Quick Answer: Can You Freeze Noodles?
Yes, you can freeze noodles! There are a number of different ways to do it, based on the type, kind and condition of the noodles, but know that all of these methods are easy, simple, and do not take up too much time or effort! From uncooked to cooked, pasta to egg, noodles generally freeze well so you have no worries at all.
This comprehensive, detailed step-by-step guide has been put together to ensure you are armed with everything you need to know about freezing noodles!
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 successfully freeze noodles at home!
Let’s get right into it! For the first method we will discuss freezing cooked noodles.
How to Freeze Noodles
This method is highly recommended if you have cooked a fair amount of noodles to be had over a period of time, or even at a later date.
In this case, it is most recommended that you freeze the noodles and the sauce separately, and then reincorporate them after thawing. This ensures better preservation in the freezer.
Additionally, I always recommend freezing any foodstuff in serving portions, as it lets you defrost and use only as much of it as you need, at a time, without having to go into the hassle of refreezing.
Materials
- Olive oil
- Sturdy spoons
Tools
- Multiple small airtight heavy-duty resealable freezer bags
Instructions
Allow the noodles to cool down – Always remember that before freezing any food that has been freshly prepared, it is mandatory that you allow it to cool down. Otherwise, they will simply not freeze well.
Toss the noodles well in some olive oil – This prevents them from clumping together when freezing.
Spoon noodles according to serving portions into each freezer bag – Decide on the serving portions, and make sure your freezer bags are appropriately sized.
Once your noodles are cooled and tossed in olive oil, spoon them into the freezer bags as per serving portions. Remember to not fill the bags to the brim, and leave at least half to one inch of headspace.
Seal securely, label and freeze – Once the noodles are packed inside, squeeze out all the air possible from the freezer bags, and seal them very tightly and securely, making them totally airtight and watertight.
Label the bags with the storage date so that you do not end up keeping the noodles in the freezer for too long. They are ready to freeze!
Freezing Leftover Noodles
Time Taken: 15-20 minutes
What You Need:
- Airtight freezer-safe container with a tight-fitting lid
- Sturdy spoon
- Cling film / tin foil
The reason I am talking about this separately is to remind you that leftover cooked noodles will not survive in the freezer close to as long as the freshly cooked (sans sauce) noodles I mention freezing in the first method.
Additionally, how well the leftover noodles freeze also largely depends on the ingredients used in the sauce, and the whole dish itself. So, it is my advice that freeze leftover noodles only when absolutely necessary.
Do they freeze well though? Yep, they freeze just fine. Just follow these instructions carefully and use them up at the earliest since freezing.
Spoon the noodles carefully into a freezer-safe container
A couple of things to note here. Because you are freezing leftover noodles, I am going to go ahead and assume there isn’t all that much. So, you can freeze all of it together in one container.
About the container, it is mandatory that you choose one that is rigid and freezer-safe, and is appropriately sized in the sense that it is not so big that there will still be space left after keeping the noodles, but not so small that the noodles are packed in it.
Once you have found the right container, use a sturdy spoon to put your leftover cooked noodles inside.
Cover the top with cling film or tinfoil
Once your noodles are inside, just top them off with a layer of either cling film or tinfoil, whichever’s available.
Seal securely, label and freeze
Snap the lid back on tightly, making the container totally airtight and watertight. Label the container with storage date, and it is ready to be kept in the freezer!
Freezing Uncooked Noodles
Time Taken: 15-20 minutes
What You Need:
- Airtight freezer-safe containers / freezer bags
- Sturdy spoon
Freezing uncooked noodles for whatever reason is also a great idea as they will freeze the best, and for the longest time. There is very little preparation involved, and the process is super easy and very simple.
Spoon the uncooked noodles into freezer bags or containers
Whether you freeze in portions, or all together at once depends entirely on the amount of noodles you are looking to freeze. But know that in general, it is always more highly recommended to freeze in portions.
