Can You Freeze Borscht?
Quick Answer : Can You Freeze Borscht?
Yes. You can freeze borscht. Borscht is a unique vegetable soup, red in color, and has Eastern European origins. As you can prepare borscht with various vegetables, there are chances of preparing it in excess leading to questions regarding its proper preservation. So, people usually seek answers to whether they can freeze borscht. The answer is in the affirmative. Borscht freezes well, especially if you choose the ingredients well. Here is how you freeze borscht.
How Do You Freeze Borscht?
Generally, all soups freeze well. Borscht does not require any additional preparations. You can freeze it quickly and consume it later.
- Cook the borscht well and cool it to room temperature. You can keep the container in a cold water bowl to speed up the cooling process. We do not advise keeping warm borscht inside the freezer because the condensation can dilute the borscht and degrade its texture when defrosting. Besides, hot foods can alter the freezer temperature and affect other freezing items.
- You can freeze the whole batch in a large airtight plastic container. But, it entails defrosting it whole, leading to wastage. Therefore, we advise apportioning the soup into consumable quantities. For example, you can fill appropriately-sized ziplock bags with the soup, leaving space at the top for it to expand during freezing.
- Remove air from the bags and seal them. Please keep the bags upright until they freeze solid. Once the borscht solidifies, there is no risk of spilling over into the freezer.
- Please write down the freezing date and the bag contents before keeping them inside the freezer. It helps monitor the freezing process and subsequent usage.
How Long Can You Keep Borscht Frozen In The Freezer?
Much depends on the vegetables you use for preparing the borscht. Nevertheless, the borscht remains fresh for two months. Subsequently, degradation sets in. We advise removing all air from the bag to prevent freezer burn.
Although the borscht can remain fresh for two months, we recommend consuming it within two months.
How Do You Defrost Borscht?
You can defrost the borscht in various ways. The safest way to defrost the borscht is to transfer the container from the freezer to the fridge. The gradual change in the temperature levels lets the borscht defrost naturally. However, the process can take several hours. So, we advise initiating the thawing process overnight. The soup defrosts the following morning thoroughly. You might find the texture becoming watery because of ice crystals melting. But, you can restore its consistency by stirring the borscht and adding cornstarch flour before serving.
Alternatively, using the defrost settings, you can defrost the borscht in a microwave. However, we advise immediate consumption as otherwise, bacterial contamination can set in. You can simultaneously reheat the borscht in the microwave and serve it hot.
Another defrosting mode is reheating the frozen borscht in a saucepan at low heat on the kitchen hob. This defrosting and reheating method requires you to stir the soup regularly to prevent it from sticking to the saucepan and getting burnt.
We recommend consuming the borscht immediately if you use the rapid defrosting modes. Otherwise, refrigerate the defrosted borscht for two days in the refrigerator.
Can You Refreeze Borscht?
We do not recommend refreezing borscht because refreezing it can cause the borscht to lose its texture and taste. In addition, you could end up ruining the soup.
Bacterial contamination occurs when the borscht sits at room temperature. So, repeated defrosting and freezing allow bacterial contamination.
Does Freezing Affect Borscht?
Freezing borscht is easy, and it does not affect the food much. But, you can notice minor degradation in its texture. However, the best aspect is that you can restore its consistency by stirring it well.
How Long Can You Keep Borscht In The Refrigerator?
Borscht can remain fresh in the refrigerator for three days. However, freezing borscht is ideal if you wish to preserve it longer.
Can You Freeze Borscht With Potatoes?
Potatoes do not freeze well. So, we do not recommend freezing borscht with potatoes. Potatoes can become grainy when defrosted. In addition, it affects the soup’s texture. Instead, you can add the potatoes before serving.
Can You Freeze Borscht With Cream?
Yes. It is possible to freeze borscht with cream. You can freeze the borscht with cream in airtight plastic containers, leaving some space at the top. It allows the borscht to expand while freezing.
Can You Freeze Borscht With Sour Cream?
You can freeze borscht with sour cream. However, we advise preventing exposure to air and moisture.
Can You Freeze Summa Borscht?
Summa borscht contains potatoes. Therefore, we advise not to freeze summa borscht. Instead, you can freeze the borscht separately and add the cooked potatoes when serving.
Can You Freeze Homemade Borscht?
Yes. You can freeze homemade borscht, depending on the vegetables and other ingredients. We advise using freezer-friendly ingredients for preparing the borscht. Challenging components like potatoes can be added to the borscht later when serving.
Can You Freeze Summer Borscht?
Summer borscht contains ham or chicken, besides the regular vegetables. Though you can freeze summer borscht, it can become soggy.
Can you freeze cabbage borscht?
You can freeze cabbage borscht because it freezes well.
Can You Freeze Beet Root Borscht?
Beetroot freezes well. So, it is convenient to freeze borscht made with beetroot.
Can You Freeze Instant Pot Borscht?
Instant Pot Borscht is ready-made borscht available in departmental stores. It is a cooled soup that freezes well. However, we do not advise freezing Instant Pot Borscht in its original can because it does not have sufficient space for the soup to expand during freezing. Instead, you can transfer the borscht to another container or freezer bag before placing it into the freezer.
Can You Freeze Borscht In Mason Jars?
You can freeze borscht in mason jars. But, we suggest providing sufficient space for the soup to expand. However, mason jars can be inconvenient because they are prone to breakage with mishandling.
Final Thoughts
Borscht is a delicious soup prepared with vegetables, ham, or chicken. While it is best served hot, you can refrigerate it for four to five days for preservation. However, can you freeze borscht if you need to store it longer? The happy news is that you can freeze borscht. We have discussed the entire procedure in detail.
