Quick Answer: Can You Freeze Clotted Cream?
Yes, you can absolutely freeze clotted cream! If you do it properly following the right method and the instructions correctly, you can even freeze clotted cream for up to even 6 months! The only thing to note, however, is that you must freeze only fresh clotted cream. If you freeze it using good quality materials, you have nothing to worry about, freezing clotted cream is a great way to preserve it beyond its shelf life!
This comprehensive, detailed step-by-step guide gives you the best all necessary insight into freezing clotted cream.
Taking from time-tested experience and hours’ worth of intensive research, this guide covers how to-s, dos and don’ts, and more so you can freeze clotted cream easily at the comfort of your home!
Let’s get right into it!
For the first method we will discuss freezing unopened clotted cream, and then move on to freezing larger portions of clotted cream altogether and the other methods.
How to Freeze Unopened Clotte Clotted Cream
Instructions
In case of an unopened jar of clotted cream, there is no need to transfer it into a separate container or anything. Simply put the whole unopened package into the freezer.
The original packaging typically comes with enough resistance to freezer airs and moisture to preserve it.
However, to be safe, you could always enquire at the store or check with the manufacturing information to confirm if the original packaging that the clotted cream came in is suitable to kept in the freezer.
For example, in case of tinned clotted cream, the process gets slightly more complicated. Unopened or otherwise, it is unwise to freeze cream (or any other food for that matter) in a tin or any metal containers.
Follow the instructions given in the following method to freeze your unopened clotted cream that comes in a tin.
Freezing Unopened Tinned Clotted Cream
Time Taken: 10-15 minutes
What You Need:
- Appropriately sized, rigid, freezer-safe container with tight-fitting lid
- Sturdy spoon
- Airtight freezer bag (larger than the container)
This is also a very simple process that takes no time at all! All you need is a rigid, freezer-safe airtight container that you can spoon the tinned clotted cream into.
Open the tin carefully
If you are planning on using some right away, do the needful. But the rest needs to be transferred into a separate container before you freeze it.
Spoon the clotted cream into a rigid freezer-safe container
While the container cannot be too big such that there is too much space left in it even after the cream is inside, there also needs to be around an inch of headspace left for the cream to expand while freezing.
So, choose your container accordingly, and definitely make sure it is freezer-safe. Then, using a sturdy spoon, carefully spoon in the clotted cream from the tin and into the container.
Seal container tightly
The container must have a tight-fitting lid. Snap it on securely once all your clotted cream has been transferred inside.
Put container into airtight freezer bag
This added layer of protection is to make sure that your cream holds up in the freezer for up to 3 weeks against freezer burns. Again, make sure the bag is appropriately sized and of good quality.
Seal freezer bag carefully
Squeeze out all the air possible from the freezer bag, and seal it tightly and securely. Label and freeze – Label the freezer bag. Your clotted cream is good to freeze!
Freezing Larger Portions of Clotted Cream Together
Time Taken: 10-15 minutes
What You Need:
- Appropriately sized, rigid, freezer-safe container with tight-fitting lid
- Large airtight resealable heavy-duty freezer bag
While this is not always the most recommended method if say you do not require or end up using the entire amount of clotted cream you have frozen.
In that case, you will have to thaw all of it, but the leftovers you don’t need will have to be discarded, as refreezing is not advised.
Transfer the clotted cream into the container
This is slightly tricky in the sense that you need to choose the perfect container for this.
Again, while it cannot be too big such that there is too much space left in it even after the cream is inside, there also needs to be around an inch of headspace left for the cream to expand while freezing.
So, choose your container accordingly, and definitely make sure it is freezer-safe.
Seal container tightly
The container must have a tight-fitting lid. Snap it on securely once all your clotted cream has been transferred inside.
Put container into airtight freezer bag
This added layer of protection is to make sure that your cream holds up in the freezer for up to 3 weeks against freezer burns. Again, make sure the bag is appropriately sized and of good quality.
