Pepperoni makes for a popular pizza topping and adds spice to a charcuterie board. But a little does tend to go a long way. So, if youāve bought a pack of pepperoni from the supermarket and have some leftovers, what do you do with it?
Can You Freeze Pepperoni?
Yes, you can freeze pepperoni for up to 3 months. Freezing pepperoni is really easy. Wrap the pepperoni, ensuring it is airtight, place it into a freezer bag and then freeze.
Do Does Pepperoni freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Pepperoni? Yes
How to Freeze Pepperoni
Assuming youāve picked up a pack of shop-bought pepperoni for your homemade pizzas, you probably wonāt need to use the entire pack in one go, particularly if youāre adding a range of other toppings to your homemade masterpiece.
If this is the case, you will almost certainly have some pepperoni leftover, that would do nicely on a future homemade pizza. Here is how to go about freezing it:
- Portion Out
If you have a whole pepperoni then decide what portions to freeze it in. You can slice it up into 1-inch pieces, you can leave it whole or you could just cut it in half. - Wrap It
Wrap each portion of pepperoni in multiple sheets of clingfilm to ensure the air cannot get in. - Bag Up
Place the wrapped portions of pepperoni into a freezer bag, labelling the bag with the contents and today’s date. - Freeze
Finally, place the labelled bag of pepperoni into the freezer. It will keep in the freezer for around 3 months.
3 Tips for Freezing Pepperoni
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing pepperoni to have the best results:
Buy a Larger Pack
Pepperoni in small packs tends to be expensive. To save yourself some money in the long run, you should opt for a larger, family-size pack and freeze the leftovers. Alternatively, you could buy a large portion of pepperoni from an Italian butcher, and slice it yourself as and when you need it.
Freeze Pizza
You can freeze pepperoni that has already been placed on your homemade pizza. This is handy to know if youāve made several dough bases, and want to make up your pizza ahead of time. Pepperoni will freeze perfectly well as one of a number of toppings.
Use From Frozen
Another great thing about freezing pepperoni is that you can use it straight from frozen if you wish. So, when youāre topping your pizza, you can grab some slices of pepperoni directly from the freezer, without having to defrost them first.
How Long Can You Freeze Pepperoni?
You can freeze pepperoni for around three months.
Cooked and sliced pepperoni bought from the supermarket tends to have a decent shelf-life and can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.
But as itās not commonly used in many dishes, if youāre not likely to use it all straight away, itās better to transfer it to the freezer as soon as you can, to preserve its shelf life even further.
You Can Freeze Pepperoni for up to 3 Months
How Do You Defrost Pepperoni?
If you want to defrost pepperoni before using it in a recipe, you will need to remove it from the freezer the night before and allow it to thaw in the fridge.
However, pepperoni can be added to multiple dishes straight from frozen, so you donāt need to worry about thawing it in advance. Itās a great topping to use on pizza and pasta, as it doesnāt require much planning before adding it to your dish.
Can You Refreeze Pepperoni?
If youāve defrosted pepperoni in the fridge, itās possible to reheat it, if you find yourself with too many leftovers.
However, we advise you to thaw only the pepperoni that you need at any given time, as freezing and thawing it repeatedly can cause it to dry out and perhaps go stale, something that weāre sure you would like to avoid!
Does Pepperoni Freeze Well?
Pepperoni freezes extremely well. Itās one of those pizza and pasta toppings that require very little preparation, too, making it an ideal addition to any homecooked Italian meal.
Providing you wrap your pepperoni thoroughly and donāt leave it susceptible to freezer burn, it will freeze well for around three months.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing pepperoni or pepperoni in general, then these may help:
Yes, you can. They are more prone to drying out if they have been sliced thinly but they can still be frozen. Wrap portions of pepperoni in clingfilm before placing them in a freezer bag.
Yes, pepperoni sticks can be frozen. All you need to do is place the pepperoni sticks into a freezer bag, seal the bag, label and then place it into the freezer.
Pepperoni pizza (and all other pizzas) can be frozen easily. Either slice the pizza into portions and wrap or wrap the entire pizza. Freeze on a tray, then when frozen solid, store in a freezer bag.
