Beef broth is a kitchen essential as it can be used in a multitude of dishes. Given that itās the perfect base for lots of tasty winter soups, you might plan to have a ready-made supply on hand to save yourself some time.Ā
But whatās the best way to store it?
Can You Freeze Beef Broth? Yes, you can freeze beef broth. It can be frozen for up to 6 months. Once cooled, bag beef broth up in suitable freezer-safe bags (or airtight containers), label it, and add it to the freezer. Alternatively, you can freeze beef broth in ice cube trays.
Do Does Beef Broth freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Beef Broth? Yes
How to Freeze Beef Broth
Freezing beef broth is an excellent way to save yourself time and effort in the kitchen. Itās also super straightforward and doesnāt require a great deal of thought. Hereās what you need to do:
- Cool
Once you have prepared your beef broth, allow it to sit at room temperature until it has cooled completely. Itās a good idea to transfer it to a separate bowl as it will cool much more quickly than if you leave it in the pan.Ā - Bag Up
Pour your beef broth into a freezer-safe bag or an airtight container. If your bags arenāt particularly thick, itās best to lie the bag in a container, as you donāt want the bag to split in the freezer. - Label and Freeze
Lastly, make a note of todayās date and the use-by date on the front of the freezer-safe bag and place it in the freezer. Remember, you can freeze beef broth for around six months.Ā
How to Freeze Beef Broth in Ice Cube Trays
Although it might sound a little unusual, freezing beef broth in ice cube trays is a great solution if youāre looking to freeze your broth in smaller portions. Hereās what to do:
- Cool
Again, you will need to ensure your broth has completely cooled before freezing it.Ā - Pour Into the Ice Cube Tray
Over the sink, pour your beef broth carefully into the ice cube tray so that each section is filled.Ā - Flash Freeze
Once full, place the ice cube tray in the freezer and leave it for around two hours.Ā - Bag Up
As soon as your broth has turned into cubes, remove the tray from the freezer and empty the blocks into a freezer-safe bag.Ā - Label and Freeze
Write todayās date and the use-by date on the front of the bag and place it in the freezer. Remember, you can freeze beef broth for around six months.
3 Tips for Freezing Beef Broth
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing beef broth to have the best results:
Always Cool Before Freezing
It might seem like an obvious thing to say, but allowing your beef broth sufficient time to cool before freezing is super important. Empty your broth from the pan and allow it to cool for an hour or so, and you should then be ready to proceed with the steps listed above.
Freeze Other Types of Broth
Although weāve focused on beef broth in this article, you can also freeze vegetable, chicken, and fish broth by following the same steps.
Consider Portions
If you freeze all of your beef broth in one bag, you will need to use it at the same time. As such, itās much better to separate it into portions before freezing it, either using the ice cube tray method or by measuring out the broth and placing it in individual bags.
How Long Can You Freeze Beef Broth?
You can freeze beef broth for around six months. While some people might be tempted to freeze it for longer than this, weād advise you to try and use it within this timeframe to ensure it retains much of its taste and flavours.Ā
Leaving broth in the freezer for too long can cause it to water down, due to the ice crystals that form during the freezing process.
You Can Freeze Beef Broth for up to 6 Months
How Do You Defrost Beef Broth?
The best way to defrost beef broth is to remove it from the freezer the night before you plan to use it and place it in the fridge. However, you will find that in many recipes, you donāt actually need to defrost it before using it.Ā
For instance, if youāre adding beef broth to soup, simply pop a couple of cubes out of the bag and add them straight to the pan. In no time at all, your broth will have liquidised.
Can You Refreeze Beef Broth?
You always have to be a little bit careful when refreezing food, but beef broth is safe to refreeze if you have thawed it in the fridge.Ā
That being said, weād always recommend reducing your portion sizes in the first instance, as this makes your life so much easier and means you donāt have to worry about whether itās safe to refreeze or not.
Does Beef Broth Freeze Well?
Yes, beef broth freezes really well. Whether you freeze it all at once or by following the ice cube method, you will find that your beef broth will be perfectly fine if used within six months.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing beef broth or broth in general, then these may help:
when I defrosted the beef broth from the container….it had small flakes of ??? in it. heating the broth didn’t seem to clear the broth . is it alright to eat it?
This sounds like scum that wasn’t skimmed off when the beef broth was originally made. However, it’s always best to err on the side of caution if you’re not sure.