Seal freezer bag carefully
Squeeze out all the air possible from the freezer bag, and seal it tightly and securely.
Label and freeze
Label the freezer bag. Your clotted cream is good to freeze! While this is not always the most recommended method, it is the easiest.
Follow this to freeze your clotted cream only if you are absolutely sure that you will be using up all of it in a recipe in the future.
Freezing Clotted Cream in Silicone Molds
Time Taken: 15-30 minutes
What You Need:
- A sturdy spoon
- Silicone molds / small plastic freezer-safe cups
- Cling wrap
This is a tried and tested method where you would need silicone popsicle molds, or even small plastic cups should do the trick.
This is a versatile method to freeze cream, allowing you to take them out and use them as you please.
Transfer clotted cream in portions into popsicle molds or little plastic cups
Do as instructed. Be careful not to fill the molds or cups to the brim; leave around half an inch of space for the cream to expand while freezing.
Insert sticks
Insert sticks into the cream. Cover the cups or molds with cling film – You can also use plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Cover the top of the molds or cups tightly, with the stick poking out from the center; making them airtight and watertight.
Flash-freeze for at least six to seven hours
To be safe, you can even let the clotted cream molds freeze overnight.
Transfer into airtight resealable freezer bags
Once they have frozen hard, transfer the clotted cream molds into an airtight resealable freezer bag. Make sure to do this fast so that the molds do not start thawing.
Seal carefully and label
Be sure to seal the bag really well and tightly. Squeeze out all the air possible from the bag, and then seal it tightly and securely.
The clotted cream freezing well depends on how well you secure the bags. Label the bag with the storage date.
Freeze
Your clotted cream popsicles are ready to freeze! They can be kept in freezer storage for up to 4 to 6 weeks, and should ideally be consumed within a month or two of freezing.
Freezing Whipped Clotted Cream Dollops
Time Taken: 7-8 hours
What You Need:
- Baking sheet / baking tray
- Parchment paper / wax paper
- Bowl
- Whip
- Appropriately sized, rigid, freezer-safe container with tight-fitting lid
- Large airtight resealable heavy-duty freezer bags
This method makes the cream very useful to be added to cupcakes, or small cake fillings, directly! This method also ensures better preservation of the clotted cream in the freezer, thanks to the flash-freezing.
Whip the clotted cream in a bowl
Again, you will not need to do too much of this as the clotted cream is an advantage here. Just whip till it is stiff.
Use the whip to place dollops of clotted cream on a baking sheet or tray
First, line the baking tray or sheet with some parchment or wax paper. Then, as mentioned, use the whip to form dollops of cream, and place each dollop on the paper, leaving some distance between the dollops.
Cover the baking tray with a large airtight freezer bag, seal and flash-freeze
This is to make sure that your cream dollops are not exposed to any freezer airs. Put it inside the freezer and allow the cream dollops to flash-freeze for at least six to seven hours.
To be safe, you can even leave them in the freezer overnight.
Transfer frozen dollops inside a rigid airtight container
Once the cream dollops have frozen hard, pick them off the sheet and place inside a rigid airtight, freezer-safe container. Snap its lid on tightly and securely.
Put container into airtight freezer bag and seal carefully
Squeeze out all the air possible from the freezer bag, and then seal it tightly and securely.
Label and freeze
Label the freezer bag. Your clotted cream dollops are good to freeze!
Freezing Clotted Cream in Ice Cube Trays
Time Taken: 7-8 hours
What You Need:
- Ice cube trays
- Aluminum foil
- Airtight resealable freezer bags
If your clotted cream is not too stiff or solid, it is a great idea to freeze it in ice cube trays.
This is a very widely recommended method! It helps preserve your clotted cream really well, and also saves storage space; allows you to freeze and use in portions!
Divide the clotted cream into single-serving portions
This is important as it makes your storing process much easier and more hassle-free, as well as the later processes like thawing.
Pour the cream according to serving portions into the ice cube trays
Do this carefully, and be sure to not fill the cubes to the brim with the clotted cream as it will expand while freezing.
