My family and I always turn to one dish, New England clam chowder, as soon as the weather turns chilly. New England clam chowder, a dish from the Northeast, is filling and popular at dinner parties. Make a large batch of New England clam chowder when winter begins to set in and you feel like something hearty and filling. You can freeze it!.
Before freezing New England clam chowder, there are a few things to consider, but this guide will show you exactly how to do it. Can new England clam chowder be frozen?.
Generally speaking, New England clam chowder can be frozen. However, not all of the ingredients freeze well, so if you freeze your New England clam chowder with cream or potatoes, you might notice unfavorable changes in texture and flavor.
It is possible to freeze New England clam chowder with milk or cream, but make sure to include vegetables that don’t freeze well after your chowder has been frozen.
New England clam chowder that has been frozen will keep for four to six months in the freezer and can be warmed up in the refrigerator after defrosting.
3 Tips for Freezing Clam Chowder
Now that you know how to freeze it, here are our top 3 recommendations for getting the best results from freezing clam chowder:
Stir to Cool As your clam chowder sits on the work surface to cool, occasionally stir the mixture to hasten the process. Additionally, doing this will prevent the surface from developing skin as it cools.
When filling your containers, leave about one inch of space at the top to allow for expansion. You must allow room for the soup to expand while it is frozen.
When reheating your clam chowder, you’ll notice that the soup has separated when it comes out of the freezer. This is typical for frozen dairy, but you should make sure to thoroughly stir it before reheating to ensure the desired consistency.
Can you freeze New England clam chowder?
Many foodstuffs (and I’m pleased to say it includes New England clam chowder) are freezable. However, there are provisos, and they usually depend on the ingredients used in the recipe.
As used in clam chowder, things like heavy cream, milk, and potatoes are not very freezer-friendly.
The best way to avoid this is to leave them outside before freezing your chowder.
Frozen clam chowder will keep for up to 6 months if you adhere to this rule and store it as advised (I go into more detail about this shortly).
Homemade clam chowder and canned clam chowder from the store can both be frozen.
To keep the ingredients in homemade chowder as fresh as possible, it is advised that you freeze it the same day that you make it.
Here are the processes best recommended.
Once you’ve finished cooking your homemade clam chowder, you need to allow it to cool down to room temperature. It’s essential to make sure that there is no steam coming off it; as if there is, it will produce condensation as it freezes.
Your clam chowder can now be transferred into an airtight container or reusable freezer bag once it has cooled to a comfortable temperature.
Make sure there is enough room at the top of the container or bag when you transfer the chowder there. It makes room for the chowder to expand slightly during freezing, as is customary.
If there isn’t enough room, this expansion could break the container or bag.
Utilizing reusable freezer bags will help you remove as much air as you can from the chowder before freezing it.
Before freezing any homemade foods, I suggest labeling them so you can quickly identify what’s inside the bag and, if you remember to date it with a marker pen, how long the food has been sitting in your freezer.
Make sure the contents of any bags you use to freeze a batch are completely frozen before attempting to place anything on top of them.
When completely frozen, you can stack them or leave them standing upright as you like.
If you’ve ever frozen mixed vegetable soup with potato in it, you may have noticed that all the other vegetables fare well but potato. If you try it, you’ll see what I mean.
The potato becomes cubes of mash after defrosting, which makes it very unpleasant to eat. So, I thought, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
I am aware that some of you will assert that potatoes can be frozen, and I concur that this is true when it comes to baked potatoes. However, you won’t be adding them to soup, will you?
As you can see, freezing clam chowder is simple as long as you have the right tools.
Here are some top suggestions to get you started, though, to ensure you get the best results in terms of flavor and texture when it comes to defrosting and reheating.
How to Store Frozen Clam Chowder?
Clam chowder can be kept frozen in any airtight freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag.
The important thing is to make sure that it is completely shielded from air exposure.
Since you wouldn’t typically freeze large batches of clam chowder, a freezer-safe container would be perfect.
To allow for the clam chowder to expand when frozen, leave at least an inch of space at the top of the container when storing it.
However, if your freezer is at capacity, you could freeze them in Ziploc bags and arrange them flatly on a baking sheet.
When it has frozen solid later, you can take out the baking sheet and stack them to save space.
FAQ
Can I freeze my homemade clam chowder?
Clam chowder can be frozen for up to 4 months. Clam chowder contains a number of ingredients that don’t freeze very well. In light of this, you must freeze clam chowder at the peak of its freshness.
Do chowders freeze well?
Chowders and bisques, which contain milk or cream, don’t keep well in the freezer either because they separate when defrosted and reheated and take on a grainy texture.
Can I freeze homemade seafood chowder?
Yes, you can freeze fish chowder. Fish chowder can be frozen for up to 4 months. Pop it into suitable containers and freeze. Just be cautious because this dish doesn’t freeze well, and you might notice that the texture changes when you thaw it out and eat it.
Can you freeze leftover chowder?
Creamy soups like potato or chowders may not taste as good after freezing because the texture changes, turning ingredients like potatoes mushy. Rice, beans, and noodle soups might also taste differently. Typically, broth-based soups will freeze well.
