sweet ingredient, it’s always wise to double-check for any forms of contaminants that you might be dealing with. Check the paste, and remove any obvious physical contaminants.Â
Ensure a Tight Cling Film Seal
Ensuring that the cling film is pressed to a gentle seal around the quince paste package is important, as that will prevent excess moisture from getting into the packaging – that’s how quince paste will spoil in the freezer!
How Long Can You Freeze Quince Paste?
You can freeze quince paste for up to a year when you freeze it in the right conditions.
As we’ve said a few times, those conditions are simple – well wrapped, with a primary layer of baking paper and a secondary layer of cling film.
If the quince paste isn’t properly wrapped, any condensation and frost that might form on it could immediately dissolve the sugars within it, leading to freezer burn spreading through the paste quickly.
To be on the safe side, if there is any runny ice on the surface of the quince paste, discard the ingredient you’re working with.
Quince paste can be kept in the fridge for around 3 months providing that it is wrapped well in cling film and stored in an airtight container.
How Do You Defrost Quince Paste?
The best way to defrost quince paste is to thaw it in the fridge overnight. This works well since quince paste is designed to be stored in a cold, dark spot.
Place the paste on some paper towel in the fridge so that any excess moisture will be absorbed, leading to a wonderfully well-textured paste in no time.
Can You Refreeze Quince Paste?
Yes, you can thaw and refreeze quince paste as often as you like. Quince paste is a fairly unique material, and you don’t have to worry about freezer burn damaging the texture of such a smooth ingredient.
Therefore, when thawing and refreezing, there’s little to worry about.
Does Quince Paste Freeze Well?
Yes, quince paste does freeze well. The main reason for this is that there’s little to no water in quince paste, so any water molecules that freeze will surely not affect the texture or flavour of the paste itself.
Therefore, the end result will be a tasty quince paste that’s nearly impossible to discern from a fresh, non-frozen block.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing quince paste or quince paste in general, then these may help:
Yes, Membrillo can be frozen. Wrap it in a sheet of baking paper followed by a sheet of cling film before popping it into a bag and then freezing it. 
Quince puree can be frozen in small Tupperware containers or an ice cube tray, depending on the quantities you want to freeze. It can be frozen for around 3 months.
