Can You Freeze Suet Dumplings?

How to Freeze Suet Dumplings

Luckily, freezing suet dumplings is a pretty easy thing to do so you can always have some handy in the freezer for the next time you cook stew and fancy putting some dumplings into it.

You do have to make and prepare the dumplings first and for best results, you need to freeze them before you cook them. This is the method you should use to freeze your suet dumplings successfully.

1. Make Dumplings
   Grab your favourite recipe and make your suet dumplings to your taste. You do need to mould them into shape but don’t cook them yet. You need to freeze them uncooked.
2. Place Onto a Baking Tray
   Next, you need a baking sheet and some non-stick parchment paper. Lay the parchment paper onto the baking sheet and then put the shaped suet dumplings onto it. Make sure you keep them separate from one another and don’t place them on top of one another.
3. Flash Freeze
   The point of this step is to flash freeze the suet dumplings so that you can put them into a bag and they won’t get stuck together in a clump. Once you have done this, put the baking sheet and dumplings into the freezer. Keep the baking sheet flat so they don’t roll off and allow the dumplings to freeze for an hour or two.
4. Bag Up
   When the suet dumplings are frozen you can take them out of the freezer and take them off the baking tray. Transfer them into a freezer bag that can seal tightly.
5. Seal
   Squeeze out as much air as you can from the bag and seal it tightly. If you can use a freezer bag with a zip lock seal then you can open and close the bag easily whenever you need a few dumplings.
6. Label and Freeze
   Label the bag with the date and contents and pop the suet dumplings back into the freezer.

3 Tips for Freezing Suet Dumplings

Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing suet dumplings to have the best results:

• Freezing Cooked Dumplings is Possible – You can also freeze cooked dumplings if you have any leftover after a meal but beware they won’t freeze quite as well as they do when they are uncooked. It is still worth it if you have no other option other than to freeze or throw them away. Use the same method as outlined in the article above and then to defrost you can thaw them out in a bowl in the fridge or on the kitchen side.
• Keep Them Airtight – The secret to the successful freezing of suet dumplings is to keep them airtight while they are in the freezer. This is why it’s so important to get rid of as much air as you can from the freezer bag and to keep it sealed tightly. If you need an extra tip on removing the air you can always use a straw. You seal the bag almost fully closed and then pop a straw into it. Suck out the air and then seal the bag fully.
• Uncooked is Better – Freezing your suet dumplings raw gives you the best chance for success and delicious suet dumplings. Whilst you can cook them we would always recommend that you keep them raw where possible.

How Long Can You Freeze Suet Dumplings?

You can freeze your raw suet dumplings for up to about six months as long as you have kept them protected from the air and the bag sealed for this time.

Whilst the dumplings should degrade too much there is always a chance and the longer they are in the freezer the more chance there is of the taste or texture degrading.

You Can Freeze Suet Dumplings for up to 6 Months

How Do You Defrost Suet Dumplings?

When it comes to thawing out and cooking the dumplings it couldn’t get much easier. You don’t need to thaw them out at all before cooking. Just make your stew and pop them in frozen.

They will thaw out and cook at the same time. You should allow a little extra time for this to ensure they are cooked through when you are ready to serve the stew and dumplings.

Can You Refreeze Suet Dumplings?

No, you shouldn’t refreeze suet dumplings once they have been frozen once. This can degrade the texture and flavour and if you are unlucky it could even make you sick because of bacteria growth in the food.

Do Suet Dumplings Freeze Well?

If you choose to freeze uncooked suet dumplings then you should find that it’s easy to do and they will taste great too. There shouldn’t be too much difference between fresh and frozen dumplings, especially once they have been cooked into a delicious stew.

However, if you are freezing cooked dumplings as leftovers then you may find that the texture changes a little. If you are using them in another stew then by the time they are heated up and popped into the stew you shouldn’t notice too much difference.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing suet dumplings or dumplings in general, then these may help:

Can You Freeze Atora Dumplings?

Atora is just a brand of suet that is often used to make dumplings. The good news is that Atora dumplings can be frozen, like any other suet dumplings, following the method outlined at the top of this page. 

Can You Freeze Suet?

If you have shredded suet in a packet then there really is no need to freeze it. It will last in the cupboard for around a year provided that it is kept in a cool, dark cupboard. Once opened, keep the suet stored in an airtight container to ensure it doesn’t go off.