Whether it’s poured over a salmon fillet or stirred into a potato soup, dill sauce can add a subtle aniseed flavour to a range of dishes. But a little tends to go a long way… So what do you do with all those leftovers?
Can You Freeze Dill Sauce?
Yes, you can freeze dill sauce for up to 6 months. The best way to freeze it is in an ice cube tray. Once frozen into cubes, they can be popped into a freezer bag and stored until needed.
Do Does Dill Sauce freeze well? Sometimes
Can you refreeze Dill Sauce? No
How to Freeze Dill Sauce
Freezing dill sauce is fairly simple and follows the same approach we would take to freeze a range of sauces that are only ever needed in small quantities:
- Cool
If you have made the dill sauce yourself, then give it time to cool to room temperature. If it’s in a hot pan then pour it into a clean bowl as this will speed up the cooling. - Pour Into an Ice Cube Tray
Decant the sauce into the slots of an ice cube tray filling them up ariund 90% of the way to allow for some expansion. - Wrap
Wrap the tray in a layer or two of clingfilm. This will keep your dill sauce protected whilst also helping prevent any spillages. - Freeze
Pop the ice cube tray containing your dill sauce into the freezer for a few hours to freeze solid. - Pop Into a Ziploc Bag
Remove the cubes of frozen dill sauce from the ice cube tray and pop them into a freezer bag. Label the bag with contents and then seal it up. As you seal it up, squeeze out as much of the air as possible. - Return to the Freezer
Finally, pop the sealed bag containing your dill sauce back into the freezer.
3 Tips for Freezing Dill Sauce
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing dill sauce to have the best results:
Label it Clearly
Cubes of dill sauce will be indistinguishable from other green sauces such as pesto, salsa verde or even flavoured butter. Make sure you write a clear, legible label on the bag so you know it’s dill sauce.
Use from Frozen
You don’t actually need to defrost dill sauce if you want to pop it into soups, stews or casseroles. Simply take one of your frozen ice cubes of dill sauce, pop it into the pan as your dish cooks and it will defrost, melt and add a gentle dill flavour to your cooking.
Freeze In Bulk in Tupperware
If you’ve made a dill sauce for a big dinner party then you don’t need to use the ice cube method. Instead, pour the entire sauce into a larger Tupperware container, seal the container and then freeze. When you need the sauce, allow it to defrost overnight in the fridge.
How Long Can You Freeze Dill Sauce?
6 months is the maximum time we would advise keeping dill sauce in the freezer. Although it won’t be dangerous to consume beyond this time period, there is a risk that the flavour will have degraded and the texture will be all off.
You Can Freeze Dill Sauce for up to 6 Months
How Do You Defrost Dill Sauce?
Defrosting dill sauce comes down to how you plan on using it. If you want to use the sauce in a cooked dish to add that noticeable aniseed flavour then you can pop the frozen cube directly into your cooking.
If, however, you want to serve dinner up with your sauce then you’ll need to thaw it out beforehand. The best way to do this is to pop a cube into a small dish and then place this in the fridge overnight.
You could also choose to defrost it in a pan over a very low heat until it has thawed through. But this is only good if you want to serve the sauce warm.
Can You Refreeze Dill Sauce?
You cannot refreeze dill sauce. Although it is likely to be safe to eat, you’ll ruin the texture. You’ll already have a few issues with separation if you have made the sauce with dairy. Were you to refreeze the sauce, you’ll exaggerate those textural changes.
Does Dill Sauce Freeze Well?
Dill sauce does freeze fairly well. Like many sauces made with cream, there can be some issues with separation when it thaws out but a quick stir or whisk will usually rectify these issues.
If you struggle to fix these issues with a stir, then place the sauce over a low heat and add a little extra milk or cream while stirring constantly. This should help combine the split fats back into the liquid.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing dill sauce or dill in general, then these may help:
Dill sauce will only last for 3 or 4 days in the fridge if stored in a covered jug or dish. If you need it for longer than this then opt for freezing it.
Dill sauce made with cream may split when it defrosts but a quick, vigorous stir should rectify this fairly quickly.
