Meaty, crispy and then oozing with rich egg – is there anything as common yet indulgent as a Scotch egg? But the question is can you have a batch stored in the freezer and do they freeze well or not? The answer may disappoint, unfortunately!
Can You Freeze Scotch Eggs?
Yes, you can freeze Scotch eggs for up to 3 months. Frozen Scotch eggs will be perfectly safe to eat. But that doesn’t mean you should freeze them as there can be some major textural issues when freezing them.
Do Do Scotch Eggs freeze well? No
Can you refreeze Scotch Eggs? No
How To Freeze Scotch Eggs
If you’re set on freezing your Scotch eggs then this is the best way to go about doing so (read on to find out why you may not want to do this though):
- Cool: If you have heated your Scotch eggs then allow them to come down to room temperature.
- Wrap: Wrap each Scotch egg in a layer of clingfilm followed by a layer of foil to prevent as much oxidation as possible.
- Freeze: Now place them in the freezer in an airtight container or thick freezer bag.
Although freezing Scotch eggs before frying them might combat some of the issues you’ll have, you’ll still have issues when you thaw them, mainly with the egg centre.
2 Tips for Freezing Scotch Eggs
Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 2 vital tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing Scotch eggs to have the best results:
Just Don’t Bother
The best thing to do when you think about storing Scotch eggs is to avoid the freezer. It’s simply one of those food items that does not freeze well.
Expect Textural Changes
If you were hoping for a runny, gooey yolk to remain when you defrost any Scotch eggs, think again! The yolk will not freeze well, so be prepared for the texture to change.
How Long Can You Freeze Scotch Eggs?
If you’re set on freezing your Scotch eggs then we would advise only keeping them in the freezer for up to 3 months. This will be the best way to prevent oxidation and ice crystals from forming.
As always, it’s a great idea to label your frozen Scotch eggs with the date they need to be consumed.
Cooked Scotch eggs will last for between 2 and 3 days in the fridge. Supermarket Scotch eggs will usually keep for over a week or until the use-by date on the packaging.
How Do You Defrost Scotch Eggs?
To thaw and reheat your Scotch eggs, you must plan ahead. That’s because the best approach is to defrost your Scotch eggs overnight in the fridge slowly. Simply place them in a bowl in the fridge.
When they have thawed thoroughly, then you can reheat them. This is fairly simple, you just need to place them on a preheated tray in a hot oven for 10 minutes or so – depending on the size of your Scotch eggs.
Can You Refreeze Scotch Eggs?
Scotch eggs are a pain to freeze. You’ll discover just how poorly they will freeze if you read on.
Refreezing them will make it even worse. We wouldn’t recommend freezing Scotch eggs in the first place so, as you can imagine, refreezing them also doesn’t come recommended.
Do Scotch Eggs Freeze Well?
No! That’s the hard and fast truth when it comes to freezing Scotch eggs. There are a few issues with freezing Scotch eggs:
Egg Yolk – Egg yolks simply don’t freeze well. We’ve written extensively about freezing eggs here. The ultimate Scotch egg has a rich, runny yolk. Once you freeze a Scotch egg (and yolk), you instantly lose this.
Your yolk will set and become somewhat rubbery.
Meat – There’s a huge chance that ice crystals will form in the body of the meat and will, therefore, ruin the texture of the meat in your Scotch egg.
Overall Texture – People love a Scotch egg so much because of the varying textures you get to enjoy. You bite into the crunchy outer, get his with rich meat and follow that with a creamy and runny egg yolk.
When you freeze Scotch eggs, you ruin all these layers of texture.
Ultimately, we would recommend not freezing Scotch eggs. If your only options are to freeze or throw them out, we would give freezing a go as anything is better than wasting them.
But don’t try and plan and freeze your Scotch eggs.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing Scotch eggs or Scotch eggs in general, then these may help:
Whether Scotch eggs are homemade, bought from the supermarket or picked up in an artisan deli, you’ll have the same issues. The textures will all be off, and the egg centre will not freeze well.
Generally, freezing store-bought Scotch eggs is not a good idea. You’ll have major issues with the texture of the Scotch egg, especially the egg content.
