Matzo balls are a delicious and very satisfying dumpling that are traditionally put into a Jewish chicken soup. They are a staple food item for Passover time and taste absolutely amazing. But, what do you do with all those leftovers?
Can You Freeze Matzo Balls?
Yes, you can freeze matzo balls for up to 3 months. They are usually served with soup, and you can also freeze this. You do need to freeze them separately, but both of these are easy to do.
Do Do Matzo Balls freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Matzo Balls? No
How to Freeze Matzo Balls
Matzo balls are fairly easy to freeze, but you have to double freeze them for the best results. Just follow this method, and you can freeze your matzo balls ahead of time and get yourself prepared in plenty of time when you need them.
Follow these instructions to make sure you have a handy stash of Matzo balls in the freezer.
- Make Matzo Balls: Make your matzo balls according to your favourite traditional recipe. Once they are made, they are ready to freeze.
- Spread Matzo Balls Out on a Tray: Pop some parchment paper onto a flat baking sheet. Then place the matzo balls onto the baking sheet carefully. You need to ensure they are kept apart so they are not touching each other.
- Flash Freeze: Place the baking sheet into the freezer for an hour or two or until the matzo balls are frozen.
- Bag Up: When the matzo balls are solid, you can take them out of the freezer and transfer the matzo balls from the baking sheet into a large freezer bag.
- Seal: Squeeze the bag so that all the air is squeezed out. Then seal it tightly.
- Label: Label with the name of the contents and the date. You want to make sure you know when to use them by.
- Freeze: Pop the bag into the freezer until you need some matzo balls.
How to Freeze Matzo Ball Soup
The soup that matzo balls are served in is usually a delicious chicken soup made with chicken fat known as schmaltz. You can also freeze the soup, but you should keep the matzo balls separate from the soup in the freezer.
- Cool Soup: Make your soup and allow it to cool completely.
- Find Suitable Containers: Decide whether you want to freeze the soup in portions or if you want to freeze in one large amount. You will need suitable containers that can be sealed tightly to do this.
- Portion Out: Ladle the soup into the container. Leave a couple of inches at the top free so that the soup can have room to expand as it freezes.
- Seal: Pop the lid onto the container and put a freezer bag around it for a little extra security from spills.
- Freeze: Add a label with the contents and the date and put the soup into the freezer.
2 Tips for Freezing Matzo Balls
Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 2 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing matzo balls to have the best results:
Keep Them Protected
If you want to ensure extra protection in the freeze for your dumplings, you could use a sealable container instead of a freezer bag. Once you have frozen them on the baking tray, you can transfer them into the container, ensuring they aren’t squashed in the freezer.
Suck Air Out
Keeping your matzo balls airtight is the way to keep your matzo balls tasting as amazing as possible. If you are using a freezer bag, you can keep them airtight by popping a straw into the bag and sucking the air out before sealing it. If you have a vacuum sealer at home, you could use that instead, but a straw works almost as well.
How Long Can You Freeze Matzo Balls?
Both your matzo balls and the soup they are served in can be frozen for up to 3 months. Perfect for leftovers or to ensure you are well prepared before Passover and have some on hand for when you most need them.
You can keep matzo balls in the fridge for around 1 week. You’ll want to keep them covered when in the fridge to keep them both protected and to prevent them from drying out.
How Do You Defrost Matzo Balls?
You have a couple of options for defrosting your matzo balls and soup.
For best results, you can defrost the balls and soup by taking them out of the freezer and popping them into the fridge to thaw out slowly overnight.
Another option is to thaw the soup first by putting it into the fridge for a day before you need it.
When you heat the soup, you can pop some frozen matzo balls into it and let them defrost, then heat up as you cook the soup.
Can You Refreeze Matzo Balls?
We would not recommend refreezing either your matzo balls or your matzo ball soup.
The soup is made from meat fat and stock, and you need to be careful when it comes to freezing animal products because of the harmful bacteria that may grow on the food.
Your matzo balls may well freeze the first time successfully, but once they have been cooked and processed, they will likely change in texture and quality and may not be as tasty if you tried to freeze them again.
Do Matzo Balls Freeze Well?
Matzo balls freeze fairly well.
There may be some change in texture, but the taste should be absolutely fine, and by the time they are cooked in the soup, you shouldn’t even be able to tell the difference between matzo balls that have been frozen and those that have been made freshly.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing matzo balls or matzo in general, then these may help:
It is perfectly safe to freeze matzo crackers, but it can ruin the texture, so try to consume them without needing to freeze them. You can also freeze matzo cracker dough before baking a batch if you decide to make your own.
There is no need to freeze matzo meal – it would be like freezing flour. It has an exceptionally long shelf life, provided that it is stored in an airtight container away from light and extreme temperature changes.
Sources
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I read your article re: freezing Matza balls. I am unclear if you freeze them before or after they’ve been cooked. Pls clarify for me, ty
I would make them and cook them so they expand before freezing. Otherwise you’ll end up with very dense, chewy matzoh balls that taste like a brick. They are better when they are fluffy and can be cut with a spoon.