Rice pudding, as a dessert and dish, is very savory. And those who agree with me want to know the answer to the following question. Can you freeze rice pudding? Otherwise, why would you bother finding out such information? So if you’re a rice pudding lover, you have all the reasons to continue reading.
What You Should Know
Here are a few things you might want to know before I answer the million-dollar question. Can you freeze rice pudding? The term pudding is derived from “boudin” (French). It means a small sausage.
In the UK, the work pudding is often used for sweet and savory dishes. While in America and Canada, pudding is a delicious milk-based dessert. The consistency of which is the same as custard or mousse.
Most traditional American households enjoy warm pudding after meals. I, for one, grew up devouring tons of it. Did you also know that pudding was served to Royal Navy soldiers on ships? The sweet dish has been a part of the culture since the 1700s.
Much like yogurt, it’s the easiest and least time-consuming homemade dessert to prepare. Pudding takes about only 10 minutes. You can serve this tasty dessert with fresh whipped cream. Your kids won’t get enough of it!
You can use either the baking oven or stove top for cooking rice pudding. And the dessert consists of sugar, milk, and rice. All you have to do is get the pre-packaged or instant version from your local supermarket. The form doesn’t really matter. There are all types of versions, including regular, sugar-free, reduced-fat, and non-fat.
Here’s how to make fragrant, spiced rice pudding:
Fragrant Spiced Rice Pudding – Gordon Ramsay
It’s only common to have rice pudding leftovers. Extra pudding is not something you have to deal with. As long as you can freeze it! And that’s great news, isn’t it? The fact that you can freeze the creamy texture so it doesn’t go to waste is delightful to hear. And there’s no need to worry about the results either. The original taste and flavor remain untouched.
Rice pudding has the ability to freeze well. In fact, preparing rice pudding to use up all the milk that’s about to go bad is an excellent idea. You can cook it up and freeze it. Having frozen desserts in your freezer is never a bad thing now, is it? The deliciousness can come in handy during unexpected guest visits. Or cravings!
But you’ve got to be careful. Rice pudding freezes well alright but only if you do it the right way. You have to make sure that no moisture enters the sweet dish while it’s in the freezer. Otherwise, it can get soggy. So now is the time to get to the most important part of the article.
Can You Freeze Rice Pudding? How To Freeze Rice Pudding?
Freezing rice pudding is a great way to preserve your favorite dessert. You can either make and freeze it in advance, or simply store the storage containers beforehand for later use.
The rice in this dessert has an excellent shelf life, lasting up to 6 weeks when properly frozen. Just keep in mind to cool it down after cooking and before freezing. It’s only a matter of minutes, isn’t it?
Divide the whole batch into single-serving portions. This will make the process of storing and freezing easier for you. Place each serving inside the airtight container. You can also cover the top with plastic wrap or aluminum foil before placing the lid. This is useful for protecting the pudding from unwanted elements.
When rice pudding freezes, the texture starts to look like rich and creamy ice cream. Such consistency is also achieved when freezing tapioca pudding or any other homemade pudding.
Frozen pudding is a delicious dessert on its own. Many people prepare pudding only so that they can freeze it before grabbing a spoon. And just because you’re placing it in your freezer, the formation of skin at the top gets avoided.
Something that happens when you store the pudding in the freezer or refrigerator! So even if you don’t cover the containers with plastic, it’s alright. Another method of freezing rice pudding utilizes the technique of making popsicles.
Distribute the whole batch in small plastic cups or popsicle molds. Insert the sticks before freezing them. This is a great recipe for when you have kids at home. Or during the summer months of the year!
You can store frozen pudding for up to 4-6 weeks. Provided the containers are sealed properly. And there’s no chance of air coming in contact with the dessert. Now that one part of the article is covered, it’s time to move on to the next.
How To Thaw Rice Pudding?
You know how to store homemade rice pudding. So the freezing and thawing methods are equally simple. Place the frozen sweet dish in your fridge. Leave it there overnight so it thaws nicely. Following which you can devour the pudding. Or use it as an ingredient in some other recipe.
Another way of thawing rice pudding involves keeping it outside the freezer at normal temperature. In a few hours, the pudding will be ready to satisfy your taste buds. But I would not advice opting for this method in case of thawing pudding pie. At such times, what happens is the crust absorbs moisture present in the air.
How To Differentiate Between Good And Bad Rice Pudding?
Health concerns associated with food that’s gone bad are aplenty. All the more reason to take safety measures during freezing and thawing dishes and desserts! Failing to do so tends to cause foodborne illnesses.
The best way to determine if the food has expired is by trusting your senses. They are incredibly reliable instruments. If not perfect, your senses have the ability to find out more than you can imagine.
Signs such as liquid pockets are never good. These pockets separate the pudding from the rest of the dish. Another warning sign includes light bacterial or dark mold marks on the surface.
As for taste, when the rice pudding becomes bitter-tasting, you know it has gone bad. The dessert is supposed to be sweet and not bitter. Noticing this difference is inevitable when the sweet dish loses its edible value.
Conclusion
Rice pudding is safe to store in the freezer. And when done properly, it has the ability to last for as long as 4-6 weeks. So there’s no limit to how much you can cook and freeze in there. Time to go bonkers over rice pudding!
Did you find the information useful? And have you ever tried freezing rice or any other form of pudding? If you have any helpful tips and tricks to suggest, please do so. Just scroll down to get to the comments section. Thank you for your time. I hope you come back for more!
Jen Lin-Liu is the founder of Black Sesame Kitchen. A Chinese-American writer and a nationally certified Chinese chef in Beijing. Jen is the author of two memoirs, Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey Through China and On the Noodle Road: From Beijing to Rome with Love and Pasta.