Can You Freeze Red Wine Sauce?
Red wine sauce is a common ingredient in most French cuisines. If you study French cuisine, red wine sauce is the first recipe you master. The best part of red wine sauce is that you can prepare it in the kitchen. However, if you do not have professional experience, you might prepare excess red wine sauce that might require storage. So, the natural question is, ‘Can you freeze red wine sauce?’
Can You Freeze Red Wine Sauce?
The answer is just what you expected to hear, a big YES.
Before we learn how to freeze red wine sauce, let us briefly understand what red wine sauce is and what you serve it with.
Red wine sauce comprises red wine, veal stock, shallots or onions, butter, thyme, herbs, and salt. You can use beef if you do not have veal stock, but it will not be as tasty as veal.
Generally, you serve red wine sauce with red meat. You can also serve red wine sauce with vegetable dishes. But, you should note that red wine sauce contains animal products and thus, qualifies as a non-vegetarian dish.
How Do You Deal With Leftover Red Wine Sauce?
You can conveniently refrigerate red wine sauce in an airtight container for a few days. Since it is a meat-based recipe, we do not recommend refrigerating it for more extended periods. However, you can experiment with various cuisines using red wine sauce.
- You can add red wine sauce to a tomato-based sauce and serve it with pasta.
- You can also add the sauce to various soups and stews.
- Red wine sauce is excellent for roasting vegetables. However, we do not recommend serving it to vegan friends.
- Red wine sauce can give an upgrade to burger or pork sandwiches.
Finally, you can freeze red wine if you wish to store it for extended periods.
How To Freeze Red Wine Sauce?
Freezing red wine sauce is not an issue because each ingredient is easily freezable.
Red wine sauce can be frozen in airtight containers. However, you should ensure leaving out sufficient space at the top to take care of expansion during the freezing process. In addition, you must remove excess air to prevent freezer burn.
You could have a question. ‘What should be the freezing temperature settings in the refrigerator for red wine sauce?’ This question is natural because red wine contains alcohol.
Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas ethyl alcohol (the prominent ingredient of red wine) freezes at -173 degrees Fahrenheit.
Here are some points to consider.
- Wine is not pure alcohol. So it will not freeze at -173 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Secondly, red wine sauce is not pure wine because most of the alcohol gets cooked when preparing red wine sauce.
Therefore, the red wine freezing point should be closer to 32 degrees Fahrenheit than -173 degrees Fahrenheit. The standard freezer temperature in the US is around 0 degrees Fahrenheit. So, we should expect red wine sauce to get frozen in the freezer.
However, if it does not get frozen, you can always alter the freezer temperature settings. But, there should not be much of an issue.
Fully frozen red wine sauce can comfortably last for three months in the freezer. Though it does not become unsafe for consumption after three months, you can experience a minor decline in the texture and quality.
The ideal method of freezing red wine sauce is using ice cube trays. Pour the red wine sauce into ice cube trays and freeze it in the freezer. As the cubes solidify, you can transfer them to a zip-lock freezer bag or an airtight container.
The advantage of freezing red wine sauce in individual cubes is that you can use them whenever required comfortably without worrying about refreezing.
How Do You Defrost Red Wine Sauce?
Red wine sauce is easy to defrost. You can remove the frozen cubes from the freezer and allow them to defrost at room temperature. It could take a few hours, but it would be ready again.
However, it is not always necessary to thaw red wine sauce before using it. Generally, it does not freeze fully at the set freezer temperature. Under such circumstances, it melts as soon as you drop the cube on the pan.
Can You Reheat The Red Wine Sauce?
You can reheat the red wine sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. When the gravy becomes hot, whisk it with three tablespoons of butter.
How Do You Thicken Red Wine Sauce?
Pass the red wine sauce through a sieve into a clean pan. You can add some sugar to nullify the bitterness. Finally, add some butter to thicken the sauce and give it a beautiful luster.
Alternatively, you can simmer the red wine sauce and reduce it to half. Then, add one tablespoon of flour to thicken it.
How Long Can You Refrigerate Red Wine Sauce?
Red wine sauce remains fresh for four days in the freezer if you store it in an airtight container.
Can You Refreeze The Red Wine Sauce?
It is better not to refreeze red wine sauce because it contains animal products. Refreezing animal products can activate harmful bacteria to affect their taste and texture.
Can You Freeze Red Wine Reduction Sauce?
You can freeze red wine reduction sauce. The freezing procedure is the same as that for freezing red wine sauce.
Can Red Wine Sauce Go Bad? How Do You Deal With Bad Red Wine Sauce?
Red wine sauce can go bad like any other food item. If you notice mold formation or it becomes a bit mushy, it is a sign of spoilage. One should not consume sour red wine sauce because harmful bacteria can cause food poisoning. The ideal solution is to discard spoilt red wine sauce.
Final Thoughts
Red wine sauce is a favorite French recipe. So, there are chances you could end up preparing more red wine sauce than you could consume in a single sitting. Freezing red wine sauce is the best solution to keep it fresh for at least three months.
