Can You Freeze Liver? How?

Here is the most comprehensive guide on how to freeze and store liver for the long term. 

These methods and tips have worked wonderfully for me. 

Let’s dive right into it. 

How to Freeze Liver?

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

This is the most recommended and the simplest way of going about freezing any kind of liver. 

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Materials

• Liver
• Thick Paper Towel

Tools

• Freezer-Safe Air-Tight Container

Instructions

Drain Excess Liquid: If the liver you bought has a lot of liquid with it, drain it out. Leave the liver on a thick paper towel and dry it.

Portion It: Divide the liver into portions that you can easily use up in one sitting or in one recipe.

Pack and Seal: Transfer the portions of liver into a freezer-safe air-tight container and seal them in.

Label and Freeze: Add a label on the container with the best before date, and you are all set to freeze the liver.

Freezing Liver Pills after Flash Freezing

If you plan to use small pill-sized liver pieces as health supplements, you can use this method to freeze and store them.

Drain and Cut

Drain all the excess liquid and then pat dry the liver to remove the excess moisture. Then cut them up into small pill-sized cubes.

Spread Out

Line them up on a plate or baking sheet that you can fit in the freezer. Make sure that the individual pieces don’t touch each other and are evenly spaced.

Flash Freeze

Leave the tray of liver pieces in the freezer for a couple of hours and let them freeze solid.

Pack and Seal

Transfer the frozen pieces of liver into a freezer-safe air-tight container and seal them in. If you are using a Ziploc bag, make sure to squeeze out all the excess air before sealing the bag.

Label and Freeze

Add a label on the bag with the best before date, and you can leave it in the freezer till you need it next.

Check out this video by “Cata Body and Table” on YouTube to see how it is done –

Freezing Cooked Liver

If you have already cooked the liver, here is how you can freeze the leftovers for the long term. 

Cook and Cool

After cooking the liver, let it cool down to room temperature.

Portion

Divide the dish into portions that you can easily consume in one meal time.

Pack and Seal

Transfer the portioned cooked liver into a freezer-safe air-tight container and seal them in. Optionally, you can wrap them in metal foil for an added layer of protection from freezer burns.

Label and Freeze

Add a label on the container with the date and the portion size, and you are good to go.

How to Freeze Liver Pate? 

The best way to make sure that the liver pate lasts for long in the freezer is to make sure that you portion and double wrap it.

Portion It

Divide the liver pate into small portions that you can easily use up in one go.

Wrap It

Using some cling wrap, cover each portion thoroughly. Make sure that no part is exposed to air.

Pack and Seal

Pack the portions into a freezer-safe air-tight container or Ziploc bag and seal them in.

Label and Freeze

Add a label on the bag with the date, and you can freeze it till you need it next.

How Long Can You Freeze Liver? 

You can freeze liver for 4 to 6 months. Though it can freeze for even longer, it is best advised to consume it within the 3-4-month mark to make the most of its taste and quality.

Cooked liver and liver pate last well in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. To keep the liver fresh in the freeze for long, try and freeze it as soon as you have bought it.

The longer it stays in the fridge or outside, the less fresh it will be in the freezer and will consequently spoil faster.

How to Store Frozen Liver? 

You can store frozen liver in any freezer-safe air-tight container or Ziploc bag. The key is to make sure that the liver is thoroughly covered and protected from being exposed to air or freezer burns. 

The choice between the containers or Ziploc bags, depending on how much freezer space you can afford.

If you are freezing a big batch of liver and have several portions to freeze, the air-tight containers might take up too much space. In which case, Ziploc bags are the best option. You can double bag them for added protection. 

How to Defrost Liver? 

The best way to defrost the liver is to leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight and let it thaw gradually.

You can keep a plate underneath the liver portion so that the condensation does not drip on other stuff in your fridge.

You can also thaw it quickly by leaving the portion you need, submerged in a bowl of cold water for a couple of hours. 

You could also thaw the liver in the microwave, but this is not recommended. It can get cooked or dry if it is left in the microwave for too long.

Moreover, liver defrosted this way must be consumed right away and cannot be left out for too long.

Can You Refreeze Liver? 

Although you can refreeze liver, if it had been thawed in the fridge, it is best advised not to.

The liver, once it thaws, can change slightly in texture as in the case of any frozen food. This will worsen with repeated freezing and thawing. 

Also, if the liver had been left out for long, there are high chances of bacterial growth which can spoil the liver faster.

To avoid having to refreeze the liver, make sure to portion it beforehand into quantities that you can easily consume in one go. 

Does Liver Freeze Well? 

Yes, liver freezes well and is a great way to extend its shelf life. If you have bought liver that you can’t use up in one go, instead of leaving it in the fridge for a couple of days and letting it go to waste, you can freeze it and keep it fresh for a couple of months. 

Raw liver freezes better and for longer than the cooked liver or liver pate. But even though it can last long, it is best to use it up within 2 to 3 months to avoid major changes in texture. 

FAQs

Bottom Line

I hope this article helped you freeze and store your liver for the long term. 

If you have any doubts or would like to share some freezing tips and secrets of your own, it would be great to hear from you. 

Feel free to share this article with your friends and family.