Can You Freeze Rice Pudding? – Here’s How To Do It with Tips

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Can You Freeze Rice Pudding: Rice pudding is one of the most loved old-fashioned desserts and can be made both through baking or in a saucepan. Depending upon the recipe, it can be made up of rice, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, spices, raisins, and spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice.

But are you wondering how to bulk-prepare a batch of it? Well, in this article we will share with you how to freeze and preserve rice pudding to enjoy it for the longest time possible. So, without wasting any more time, let’s jump straight into the topic.

Can You Freeze Rice Pudding

Can You Freeze Rice Pudding?

Yes, you can surely freeze rice pudding. But, there are certain things that you need to be especially careful about while you freeze rice pudding. To start with, it is always best to portion out your rice pudding, to make it easier to thaw. Also, another thing to pay attention to is, although you can freeze rice pudding it is best eaten when fresh. After freezing, the consistency of your rice pudding might change due to the thawing of a milk product.

Can You Freeze Rice Pudding With Milk?

Yes, you can definitely freeze rice pudding with milk. But, while defrosting or reheating you will have to add some milk to regain its soft consistency because rice tends to soak up the milk. Your rice pudding might also have a slightly grainy texture to it.

How To Freeze Rice Pudding?

While freezing your rice pudding, there are a few simple steps that you can follow. However, before freezing it, always make sure that it’s cooled first to room temperature. Following these steps will help your pudding stay the best in quality and safety in its frozen form.

Step 1: Using the Proper Container

Rice pudding must be frozen in a sealable plastic bag, or an airtight container. Before freezing your rice pudding, label, and put a description and dates on the container in which you are storing it in.

Step 2: Portion Out

Next, divide the rice pudding into smaller portions according to your probable situation. For example, if there are four people in your house, it would be best to freeze your pudding in portions that will be sufficient for four people to enjoy in one sitting. By this, you can avoid any waste and contamination while defrosting the rice pudding easier.

Step 3: Seal

Before placing the rice pudding into the freezer, make sure that it is sealed tightly. This will prevent your rice pudding from being exposed to freezer burn or drying out in your freezer.

Step 4: Freeze Properly

The last step is to place the container or bag with rice pudding into your freezer and store it there until you plan to pull it out and enjoy it again. You can store it there for up to three months, however, the sooner you consume it, the better it will be.

Best Tips For Freezing Rice Pudding

Now that you have learnt how to freeze your rice pudding from the above topic, let’s now look at the top three tips which are strongly recommended while freezing rice pudding to get the best results:

  • Label – Labelling with the right name and dates is very very crucial. Risotto and rice pudding look almost the same but still, you can be able to tell the difference between them when they’re at room temperature. But once frozen, it can be way more difficult. Also, you might forget when you placed the rice pudding in your freezer and you are confused as to whether it’s gone bad or not. Hence, adding a clear label is important.
  • Act Fast – Rice must not be left at room temperature for too long because it can start getting fermented. As soon as the rice pudding has cooled, get it in a bag and put it inside the freezer.
  • Flavour it – Spices and flavourings can freeze well, hence don’t worry about sprinkling rice pudding with some ingredients of flavour like mixing in with some nutmeg, cinnamon or vanilla to take it up to the next level. Make sure you don’t add raisins because they dry out when frozen.

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How Long Does Rice Pudding Last In The Fridge?

It is always recommended to consider 3 months as the longest time to keep your rice pudding frozen. Consume it as soon as possible to enjoy its authentic taste, quality and safety. Always remember to label the packet of your frozen rice pudding with the date when it was bought or made so that you know when to consume it and it doesn’t stay left in the freezer for too long.

Now, are you wondering how long does rice pudding last in the fridge? Well, once cooked and cooked down at room temperature, you can keep your rice pudding fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to a couple of months, only if kept in an air-tight Tupperware container or covered plastic bowl.

How To Reheat Frozen Rice Pudding?

Defrosting rice pudding can be done in various ways. The first procedure that you can follow is to place your rice pudding in a bowl from the freezer, put the bowl inside the fridge and let it thaw slowly overnight. The second option that you can do is to place the frozen rice pudding in a pan and reheat it slowly over very low heat or inside the microwave for 1 minute at the lowest temperature setting.

Tips To Keep In Mind While Defrosting Rice Pudding

One important thing to remember here is, you must never defrost it on the stovetop as the milk in the rice pudding is likely to spoil. Now, let’s look at some of the most important tips to keep in mind while thawing rice pudding:

  • Do not thaw rice pudding over the counter, because the milk contents will break its bonds and can begin to grow bacteria.
  • While heating your rice pudding in the saucepan over low heat, you will need to add a small amount of milk to the pudding, because the rice will have dried out and soaked up some liquid.
  • Add the raisins while this reheating process if you are including them in your rice pudding. Never freeze rice pudding along with the raisins because they get dried out upon freezing.
  • You must use up the thawed rice pudding within the next 2 days of thawing.
  • Lastly, always remember to never reheat rice pudding, if it’s previously frozen.

You can also go through our article Can You Freeze Bread Pudding to get a better idea of tips to store it, how freezing can be used to extend the lifetime.

FAQs On Can Rice Pudding Be Frozen

1. How do you preserve rice pudding?

To preserve rice pudding, it must be allowed to settle at room temperature first, then you can either divide it into several smaller serving-size containers or can put it all in one big airtight container and freeze it.

2. Does homemade rice pudding freeze well?

Yes, homemade rice pudding freezes really well and usually stays good for three to five days if stored properly in the fridge. It can last for up to three months if kept inside the freezer.

3. Why is rice pudding healthy?

Rice pudding is healthy because it is made up of ingredients like rice, milk, sugar and eggs that offer sufficient nutritional benefits, including approximately 10 grams of protein and 15 % of the daily bone-building calcium recommended per cup.

4. Why does my rice pudding get watery?

The correct ratio of milk to rice in a rice pudding must be 1 part of the rice and 2 parts of the milk. If the quantity of rice is not enough the pudding will become watery, and if the quantity of rice is more than the exact ratio, it will cause lumps, making the pudding runny.

Closing Thoughts

Wrapping everything up, and freezing rice pudding is a good idea to keep it fresh in terms of quality and safety for a long. But, it is not recommended to be frozen for too long or with incorrect storage, because it may change the taste or consistency of the pudding.

If you are freezing rice pudding, make sure you are only using air-tight glass or Tupperware container and not freezing it beyond 3 months. Rice pudding is an amazing dessert to lovingly finish any of your meals, so try it out and make sure to follow the tips mentioned in this article to preserve it.

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