Perhaps you grow apples and they all ripen at once. Maybe there’s a sale of apples at the store and you decide to stock up. So, what do you do with them all before they start to go bad?
There are endless possibilities of dishes you can make. You can try out all sorts of desserts such as stewed apples, tart tatin, baked apples, and apple pie. Perhaps one of the most popular apple desserts is apple crumble. It can be enjoyed with custard, ice cream, or cream.
However, you might enjoy it but you don’t want to have it every day so what do you do? The answer is simple. You can freeze apple crumble and enjoy it at a later date. You can make a big batch and freeze meal-size portions. You can freeze it either baked or unbaked, and in this article, we will tell you how to freeze it and how to defrost it.
How To Freeze Apple Crumble
How To Freeze Baked Apple Crumble
1. Bake and cool down the apple crumble.
You need to cool down the crumble completely. If you put it in the freezer while it is still warm, it can become soggy when defrosted. In addition, it will bring the temperature up in the freezer and other food may start to defrost and spoil. Make sure that you don’t leave the apple crumble at room temperature for longer than two hours as, after this time, bacteria can start to form, and you could become sick when you come to eat it. You can fill your sink with cold water and put your pan of apple crumble in the water. This will help to speed up the cooling process.
2. Wrap the pan with cling film.
Use two layers of cling film to ensure that the apple crumble is airtight. If air gets in, freezer burn can occur, and this will ruin the taste and texture of your apple crumble.
3. Put the pan in a freezer bag.
Make sure that you squeeze all the air out of the freezer bag to prevent freezer burn. Put a label on the bag with the date and contents.
4. Put the pan in the freezer.
How To Freeze Unbaked Apple Crumble
In a lot of ways, it is better to freeze apple crumble unbaked as you will then be virtually baking it fresh. You will probably end up with a better texture than if you freeze baked apple crumble. This is the way to freeze unbaked apple crumble:
1. Make the apple crumble but don’t bake it.
Ensure that the pan is both freezer-safe and oven-safe, so you don’t have to transfer it from pan to pan.
2. Wrap the pan in cling film.
Use two layers of cling film to ensure that the apple crumble is airtight. Otherwise, freezer burn may occur.
3. Put the pan in a freezer bag.
Squeeze out all the air to prevent freezer burn. Put a label on the bag with the date and contents.
4. Put the pan in the freezer.
Tips For Freezing Apple Crumble
- Make sure that the apple crumble is airtight so that freezer burn doesn’t occur.
- Freeze the apple crumble unbaked as the result will be almost as good as if you baked it fresh.
- Put the instructions for baking the apple crumble on a label on the freezer bag so that you don’t have to search for the recipe.
- You can use this method of freezing for other fruits such as pear, blackberry (see also How To Freeze Blackberries), rhubarb, cherry, and plum.
For How Long Can You Freeze Apple Crumble?
You can freeze apple crumble for up to three months. After this time, it will probably still be safe to eat but the taste and texture will start to deteriorate.
How Do You Defrost Apple Crumble
It is easy to defrost apple crumble. Just take it out of the freezer about 12 hours before you want to eat it and let it thaw slowly in the fridge. This works for both baked and unbaked apple crumble. However, if you have already baked it once, you can cook it while it is still frozen. You will just have to add on some cooking time.
Can You Refreeze Apple Crumble?
No, you shouldn’t refreeze apple crumble. There are slight changes in texture and taste when you freeze and defrost any food and if you do this twice, the chances are that the crumble won’t be that tasty and it might go mushy. On a more serious note, it is during the defrosting process that bacteria can start to grow and while it is usually safe to do this once, to do it twice can increase the risk of food poisoning.
Is It A Good Idea To Freeze Apple Crumble?
Yes, it is, although it is better to freeze apple crumble unbaked. It can go a little soft if it has already been baked. However, you can overcome this problem if you put it under the grill after baking. This will toast it nicely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hopefully, you now know all there is to know about freezing apple crumble but in case you still have questions, we have answered a few here.
Yes, you can. Just tip it into a freezer bag, squeezing out as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. If you have a lot of crumble mix, it is a good idea to freeze it in portions so that you only defrost as much as you need for one dessert. You shouldn’t refreeze it so if you defrost too much, you will end up throwing some away and that would be a waste.
Yes, you can as long as it has already been baked before freezing. If it hasn’t you will need to defrost it in the fridge first.
Blackberry and apple are a match made in heaven and can be used in pies as well as in crumbles. The good news is that you can freeze apple and blackberry crumble and you just have to follow the same method as for freezing apple crumble.
Peach and passionfruit are a good mix, as is plum and sloe gin. Try rhubarb and amaretti, toffee apple, rhubarb and walnut, apple and hazelnut, blackberries with rolled oats and cinnamon, apple and ginger, and forest fruits and almonds.
Yes, you can, and you can freeze it either baked or unbaked just like apple crumble. However, it lasts for longer in the freezer. You can keep it for up to six months in the freezer before it starts to lose taste and texture.
