Can You Freeze Pulled Pork?

Quick Answer : Can You Freeze Pulled Pork?

You can freeze pulled pork. However, you must be careful while freezing it because the moisture loss can make the pork dry when it freezes. So, you need not waste any pork meat now as you can freeze pulled pork and have them whenever you feel like having so. This tender and savory meat freeze well. So, let us now discuss how to freeze pulled pork and extend its life span.

How Do You Freeze Pulled Pork?

Pork shoulder, aka Pork butt, is the most delicious part of pork meat. No one would like to waste it. Hence, freezing pulled pork is the best preservation option available. Besides, freezing pulled pork is easy. The only aspect to note is to retain as much moisture as possible.

1. Cool the pork thoroughly to room temperature before shredding its meat. First, it allows the meat to retain its juices. Secondly, freezing warm meat can cause condensation that can damage the pork and make it mushy after defrosting.
2. Once you shred the meat, it becomes ready for storage. Place the meat inside a large freezer-safe resealable bag or an airtight plastic container. You can cut the meat into smaller portions if you have not shredded it. It is good because you can remove as many pieces as you want when serving the meat.
3. An essential step in freezing is removing excess air from the bags. We recommend using a vacuum sealer to ensure 100% air removal from the bags. The advantage is that it prevents freezer burn that can damage the meat.
4. If you use airtight plastic containers, we recommend sealing them with a plastic film before closing the lid airtight. It helps preserve the moisture inside the box, allowing the pork pieces to retain it during the entire freezing procedure.
5. We suggest writing down the freezing date and contents before pushing the bags and the containers deep inside the freezer. Maintaining the temperature as low as possible is better to ensure perfect freezing.

Freezing Pulled Pork Leftovers

If you have pulled pork leftovers after a mean and do not like to waste them, you can freeze the leftovers and consume them later. The process is the same.

1. Clean the leftovers and remove any other food sticking to the meat. It ensures the meat does not get spoiled. If too much food is sticking to it, it is better to refrigerate it and consume it within the next two days.
2. Pack the leftover pulled pork into freezer bags and remove the air before sealing them.
3. Note the date and place the bags inside the freezer. Please ensure consuming the frozen leftovers quickly as they can get spoilt soon.

How Long Can The Frozen Pulled Pork Remain In Freezer?

Frozen pulled pork can remain fresh for six months in the freezer. If you maintain the temperature below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, the frozen pulled pork can last for extended periods. Nevertheless, we recommend consuming the pulled pork within six months to enjoy its taste to the maximum.

Leftover pulled pork will not last for six months in the freezer. Therefore, we suggest you consume them quickly to prevent them from becoming unpalatable.

How Do You Defrost Frozen Pulled Pork?

You can defrost the pulled pork meat at room temperature by removing it from the freezer and placing it on the kitchen counter for a couple of hours. Then, you can set the container inside a bowl of cold water to expedite the process. However, this process can harm the pork’s texture slightly. So, the refrigerator defrosting method is ideal.

Transfer the frozen pulled pork from the freezer to the refrigerator overnight. The frozen pork thaws gradually without losing any moisture. So it does not lose its texture and flavor after defrosting. You can reheat the defrosted pulled pork and consume it in your recipes.

How Do You Reheat Pulled Pork?

The prime concern when reheating pulled pork is maintaining the moisture levels. Dried-out pork will lose its juicy taste. However, once appropriately thawed, you can splash some water, apple juice, or leftover water after cooking the pork, etc., on the meat to allow it to remain fresh.

You can slow-cook the pulled pork with BBQ sauce and some liquid. Alternatively, you can preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit and heat it. It is also possible to grill the meat on low heat. Microwaving the pulled pork is an alternative.

Can You Refreeze Pulled Pork?

Generally, you can refreeze meat if it has been thawed gradually in the refrigerator. However, we do not recommend refreezing pulled pork because it can lose excessive moisture and become crumbly. In addition, the loss in its texture can make it taste bland.

Can You Freeze Pulled Pork After Cooking?

You can freeze pulled pork after cooking. However, the main concern is retaining the moisture that will keep the meat tender.

Can You Freeze Pulled Pork BBQ?

You can comfortably freeze pulled pork BBQ and make it last six months without losing its taste and flavor.

Can You Freeze Pulled Pork Leftovers?

Yes, it is possible to freeze pulled pork leftovers. However, they do not last long in the freezer. Therefore, we advise consuming them quickly.

Can You Freeze Pulled Pork In Bbq Sauce?

Generally, we recommend freezing pulled pork without any sauce on it. However, if the BBQ sauce is freezer-safe and contains no challenging ingredients, you can freeze the pulled pork with the BBQ sauce.

Can You Freeze Pulled Pork Sandwiches?

You can freeze pulled pork sandwiches. First, however, we recommend wrapping the sandwiches well to prevent exposure to air and external moisture that can make the sandwich soggy. Secondly, we do not recommend adding any other ingredients to the sandwich besides the pulled pork.

Can You Freeze Costco Pulled Pork?

You can freeze Costco pulled pork, as we have discussed here.

Can You Freeze Cooked Pork Shoulder?

Cooked pork shoulder is nothing but pulled pork. You can freeze cooked pork shoulder the way described here.

Final Thoughts

Pulled pork is a tasty delicacy because of its melt-in-the-mouth texture. Preserving pulled pork is not a problem because you can freeze them and maintain its freshness for six months. So, there is no need to waste the frozen pulled pork if you have leftovers.