And you can choose whichever you feel more comfortable with and is available, in terms of freezer bags or containers. Both work just fine when preserving uncooked noodles in the freezer.
If you are freezing in portions though, freezing in bags makes it much easier, and saves a considerable amount of storage space in the freezer as well.
Seal and securely tightly and carefully
For the uncooked noodles to freeze well, it is essential that you seal the containers or bags you are using tightly and securely.
A vacuum sealer works great in this regard, it helps get all the air out, making it totally airtight and most ideal for freezing for extended periods of time.
If you are using containers, make sure the lid is snapped on tightly and securely.
Label and freeze
Label with the storage date to make sure that you do not end up keeping the noodles in the freezer indefinitely. Your uncooked noodles are ready to be kept in the freezer!
And just in case you need more of a visual guide, here is one that instructs you closely on how to freeze spaghetti noodle dinners –
Freezing Egg Noodles
Egg noodles are slightly different from normal noodles, in terms of their taste, constituents, flavor, and even freezing methods. There are typically no eggs added to the dough for regular noodles.
However, if you happen to be looking to freeze egg noodles, here’s how to, along with what you should keep in mind and such.
Like with regular noodles, you can freeze egg noodles raw as well as cooked. However, do note, that for best results, it is recommended that you freeze egg noodles when it is part of another cooked dish that includes the noodles as a part of it.
The advantage is that your dish most likely has other juices that will help to keep your egg noodles moisturized when in the freezer.
The challenge when it comes to freezing cooked egg noodles that have no extra juice from a dish, is that they tend to get kind of sticky. So, when you try to use them, they are likely turn into a mushy consistency rather than maintaining their form.
Just keep in mind that you should either freeze egg noodles raw or freeze them as part of an entire dish for optimal results.
The way to freeze egg noodles is quite simple. Just remember to freeze within not more than 2 hours of cooking (for freezing freshly cooked noodles).
You can place the noodles in airtight freezer bags or containers as we did with the normal noodles in the methods described before.Egg noodles can be stored in the freezer for up to even 6 months.
How to Freeze the Sauce for Your Noodle Dish
Time Taken: 20-30 minutes
What You Need:
- Airtight freezer bags
As described in the first method, for freezing freshly cooked noodles, it brings the best results if you freeze your cooked noodles and sauce separately, and then recombine them when required, after thawing.
We have spoken about how to freeze the noodles, after tossing them in olive oil, here is how to freeze the sauce.
Freezing noodle sauce is a fairly simple process that does not take too much time or effort. It would be best if you prepared to freeze it directly after it has been cooked, once you have cooled it down to room temperature.
Cooling prevents splitting. The sooner you freeze, the fresher it remains.
Transfer the noodle sauce in portions into the airtight freezer bags
Make sure they have cooled down properly first. Don’t overfill the freezer bags; there should be some space left once you have put the sauce inside.
Squeeze out air and seal the bags
Squeeze out all the air possible from the bags. Seal the bags very tightly, very carefully. Label the bags, they are ready to freeze!
Just in case you require further help, this video from YouTuber Ragnale JL takes you through a complete step by step to freeze any kind of noodle sauce:
How Long Can You Freeze Noodles?
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 noodles can freeze for one to three months.
Please note, however, that it is strongly recommended that you do not keep noodles, of any state or kind, in the freezer for beyond a month. Freezing it beyond that is safe, but for optimal results, try your best to finish up the noodles within a month of freezing.
For example, while uncooked noodles should be fine for up even three months in the freezer, your cooked noodles should mandatorily be used up within a month, and leftover noodles even earlier.
However, to ensure that your noodles is actually able to survive in the freezer till then, there are a few things you need to take special care of.
For example, it works best if the noodles are not stale when you freeze them. They should be fresh and in good condition. Freezing noodles that are too old or have already gone bad would not do anything to help, instead, make it even worse.
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. Also ensure that the temperature in the freezer remains constant.
How to Store Frozen Noodles?