Cover the ice trays with aluminum foil and flash-freeze
Once the ice trays have been covered securely with aluminum foil, stick them in the freezer and let the clotted cream flash-freeze for at least 5 to 6 hours. To be safe, you can even flash freeze overnight.
Transfer the cubes to airtight freezer bags
Once they have frozen properly into cubes, take the trays out, pop out the cubes and transfer them into airtight freezer bags. Do this process quickly so that the frozen clotted cream cubes do not start to thaw.
Seal securely, label and freeze. Squeeze out as much excess air as possible from the freezer bags after putting the cream cubes inside. Once the bags are sealed securely and labeled, they are ready to freeze!
While freezing in ice cube trays is a great method to freeze cream in portions, it is not the only one. The next method is also preferred by many people.
Freezing Clotted Cream in Portions
Time Taken: 10-15 minutes
What You Need:
- Small airtight heavy-duty freezer bags
This is the other, really good method to freeze clotted cream in portions that does not involve as much hassle as freezing them in ice cube trays.
Pour the clotted cream according to portions in small airtight freezer bags
You can also use a sturdy spoon if it helps make it easier. Remember to not fill the freezer bags to the brim. Leave around an inch of space as the cream will expand while freezing.
Seal the freezer bags carefully
As soon as you are transferring the clotted cream portions into the freezer bags, seal them securely after squeezing out all the excess air from them.
Clotted-bag all the bags
This is highly recommended as it helps give your clotted cream the added layer of protection it requires to survive the freezer burns in the freezer. Just be sure to make all the bags involved totally airtight.
This goes without saying, but using good quality, totally airtight and watertight freezer bags is central to making sure your clotted cream stays well in the freezer.
Label the bags and freeze
Label all the bags with the storage date, so that you do not end up forgetting to use them up in time and keeping them in the freezer indefinitely. They are good to freeze!
Freezing in portions is always recommended for freezing any foods, as this makes sure that you are able to only take and use as much as you need at a time without having to touch or thaw the rest or get into re-freezing them, which is strictly advised against.
How to Freeze Buttercream
Time Taken: 15-20 minutes
What You Need:
- Large, airtight, freezer friendly, preferably glass container
- Sturdy spoon
Freezing buttercream is a fairly simple process that does not take too much time or effort. All you require is a large, airtight, freezer friendly, preferably glass container that can be sealed off securely.
Put buttercream inside container
Using a sturdy spoon or ladle, carefully transfer all of your buttercream frosting into the freezer container.
Seal carefully
We really cannot understate the importance of sealing off the lid of the container tightly and securely.
Make sure the container is totally airtight and watertight. Remember any exposure to air or moisture within your freezer can completely ruin your buttercream.
Label and freeze
Once sealed properly, label your container with the date so that there are no mishaps when it comes to consuming the buttercream within the advised time period.
There, your buttercream is ready to freeze! So simple, was it not? For a visual guide, you can also go ahead and refer to:
How Long Can You Freeze Clotted Cream?
If frozen following the right method and technique with all the steps having been followed properly and if made sure that the bags or containers have been sealed carefully and made totally airtight and watertight, your clotted cream can freeze for five to six months.
Note that it works best if the clotted cream you are freezing is totally fresh, otherwise it won’t freeze well at all.
In addition, make sure you seal the containers or freezer bags really well before putting them in the freezer. A vacuum sealer or straw could help with that significantly.
How to Store Frozen Clotted Cream?
Clotted cream can be kept in freezer storage in airtight freezer bags in a number of different ways, as has been discussed earlier. They can be frozen into cubes, in silicone molds, as dollops, or simply in portions, or even all together.
Whichever method you go with, the sealing and freezing needs to be done very carefully; good quality airtight and watertight freezer bags or containers need to be used.
It needs to be ensured that the clotted cream is frozen at the same consistent temperature while in the freezer.
How to Defrost Frozen Clotted Cream?
