Andouille sausage is from France and is made from pork which is then delicately smoked to create a delicious flavour and texture. If youāre a big fan of andouille sausage and have managed to get hold of some, how should you store it?
Can You Freeze Andouille Sausage?
Yes, you can freeze andouille sausage for up to 3 months. Wrap the sausage in a loose layer of baking paper, followed by a slightly tighter layer of cling film. Finally, place the whole package into the centre of the freezer,
Do Does Andouille Sausage freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Andouille Sausage? No
How to Freeze Andouille Sausage
Freezing something with long-term storage in mind is never as simple as you might hope it would be. To be sure that your andouille sausage stores as well as possible, follow these steps:
- Remove from the Packaging: The packaging you buy your food in is created and designed with the needs of shipping and selling a product in mind – not freezing. So, remove the andouille sausage from the packet.
- Wrap Once: An initial layer of permeable paper (such as butcherās paper or baking paper) will allow for the high moisture level within the sausage to have some space to escape, to a certain extent.
- Wrap Again: Wrapping the package in a layer of cling film will prevent the spreading of any freezer aromas, and will also ensure that frost forms between the baking paper and the cling film, rather than on the meat.
- Freeze: By placing the sausage at the centre of the freezer, you ensure that it will freeze in cold temperatures while also being a far distance from the frost front. This will greatly delay the onset of freezer burn.
3 Tips for Freezing Andouille Sausage
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing andouille sausage to have the best results:
Use Cling Film to Form a Seal
Ensuring that the cling film forms a seal is vital for preventing excess moisture from getting into the parcel and beginning freezer burn. That would be ruinous for such high-protein food as meat since the texture would be destroyed fairly quickly.Ā
Label with the Date
Labelling the package with the date that you froze it is essential for ensuring that you eat the food while itās still totally safe to eat. That will ensure that you can feed yourself and your family as safe as possible.Ā
Beware of Freezer Odours
Freezer odour can be a pressing concern, especially with smoked sausage. If youāve got permeable items in your freezers such as bread or milk, consider the placement of the sausage within your freezer to prevent the aroma from spreading into them.
How Long Can You Freeze Andouille Sausage?
You can freeze andouille sausage for around three months before it loses flavour and succumbs to freezer burn.
Interestingly, andouille sausage is more likely to lose flavour than it is to succumb to freezer burn. The reason for this is that the smoky flavours of the sausage are generally relatively water-soluble.
Andouille sausage can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days or until the use-by date on the packaging. Once cooked, leftovers will last for only 48 hours in the fridge.
How Do You Defrost Andouille Sausage?
The simplest way to defrost andouille sausage is to transfer the sausage into the fridge. While in there, the frozen sausage will thaw, though it will also be cool enough to ensure that the sausage itself is still stored at a safe temperature.
We wouldnāt advise cooking andouille sausage from frozen, as it is quite hard to do that without destroying a lot of the texture of the sausage in the process.
Can You Refreeze Andouille Sausage?
No, you cannot refreeze andouille sausage. Generally speaking, you really shouldnāt refreeze any meat, dairy, or fish that youāve thawed in your home.
The reason that you cannot refreeze these items is that they tend to gain bacteria while thawed, which will make them unsafe to freeze and rethaw.
Does Andouille Sausage Freeze Well?
Yes, andouille sausage does freeze well.
The best way to ensure that andouille sausage freezes well is to ensure that itās airtight when itās wrapped up. That will ensure the flavour and texture are both maintained.
Related FAQs
If youāve still got questions about freezing andouille sausage or sausage in general, then these may help:
Yes, you can freeze smoked sausage for around 3 months. It’s worth bearing in mind, however that after just a few weeks, that smokey flavour will begin to degrade.
Yes, cooked andouille sausage can be frozen for around 2 months. It must be cooled before being wrapped and then frozen.