Noodles can be kept in freezer storage in airtight freezer bags or in airtight containers, uncooked or cooked, as has been discussed earlier. They can also be frozen separately from the sauce, as described.
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 noodles stay frozen at the same consistent temperature in the freezer.
Remember that your noodles may not hold up well in the freezer even beyond a couple of weeks if the storage is not done properly, following all the instructions correctly and meticulously and making sure you use the best quality materials.
How to Defrost Frozen Noodles?
To defrost frozen cooked noodles, just transfer the container from the freezer to the fridge and allow the noodles to thaw overnight. They are ready to use after thawing completely. As for frozen uncooked noodles, the product will thaw quickly in the fridge, about two hours or so.
For reheating thawed cooked noodles, there are a couple of different ways to do it. You can either reheat frozen and thawed noodles in the oven, or in the microwave.
To reheat cooked noodles in the oven, (cooked al dente without the sauce), pour the noodles in a baking tray or sheet that first has been lined with some parchment paper, or wax paper.
Spread the noodles all over the baking tray or sheet, and then stick it the oven. Bake the noodles at 350° Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until heated through.
To reheat in the microwave, spread the thawed noodles on a microwave-safe plate. Then, stick the plate in the microwave. Also place a cup of water in the microwave before reheating so that the noodles do not dry out. Nuke over high at 20 seconds interval until heated through.
Can You Re-freeze Frozen Noodles?
It is never a good idea to refreeze noodles. They can suffer significantly with regard to their texture, flavor, taste, and appearance. Therefore, it is best to avoid refreezing noodles.
Even for freezing, freezing in portions, is the most recommended as it lets you defrost and use only as much of it as you need, at a time, without having to go into the hassle of refreezing.
Try your best to use up the entire amount that you have thawed at one go without having any leftovers. In case you do end up with some, it is best to discard them as the chances are that they are simply not fit or safe for consumption anymore.
Also remember that you must use up the noodles mandatorily within a maximum of one month of freezing. Keeping it in the freezer for beyond that is safe, but would still pose challenges to its flavor as well as even taste.
Does Noodles Freeze Well?
While it largely depends on the kind of ingredients involved, on a general note, yes, noodles freeze quite well. If prepped carefully following the right methods, it can even be kept in freezer storage for up to one to two months.
That said, do note that the longer you keep noodles in freezer storage, the greater are its chances of slowly getting mushier and poorer with regard to their texture, and even taste and flavor. So, freeze noodles accordingly, with plans to consume it by the earliest.
As mentioned already, uncooked noodles freeze the best, followed by noodles that are frozen without the sauce. While leftover noodles with sauce can also be frozen, you should be extra careful with it and make sure to eat it up as soon as possible.
FAQs
Yes! If you have frozen your noodles carefully using the proper method and technique and are using it up within a reasonable time from freezing it, your noodles should be just fine to use after being defrosted and reheated.
Just make sure you carefully follow the instructions given here for thawing and reheating – messing up those procedures may possibly hamper the flavor, taste and quality of your noodles.
Yep, pasta can also be frozen to perfection, whether cooked or uncooked.
Yes, absolutely. Zucchini noodles freeze quite well and make for an excellent meal, being significantly healthier than grain-based noodles. They are a popular vegan alternative as well.
There are a variety of dishes that include egg noodles! You can check out a range of Asian noodle recipes to choose from, otherwise you have the plain and good old noodle soups, stews and casseroles.
Frozen noodles would essentially have the same nutrients as fresh noodles. Its nutrient constituents are usually preserved during the freezing process (provided you do not keep it in the freezer for far too long!)
Frozen noodles, therefore, are safe to eat after being thawed and reheated properly, and are about as healthy as they were when they were fresh.
Bottom Line
We hope this comprehensive, step-by-step guide covering the best methods to freeze noodles successfully at the safety and ease of your home has helped you!
For any further questions you may have regarding freezing noodles, please do let us know by reaching out to us!
If you have any other tips and tricks you have discovered about freezing noodles, 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.