The best way to defrost frozen clotted cream is to transfer it to the refrigerator from the freezer and let it thaw overnight. In case of texture changes, giving the cream a good whip helps. There are specific methods for defrosting, based on your method of freezing.
In case of just the clotted cream itself, you can thaw in the fridge, or even in some cases, add the cream directly into cooking dishes such as soups, curries or stews, and let the heat melt it into the dish.
Do know, however, that the cream will most possibly be a little runny afterwards. The same applies for clotted cream cubes.
Each cube should hold roughly one teaspoon of clotted cream, so you can use them accordingly to add directly into cooking recipes that require small amounts of clotted cream.
The heat will melt them into the dish anyway.
As for the whipped cream dollops, you can thaw them on the kitchen counter for around 10 minutes and they will be good to use for cupcakes and small cake fillings.
The dollops are to basically act like whipped cream, that has already been divided into usable portions.
In case of clotted cream that has separated during the process of freezing or thawing, don’t worry! It can be fixed.
Jiggle and lightly shake the cream while still inside the container and with the lid still on. This helps reconstitute the ingredients significantly.
Otherwise, you can simply give the frozen and thawed clotted cream a good whip to beat it back into shape as much as possible.
Know that once frozen, clotted cream will not whip up the same way that fresh cream does. However, it can still be used in a multitude of recipes.
Can You Re-freeze Frozen Clotted Cream?
It is not recommended to re-freeze frozen clotted cream, as, to freeze and thaw it once would already take a toll on its consistency, texture, and even flavor. But to repeat that whole process once more might render the cream ruined beyond salvation.
Try your best to use up all of the clotted cream the first time around that it is thawed. In the case of leftovers, it is best to discard them as chances are that they are no longer safe or suitable for consumption.
This is also the reason that I advise you to freeze clotted cream, or honestly any food for that matter, in serving portions.
Does Clotted Cream Freeze Well?
Strictly speaking, clotted cream does not freeze well at all. People actually recommend avoiding it entirely until absolutely necessary, and my advice to you is the same.
While you can freeze clotted cream safely, it does not really freeze well in the sense that the texture can change considerably.
Frozen clotted cream will never have the same consistency or be able to be whipped up the way we can do with fresh clotted cream.
Also remember that you must use up the clotted cream mandatorily within a maximum of three to four months of freezing.
FAQs
Clotted cream runs a high chance of drying out if you do not seal the container or freezer bag you are freezing it in well enough.
This is because of oxidation, so do make sure your containers and bags are sealed very tightly, and are totally airtight.
I recommend that you serve frozen and thawed clotted cream with something hot, like a brownie. This softens the clotted cream, effectively hiding any changes in its texture or consistency.
Yes, you can, but I would not advise it too highly. Try your best to freeze clotted cream as soon as possible from opening; the fresher the clotted cream is, the better it will freeze.
After being thawed, your clotted cream will be good to consume for at least three to four days.
That said, do try to finish it up by the earliest, as defrosted clotted cream tends to get dry and crumbly, and even develop a yellowish tint along with an acidic odor.
Discard your clotted cream the minute that it shows these signs of spoilage.
Clotted cream has a respectable shelf life when kept in the fridge, it should stay good for around 2 to 3 weeks.
So, if you can use it up by then, by all means! Use freezing only as a last resort, like if you would absolutely have to store the cream for longer.
Absolutely not, avoid doing that at all costs. There is a very high risk that this will change the flavor and texture of the clotted cream. Even worse, it may very possibly also go rancid.
Bottom Line
We hope this comprehensive, step-by-step guide covering the best methods to freeze clotted cream successfully at the safety and ease of your home has helped you!
For any further questions you may have regarding freezing clotted cream, please do let us know by reaching out to us!
If you have any other tips and tricks that you have discovered and would like to share, feel free to reach out and let us know; we will add them to this guide so they can help more people!
If this guide has helped you, please do share it with your friends and family so that they can also use it.