Can You Freeze Apple Crumble?
Apple crumbles are a tasty and scrumptious dessert idea. Whether you have guests coming over, planning a day out, or having your kids’ birthday party, making some apple crumble is a great option. The dish is loved by everyone from all age groups.
Given the popularity of the dish, you must be planning to make apple crumble often. But you do not always have the dedicated time to cook the dish. Also, sometimes you must be having leftovers, and you do not know what to do with them so that they do not spoil.
What can you do to preserve the apple crumble for later use? Can you freeze apple crumble? Yes, you can freeze apple crumble. This means you can make them ahead of time, store them in the freezer, and reheat the food item, whenever you desire.
How Can You Freeze Apple Crumble?
How to freeze apple crumble? When it comes to freezing apple crumble, you can freeze both baked and unbaked apple crumbles. And both of the types freeze equally well. Freezing the dish is fairly easy and does not take much effort. Make sure you follow the appropriate freezing guidelines for the best results.
However, if you have an unbaked apple crumble, it is better to freeze them before baking. This way you can enjoy all the advantages of freshly baked apple crumble after defrosting the mixture. It might also turn out somewhat better than freezing baked apple crumble because there is no chance of texture or flavor alterations.
Freezing Apple Crumble Baked
Freezing baked apple crumble is a 3-step process and is simple to follow. So, if you have leftovers or made extra apple crumble for storing, follow the steps mentioned here for freezing them.
- Prepare apple crumble and let them cool: Bake your preferred recipe of apple crumble, and set them aside on the countertop for cooling. Let the crumble cool down completely at room temperature. This will keep them safe from unnecessary freezer burns.
- Wrap the apple crumble adequately: Carefully wrap the apple crumble with cling film and squeeze out all the air. If you have a lot of them, consider wrapping them in parts. This will ensure better freezing of the desert.
- Put the apple crumble into freezer bags to freeze: Transfer the wrapped crumble into freezer-safe bags and seal them tightly. Label and date the bags so that you know how long they have been in the freezer. Stack the bags in the freezer and freeze them.
Freezing Apple Crumble Unbaked
Freezing unbaked apple crumble is not only easy. It also comes with an added benefit. Yes, freezing unbaked crumbles means you can practically make them fresh whenever you wish. It is also quick to bake crumble when you already have the mixture ready.
This can solve any texture problems you might see while freezing a crumble that has already been baked. Check out the steps for freezing the unbaked crumble here.
- Prepare the mixture of apple crumbles: Add all of your favorite ingredients and make the apple crumble mixture that you normally would. Make sure all the ingredients are cool because you are going to freeze the unbaked apple crumbles.
- Flash freeze the apple crumbles: It would be great if you flash freeze the apple crumbles in the refrigerator briefly. Place them on a tray and put them inside the refrigerator. Do not keep them in the refrigerator for long.
- Wrap the apple crumbles: Use freezer-safer plastic wrap to wrap your apple crumbles. If you have a large batch, consider wrapping them in portions. Wrapping will provide better protection against freezer burns.
- Transfer the wrapped crumbles into airtight bags: Carefully transfer the wrapped crumbles into airtight freezer bags and remove as much air as possible from the bags. Removing the air will ensure the crumbles are safe from bacterial contamination.
- Label and date the bags: It is important to label and date the bags so that you know how long they have been in the freezer. Once, all of these are done, your unbaked apple crumbles are ready to freeze. Stack the bags in the freezer.
You can also freeze an unbaked apple crumble directly in a freezer-safe (and ovenproof) pan.
Does Apple Crumble Freeze Well?
Yes, apple crumble can freeze well. It does not contain any ingredients that are difficult to freeze therefore you can freeze it effortlessly. However, like all other food items, cooked apple crumble might also show slight texture alterations. But that will not affect the crumble when you reheat the dish.
Freezing for a long time might soften the apple crumble a little bit. Defrosting and reheating will restore the crunch and you can enjoy your apple crumble. The texture change will not be an issue if you are freezing unbaked apple crumble.
How Long Can You Store Apple Crumbles In The Freezer?
Apple crumbles are one of those food items that freeze well. Freezing increases their shelf-life by up to 3-4 months. The flavor and texture of the apple crumble may start to alter if you freeze it for any longer than this.
Freezing is a great way to keep your apple crumble for later use, be it baked or unbaked. Also, if you are freezing unbaked apple crumbles, they will last longer than baked ones. Unbaked apple crumble last in the freezer for about 6 months without any alterations.
Can You Refreeze Apple Crumbles?
No, it is not recommended to refreeze apple crumble. This is because the frozen and then defrosted crumbles undergo certain texture and flavor changes. So, if you try to refreeze the crumble, it will eventually lose its flavor.
Also, if you are defrosting apple crumbles, take special care so that they are not exposed to bacteria, This will otherwise ruin your food. And because of this bacterial threat, it is advised against refreezing apple crumble.
How Can You Defrost Apple Crumble?
The best way to defrost apple crumble is to remove it from the freezer, take it out of the freezer bags, and keep the wrapped crumble in the refrigerator overnight. This will bring out the best results when you reheat the apple crumble for eating.
It is important to defrost the frozen apple crumble slowly and naturally in the refrigerator. And this should be done for both baked and unbaked crumbles. Also, keep checking the temperature, so that the crumbles do not spoil.
Summing it up, that was all about freezing apple crumbles. So, now you know what to do with your leftover crumbles and how you can store them for later use. Make sure to follow the freezing instructions properly.