Yorkshire pudding is a delicious baked batter pudding traditionally served with roast beef and onion gravy. Stuffed Yorkshire puddings make a delicious lunch. You could stuff them with creamed mushrooms, or a mixture of vegetarian sausage, chestnuts, goat’s cheese, and chutney. Toad in the hole is another option.
This is a tasty dish of sausages baked in batter and smothered in a delicious gravy. However, what do you do if you have lots of leftover Yorkshire pudding, or you want to make them in advance for a dinner party? Can you freeze them? The simple answer is yes, and they do freeze well. In this article, we will tell you how to freeze Yorkshire puddings and how to defrost them.
How To Freeze Yorkshire Puddings
1. Cool down your Yorkshire puddings.
Transfer them onto a cooling rack and cool them at room temperature. You don’t want to put your Yorkshire puddings in the fridge while they are still warm as it will ruin their texture. In addition, they will put up the temperature in the freezer and other food may start to defrost. When it refreezes, it may spoil.
2. Put the Yorkshire puddings in freezer bags or airtight containers.
Portion the Yorkshire puddings into meal-size portions as they may stick together. You don’t want to throw any away if you defrost too many. Put them into the bags or containers and squeeze out all the air from the freezer bags. If you don’t, freezer burn may occur, and the taste and texture of the Yorkshire puddings will be ruined. Put labels on the bags or containers with the date you put them in the freezer.
3. Freeze.
If you are using freezer bags, lay them out flat, and don’t put anything on top of them as they might get squashed.
How To Freeze Yorkshire Pudding Batter
If you’ve made too much batter, you can freeze it and this is the way to do it:
1. Pour the batter into a freezer bag.
Make sure that the freezer bag is thick so that it doesn’t split and make a mess in the freezer. Squeeze out the air from the bag so that freezer burn doesn’t occur. Put a label on the bag with the date you put it in the freezer.
2. Freeze.
Tips For Freezing Yorkshire Puddings
- Squeeze out all the air from the freezer bags to avoid freezer burn.
- Freeze in meal-size portions so that you only defrost as much as you need for one day.
- Your Yorkshire puddings may dry out when they are frozen. To give them back some moisture, spray them with a little water or vegetable oil.
- Don’t freeze gravy with the Yorkshire puddings. That needs to be frozen separately otherwise it will make the Yorkshire puddings mushy.
For How Long Can You Freeze Yorkshire Puddings?
You can freeze your Yorkshire puddings for up to three months, although the earlier you eat them, the better they will taste. After three months, they may still be safe to eat, but the taste and texture will start to deteriorate, and they won’t be as delicious as you would want.
Yorkshire pudding batter can be frozen for up to a month.
How Do You Defrost Yorkshire Puddings?
The great news is that you don’t have to defrost your Yorkshire puddings, You can cook them from frozen which saves a lot of time. Get the oven hot, at least 400 F, put your Yorkshire puddings on a baking tray, and put them in the oven for three or four minutes. Spray them with a little oil or water before you put them in the oven as they might have dried out in the freezer.
Yorkshire pudding batter needs more preparation. Put the freezer bag in a bowl and put it in the fridge. Leave it to defrost slowly and steadily overnight. Once it has defrosted, you can make the Yorkshire puddings as you normally would.
Can You Refreeze Yorkshire Puddings?
It isn’t a good idea to refreeze Yorkshire puddings. Every time you freeze food, ice crystals are formed. If you freeze, defrost, and freeze again, the texture of the food will change. With Yorkshire puddings, they will dry out and they will be comparable to stale bread. Even if you pour lots of gravy over them, they still won’t regain that lovely light texture. This is why you should freeze your Yorkshire puddings in meal-size portions so that you only take out as many as you need that day.
Is It a Good Idea To Freeze Yorkshire Puddings?
As long as you squeeze out all the air from the freezer bags to avoid freezer burn and use them within three months of freezing, your Yorkshire puddings will freeze well. They can dry out so when you take them out of the freezer, spray them with either water or a tasteless oil. That will bring back the lighter texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hopefully, you now know all there is to know about freezing Yorkshire puddings but in case you are still curious, we have answered a few questions here.
What can I serve my defrosted Yorkshire puddings with?
Of course, a roast dinner is an ideal meal, be it beef, lamb, pork, or chicken. However, you could also serve them with sausages, mashed potatoes, and gravy. They also go well with beef bourguignon, fill them with curry or chili or serve with mince and onions. You can even have them as a sweet treat with jam. If you are looking for an interesting appetizer, fill your Yorkshire puddings with salmon and cream cheese or make an interesting lunch by using Yorkshire puddings as the case for quiche instead of pastry.
Can you freeze mini Yorkshire puddings?
You can freeze any size of Yorkshire pudding, be it small or big. Just use the method we have described above. If the Yorkshire puddings are tiny, you need to be more careful with them to ensure that they don’t get squashed in the freezer. It is probably better to put them in an airtight container rather than a freezer bag.
Can you freeze toad in the hole?
If you have leftover toad in the hole, it would be a pity to throw away such a delicious dish. So can you freeze it? The simple answer is yes. First, you need to cool it down at room temperature. Make sure you don’t leave it out for longer than two hours as, after this time, bacteria can start to develop. If you have a lot of the dish, divide it into meal-size portions so that you only defrost as much as you need. Then wrap each portion in aluminum foil and put them in an airtight container. Put a label on the container with the date you put it in the freezer. When you want to eat it, you can cook it from frozen. Put in a hot oven of around 400 F and heat until the sausages are hot all the way through. The only thing you shouldn’t do is freeze the toad in the hole with gravy as it will make the Yorkshire puddings mushy.
