Can You Freeze Strudel?
Quick Answer : Can You Freeze Strudel?
Yes. You can freeze strudel, baked, unbaked, or cooked. This apple-based recipe is amongst the best desserts to have with a hot cup of tea. So, if you have a lot of this Austrian recipe on the kitchen table, you can consider freezing them. Of course, refrigerating strudel is also a viable preservation option, but freezing it extends its lifespan considerably. So, let us learn how to freeze strudel.
How Do You Freeze Strudel?
Strudel is a delicious apple-based recipe made with flaky layers of buttered pastry with apples and sweet jam, coated with a cinnamon sugar topping. This mouth-watering dessert is best consumed fresh from the oven. But, you can freeze the cooked strudel and finish them later. Similarly, freezing unbaked strudel is also possible. Let us discuss these processes in detail.
Freezing Unbaked Strudel
Freezing unbaked strudel is the best because it is the perfect time to freeze them.
- Prepare the strudel dough and add the fillings as the recipe demands.
- Wrap the unbaked strudel in parchment paper to prevent exposure to air and humidity. It also prevents the individual strudels from sticking together when freezing.
- Place the wrapped strudel in a freezer-safe ziplock bag and remove excess air from it. Vacuum sealing the bag is a good option because it ensures complete air removal.
- Note the freezing date and the contents on the bag for easy identification and monitoring.
- Push the ziplock bags into the freezer, allowing the contents to freeze well.
Freezing Baked Or Cooked Strudel
You can bake the strudel and freeze it. However, we advise not to add the cinnamon sugar toppings now. The sugar coating can affect the freezing and make the strudel soggy.
- Bake the strudel and cool it to room temperature. We suggest using a wire rack for cooling baked goods because it allows 360-degree cooling. Otherwise, the bottom part remains soggy because of condensation. We never recommend freezing hot strudel directly inside the freezer. The heat can cause condensation and make the strudels wet.
- Once cooled to room temperature, proceed with wrapping each strudel piece with a plastic wrap or cling film. Next, you can have another protective layer as an aluminum foil covering. Again, the idea is preventing exposure to the cool air inside the freezer that can cause freezer burn.
- Place the wrapped strudels in a ziplock bag or a plastic airtight container. Seal the container with a plastic wrap before closing it airtight. Similarly, vacuum-seal the ziplock bags properly.
- Note the freezing date and the contents on a sticker attached to the bags or containers. Allow the strudels to freeze properly.
How Long Can Frozen Strudels Last In The Freezer Without Affecting Their Taste?
The key to freezing strudel is preventing exposure to air and humidity. Hence, covering the recipe is critical. Once appropriately stored, the frozen strudels can comfortably last for six to eight weeks.
Can You Refrigerate Apple Strudels?
Apple strudels can last for two days on the kitchen counter. You can refrigerate them and extend their shelf life by two more days. If you wish to store them further, freezing the strudel is the perfect option.
How Do You Defrost Frozen Apple Strudels?
Defrosting the strudels is essential before baking them if you have frozen unbaked strudels. The ideal defrosting method is transferring the frozen strudels from the freezer to the refrigerator. This mode takes time. So, we recommend starting the defrosting process overnight. The strudels should be ideal for baking the following morning.
If you face time constraints, you can consider defrosting the frozen unbaked strudels at room temperature for 45 minutes. The strudels thaw well, but we advise baking them immediately and consuming them fresh.
However, the refrigerator defrosting mode is ideal if you have frozen cooked strudel. You can reheat the strudel before consuming it.
How Do You Reheat Strudel?
If you have frozen unbaked strudel, you can bake them after defrosting. The reheating process is for the frozen cooked strudel. You can place them on a baking sheet and keep them inside the conventional oven for ten minutes. It is better than microwaving the strudel. A toaster oven is also ideal for reheating the strudel.
Can You Refreeze Strudel?
We do not recommend refreezing the strudel because repeated freezing and thawing can disturb its structure and damage its flavor and taste. In addition, the strudels can become soggy and unpalatable.
Can You Freeze Strudel With Cinnamon Sugar Toppings?
Technically, you can freeze the cooked strudel with its cinnamon sugar toppings. However, we suggest wrapping each piece tightly with a cling film. But, the sugar toppings can melt into the strudel, make it mushy, and change its texture when defrosting. Therefore, we suggest holding off the sugar toppings until the strudel is ready for serving.
Can You Freeze Unbaked Strudel Dough?
Yes. It is possible to freeze the unbaked strudel dough. Then, you can defrost them and bake them when ready. It is also possible to freeze baked strudel dough. However, the reheating can take more time.
Can You Freeze Apple Strudel From Costco?
Costco apple strudel is a store-bought strudel with a specific use-by date printed on the package. They come in resealable containers. We suggest consuming the Costco apple strudel before the use-by date. Freezing Costco apple strudel is not ideal because they come with toppings that can be challenging to freeze.
Can You Freeze Cherry Strudel?
You can freeze cherry strudel the same way you freeze apple strudel. Wrap the baked strudels tightly before freezing them in ziplock bags inside the freezer.
Can You Freeze Mushroom Strudel?
Yes. It is possible to freeze mushroom strudels the way we have discussed here. You can freeze them baked or unbaked.
Can You Freeze Toaster Strudel?
Toaster strudels have to be in the freezer until you consume them. They can spoil if you leave them at room temperature for more than twelve hours.
Final Thoughts
Strudels ate like pastries and tarts because they have a similar recipe. They taste the best when consumed fresh from the oven. But, if you have prepared them in advance, you can freeze them for later consumption. Similarly, you can freeze the unbaked strudel for three months. Then, defrost them overnight and bake them to get fresh strudels from the oven. So, can you freeze strudels? Yes. You can.
