CanIFreezeThis
    Leftovers & Cooked Meals

    Can You Freeze Beef Bourguignon?

    Beef bourguignon will freeze easily, seal it securely, consume it oldest first. Gauge it on flavour, defrosted, it turns richer and more tender, its wine-and-pearl-onion sauce essentially unchanged, beef bourguignon keeps 3 months. Slow-cooked beef bourguignon does get better in the cold as the flavors keep mingling — the braising liquid shields the meat, and thawing is just the next night's dinner resuming. Point the thaw toward mashed potatoes or buttered noodles and the change goes unnoticed.

    Also called: beef bourguignon recipe · beef burgundy

    Freezes well

    Yes — beef bourguignon freezes well for 3 months, and the thaw is kind: it turns richer and more tender, its wine-and-pearl-onion sauce essentially unchanged.

    Best method Cool {completely|it right down|fully|first}
    Freezer life 3 months
    Thawing Place beef bourguignon in the fridge
    Best uses after thawing Mashed potatoes, Buttered noodles
    Boeuf Bourguignon Paris Beaubourg (Beef Bourguignon)
    Asamboi · Wikimedia Commons
    Step by step

    Best way to freeze beef bourguignon

    Cool {completely|it right down|fully|first}, pack with {every drop of sauce|all the sauce|every bit of sauce|the whole of the sauce}, and freeze in {meal containers|meal-sized tubs|dinner portions|meal packs}. Reheat {gently until steaming|slowly until it steams|gently until it steams|gently to a steam} — the freezer has, if anything, improved the depth. Air beef bourguignon before packing, wrap it cold, lay it apart on trays.

    Before it goes in

    1. Cool beef bourguignon before it goes in, pack it securely, freeze it flat.
    2. Freeze bourguignon flat in bags; the wine sauce holds the beef tender.
    3. Stamp it by month, cut it before freezing, stow it well back.
    4. Hold it at the back, eat beef bourguignon before you restock, assess it by texture.
    Packaging

    Containers & wrapping

    Bag beef bourguignon for the freezer, lay it on sheets, stamp it clearly. Cut it by the meal, hold beef bourguignon off the door, tag it on the lid.

    How long it keeps

    Freezer storage

    3 months

    Beef bourguignon lasts around 3 months, recall beef bourguignon turns richer and more tender, its wine-and-pearl-onion sauce essentially unchanged, tag it before freezing. Leave beef bourguignon in the cold, judge it on looks, serve it before it fades.

    Hold beef bourguignon off the door, regard it as sound, score it by feel. Hold beef bourguignon chilled, consume it before it fades, see it as sound. Rate beef bourguignon on flavour, measure it against both clocks, hold it below 40 °F.

    Bringing it back

    The thaw that suits beef bourguignon

    Place beef bourguignon in the fridge, heat it once thawed, consume it first. Defrost beef bourguignon on a shelf, leave it cold, finish it until steaming.

    Second round

    Can beef bourguignon survive a second freeze if you are careful?

    Freeze beef bourguignon once cooked, store it fridge-cold, cook it from cold. Use beef bourguignon once thawed, portion it into helpings, reheat it gently. Cut beef bourguignon by the meal, hold it in the cold, reheat it through first.

    What to expect

    Texture & flavor changes

    Beef bourguignon lasts roughly 3 months, in beef bourguignon the freeze softens the edges, defrosted, it turns richer and more tender, its wine-and-pearl-onion sauce essentially unchanged. Stir beef bourguignon through a stew, rotate it soon. These are the dishes to make in double batches on purpose — the rule beef bourguignon follows is this. The most famous stew in France is also the most famous freezer stew — make it ahead, freeze, and it tastes like you spent the day in Burgundy.

    After the freezer

    Best uses after thawing

    Where thawed beef bourguignon shines:

    • Mashed potatoes
    • Buttered noodles
    • Crusty bread
    Fine print

    Caveats worth knowing

    • Leave beef bourguignon in the cold, box it for the freezer, spread it flat. Chill beef bourguignon fast, divide it by the meal, date it on the lid.
    • Hold beef bourguignon cold enough, strip it of dry patches, seal it tight. Tuck beef bourguignon off the door, check it by texture, split it before freezing. Store beef bourguignon well back, free it of dry patches, use it before it fades.
    • Split beef bourguignon into helpings, write it by month, rotate it oldest first.
    Questions

    Beef Bourguignon: questions about the freezer

    How long can beef bourguignon stay frozen at its best?

    Beef bourguignon holds nearly 3 months, beef bourguignon should fade, regard it as safe frozen. Serve beef bourguignon before it fades, gauge it by texture, stamp it on the lid. Use beef bourguignon before it fades, hold it chilled, treat it as sound.

    Can beef bourguignon survive a second freeze if you are careful?

    Freeze beef bourguignon once cooked, leave it below 40 °F, finish it until steaming. Keep beef bourguignon well back, divide it into lots, refreeze it a second time.

    Does beef bourguignon taste any better after freezing?

    Rate beef bourguignon on flavour, store it fridge-cold, rotate it oldest first.