What is a fry up without black pudding? However tasty some might find it, it can be an acquired taste. So you buy a black pudding, cut a few slices off the end to have for breakfast but you’re the only one who eats it in your household…
Can You Freeze Black Pudding?
Yes, you can freeze black pudding for up to 4 months. Unlike other meats like salami, black pudding isn’t actually cured. It’s boiled in its skin. That does mean it won’t keep for that long in the fridge or at room temperature.
Do Does Black Pudding freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Black Pudding? No
How to Freeze Black Pudding
When it comes to freezing black pudding, there are two main approaches you can take.
First, you can freeze the black pudding whole in the packet. It really is as simple as it sounds. Just take the black pudding you have bought and throw it in the freezer.
As always, we’d highly recommend putting a label on the packet, so you know when you froze it.
How to Freeze Black Pudding Slices
The second method is a little more in-depth and requires a little bit of time but is a far more efficient way to freeze it, and it involves freezing black pudding slices:
- Slice Up: Take your black pudding and cut it into slices. You want to cut slices that you’d normally eat. This is so when it comes to defrosting, you can grab as many slices as you need at a time.
- Place on a Baking Tray: Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, then lay your black pudding slices on it. You need to ensure they are spaced out so that none of the slices are touching one another.
- Flash Freeze: Place the tray in the freezer. Try and keep the tray level. Now leave the slices to freeze for several hours.
- Bag Up: Once frozen hard on the outside, remove the black pudding from the freezer and then remove it from the tray. You can now place the frozen slices into a ziplock bag or container.
- Final Freeze: Return the bag to the freezer, labelled with the date on which they were frozen.
You now have a decent supply of black pudding slices to use for your next brekkie. Perhaps you should also look at freezing some other breakfast staples such as baked beans?
3 Tips for Freezing Black Pudding
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing black pudding to have the best results:
Flash Freeze Slices
If freezing slices, flash freezing is vital as it prevents the slices from sticking to another. This will ensure you can grab a slice at a time when you fancy some black pudding and avoid unwanted waste.
Freeze Unopened Black Pudding
If you have bought a whole black pudding sausage and want to freeze it all, then you can often throw the whole thing in the freezer without any prep.
Never Cook from Frozen
You must always defrost black pudding before cooking it. It will not cook well from frozen.
How Long Can You Freeze Black Pudding?
Black pudding will last for a good three to four months in the freezer before it begins to degrade in both textures and flavour.
As always, it’s vital that you label the black pudding with either the date it was frozen or the date you need to use it.
How Long Does Black Pudding Last in the Fridge?
Black pudding will last for up to 14 days or up until the use-by date, whichever comes soonest.
How Do You Defrost Black Pudding?
When it comes to defrosting black pudding, you’ll want time to be on your side here. The best method is to place the slices and/or the packet in the fridge and allow it to thaw slowly overnight.
If the black pudding is in the packet it came in, especially if it’s vacuum-packed, then you can place the bag in the sink with room temperature water to try and speed the thawing up.
You can also put it in a pan over a very low simmer to thaw it. When using this method, you need to ensure the water is not boiling.
It’s not a good idea to try cooking the black pudding from frozen. It’s also not a good idea to thaw it in the microwave using the defrost function.
Unfortunately, heating it this way can give your black pudding dry patches and crumbly areas throughout.
Can You Cook Black Pudding From Frozen?
In terms of whether it is safe or not, then the answer is yes, it can be cooked from frozen. But you shouldn’t. Unfortunately, when you force the black pudding to thaw using heat, you’ll end up causing dry patches within the black pudding.
Can You Refreeze Black Pudding?
Like most meat products, we would not recommend refreezing black pudding. You can negatively impact both the texture and flavour by refreezing.
There is also a danger that you’ll end up with bacteria on your black pudding between freezing it, which won’t be killed off in the freezer.
That’s why we would highly recommend freezing black pudding in slices so you can grab a slice or two when you want one.
Does Black Pudding Freeze Well?
Provided that you follow the guidelines above for freezing black pudding, you’ll actually struggle to tell the difference between fresh and frozen.
If you freeze a good-quality black pudding, preferably from your local butcher, and do so soon after purchasing it, then you’ll not notice any difference before or after freezing.
As with anything frozen, freezing when the item is as fresh as possible is vital. Don’t think about freezing black pudding you’ve had sitting in the fridge for a few days, and it won’t improve in the freezer.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing black pudding or black pudding in general, then these may help:
How Do You Defrost Black Pudding Quickly?
You don’t! Trying to speed up the defrosting of black pudding will ruin the texture. Instead, allow things to thaw slowly overnight.
Can you still eat black pudding if its been frozen for more than a year
According to the NHS you can freeze meat for up to 6 months before it loses its texture but it’ll remain safe to eat beyond this time.
Can I defrost black pudding
Cool it all abs then refreeze some again?
Or can I refreeze before cooking?
Many thanks
Generally speaking, you can freeze an item once when not cooked and once again when cooked.
Can one eat black pudding that’s frozen hard as a rock for over approx 7 years? It was among the first thing my gf bought when moving in to her apartment, and I cooked and ate it just now without realising it was expired 2014. So far, no stomach aches but should I be concerned for later and go to emergency room or am worrying about nothing?
Get tested at hospital, but I think you could be okay. If you haven’t got any problems with your gut.