It’s a bit fancy and sits between yoghurt and sour cream, crème fraiche is tangy, delicious and can last for a week or so in the fridge before going off. But, what happens if you want it to last a little longer than a few weeks?
Can You Freeze Crème Fraiche?
Yes, you can freeze crème fraiche for up to 4 months in the sealed pot it came in, an airtight container, or even an ice cube tray. But be warned, like most dairy products, there is a risk that crème fraiche will split when defrosted.
Do Does Crème Fraiche freeze well? Sometimes
Can you refreeze Crème Fraiche? No
How to Freeze Crème Fraiche
If you are likely to use a few spoonfuls of crème fraiche at a time, then this is the method you will want to adopt when it comes to freezing it:
- Prepare Bags: Grab some thick freezer bags. You want them thick to avoid any leakages and unwanted odours from seeping into your cream. Can you imagine garlic-scented crème fraiche? No thanks!
- Portion Into Bags: Spoon your crème fraiche into the bags. Think about how much you’re likely to use at one time and spoon that amount into each bag.
- Seal: Seal up the bags, squeezing out as much of the air as you possibly can.
- Freeze: Label (as most frozen dairy products look the same) and place your bags into the freezer.
That’s the best approach if you want to freeze larger portions in one go. If, however, you find you only use a spoonful here and there, then using an ice cube tray might be a better approach.
How to Freeze Crème Fraiche in Ice Cubes
If you will only ever use a tablespoon at a time, why not consider freezing your crème fraiche in ice cubes? This is great if you like to mix a spoonful or two into sauces, soups, pasta dishes or jacket potato fillings:
- Portion Into Tray: Grab your ice cube tray and spoon in your crème fraiche. You want to fill each slot up around 80% to give the crème fraiche a little room to expand.
- Protect: Wrap your tray in cling film to protect it, and then place in the freezer for several hours to flash freeze the crème fraiche cubes solid.
- Final Freeze: Once the cubes have frozen solid, pop them out into a bag and return them to the freezer to store. Remember to label your bag with the content.
How to Freeze Other Types of Cream
If you find yourself with other types of cream sitting in the fridge that you don’t want going to waste then check out how to freeze these by clicking the appropriate link below:
3 Tips for Freezing Crème Fraiche
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing crème fraiche to have the best results:
Whisk After Defrosting
As crème fraiche defrosts, it will begin to separate, which can ruin the texture. You can fix this by giving it a quick and vigorous whisk until all the liquid is incorporated into the fat.
Label
If you have frozen multiple dairy products such as double cream and sour cream, you must label them all. It is near impossible to tell the difference between different dairy products when they’re frozen.
Freeze in Portions
Refreezing crème fraiche is not advisable. By freezing it in portion sizes, you can avoid defrosting too much at a time.
How Long Can You Freeze Crème Fraiche?
Unlike many dairy products, crème fraiche will last for quite a while in the fridge. Even when opened, it’ll be fine for a week or so. Of course, freezing can extend this significantly.
Frozen crème fraiche will be fine in the freezer for 3 to 4 months. Just be warned that the longer the crème fraiche is in the freezer, the worse the separation of the fats will become.
How Long Does Crème Fraiche Last in the Fridge?
When stored properly, crème fraiche will last for around 8 weeks in the fridge. It should kept in an airtight container. There may be some separation but this can be fixed quickly.
How Do You Defrost Crème Fraiche?
Initially, defrosting crème fraiche is straightforward. You need to place it in the fridge overnight in a bowl to thaw out slowly. But it’s the next step that is vital.
Once thawed, you’ll notice the texture will be off, and the fats will have split from the liquid. That’s why, at this stage, you must whisk the crème fraiche vigorously to combine as much of the fat content back into the liquid.
This will be the difference between tasty, velvety smooth crème fraiche and grainy, unpalatable crème fraiche.
Can You Refreeze Crème Fraiche?
Refreezing crème fraiche is not something we would recommend at all. As you have probably realised by now, dairy products like crème fraiche do not freeze well, so they must be treated carefully.
Just one freeze can ruin the texture of your crème fraiche.
Trying to freeze it again would be a waste of time. The texture will be completely off, and you’ll be left with grainy, gritty and lump crème fraiche.
Does Crème Fraiche Freeze Well?
It does freeze, but not necessarily very well. With any dairy products, the higher the fat, the worse it will freeze. With more fat comes more separation. Unfortunately, crème fraiche is packed full of fat which can ruin the texture when frozen.
What happens is ice forms within the actual body of the cream itself. This ice then forces the fat to separate from the liquid.
When the crème fraiche is defrosted, it will be runny and grainy where the water content has melted, but the fat content has been left as a solid.
If you follow the method we have used here at Freeze It, there is a reduced chance you’ll ruin your cream, so give it a go.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing crème fraiche or crème fraiche in general, then these may help:
Can You Freeze Crème Fraiche in Soups?
You can freeze crème fraiche in soup, but you will find that once defrosted, the soup will become a little grainy. Where possible, stick with freezing soup with no crème fraiche in.
Can You Freeze Crème Fraiche in Sauces?
You can, but the texture of your sauce will be off. Instead, we would recommend freezing the sauce without the crème fraiche and then stirring it in after thawing.
