Ring bologna makes a great addition to a whole host of Italian-inspired dishes. If you’re a lover of ring bologna and tend to buy it in bulk, do you know the best way to store it for the long term?
Can You Freeze Ring Bologna?
Yes, you can freeze ring bologna for up to 2 months. Start by wrapping the ring bologna in a loose layer of baking paper followed by a layer of cling film, and be sure to wrap that quite tightly before popping the package into the freezer.
Does Ring Bologna Freeze Well? Yes
Can You Refreeze Ring Bologna? No
How to Freeze Ring Bologna
Ring bologna is a great thing, but since it’s a form of meat, it cannot be refrozen. Before you get to freezing it, portion it out. Consider how much you normally consume and slice it into these portions.
- Wrap Once: Wrap each portion in breathable paper. We recommend baking paper or butcher’s paper, either would work perfectly fine. Don’t wrap the meat too tightly.
- Wrap Again: On top of the layer of paper, wrap the bologna package in a layer of non-breathable wrapping, such as cling film. This is the best choice since it adheres to itself, and will form a tight seal without any need for freezer bags.
- Label and Freeze: Once the meat is double-wrapped, it can be labelled with the correct date and transferred to the freezer.
3 Tips for Freezing Ring Bologna
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing ring bologna to have the best results:
Beware of Cross Contamination
We always recommend considering cross-contamination when you’re dealing with meat of any kind. The best way to ensure that you don’t get food poisoning is to eliminate any chance of it happening. Do not store bologna with raw meat, as it’s likely that you can cross-contaminate. Â
Ensure a Tight Seal
Ensuring that the seal of the cling film works perfectly well is vital. The reason for this is that the bologna will succumb to freezer burn easily if it gets wet, and a well-sealed package will allow the bologna to deflect water as drips take place.Â
Consider Freeze Smells
Bologna is a scented object – it’s processed meat, so the herbs and spices are something that must be considered to know whether or not you need to beware of other, smell-absorbing, items in your freezer.
How Long Can You Freeze Ring Bologna?
You can freeze ring bologna for up to two months.
It will likely still be safe to eat beyond that point, but freezer burn will have set in, and the texture will be damaged. You may also find the added flavourings will have degraded a little at this point, reducing the flavour.
If kept wrapped and then stored in an airtight container, ring bologna will last for around 1 week in the fridge.
How Do You Defrost Ring Bologna?
The simplest way to defrost bologna is to move it into the fridge overnight. This will thaw it, and keep it at a food-safe temperature, allowing you to eat it without worry.
It is not a good idea to defrost it on the counter at room temperature nor should you speed up the thawing process using a microwaving.
Can You Refreeze Ring Bologna?
No, you cannot refreeze meat, poultry, or fish of any kind.
The reason for this is that thawed food will have become contaminated in the kitchen, and refreezing it will allow for those bacteria to settle into other food in your freezer.
Does Ring Bologna Freeze Well?
Yes, provided you follow the steps outlined above, ring bologna does freeze well.
It doesn’t lose much, if anything, in terms of flavour and texture over time spent in the freezer, providing that you stick to a maximum period of 2 months. Beyond this, then you may have some minor issues.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing ring bologna or bologna in general, then these may help:
Yes, bologna bought from a deli, supermarket or food market can be frozen. It is important to double-wrap it and then freeze it for up to 2 months.
Yes, it is safe to freeze smoked bologna, but after just a few weeks, the smokey flavour will degrade. In just a matter of months, you’ll be left with bland-tasting bologna.
