Can You Freeze Pork Crackling?

Pork crackling makes an excellent snack to eat itself or add to a meal. This one particular food isn’t easy to make and if you made a batch of them, you need to properly store them. While you can keep them for a couple of days in the fridge, what if you need to store them longer? Would freezing pork crackling be an option?

So, can you freeze pork crackling? Yes, you can freeze pork crackling, but it will not freeze very well. Freezing pork crackling will cause moisture to be added to it which will cause a loss in texture to them. If you do still want to freeze them, they need to be properly stored, so they can last for up to 2 months.

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Does Pork Crackling Freeze Well?

While most pork products freeze well, pork crackling does not. The reason for that is that pork crackling is known for its crispy texture. When it’s stored in the freezer, it will absorb additional moisture. The longer it’s frozen, the higher amount of moisture it will have.

As it thaws, due to the moisture, the crackling will become soft and chewy.

How To Freeze Pork Crackling

Freezing pork crackling is simple and pretty much straightforward. The key to keeping them fresh in the freezer for a long time is to keep them sealed tightly.

Below are the steps to freezing pork crackling:

Step 1: Letting it cool down

Once the pork crackling is cooked, you’ll need to make sure it’s cooled completely first. Allow it to cool to room temperature before freezing it.

If it’s going to be frozen, avoid leaving them out at room temperature for too long. If you do, you will have a higher chance of getting contaminated with bacteria.

Also, storing them in the container while it’s still warm could cause condensation. The moisture will cause the pork crackling to become mushy when freezing.

Step 2: Wrapping

Due to the texture of the pork crackling, it will need to be doubled wrapped.

Once the pork crackling is cooled, wrap them in cling film. Wrap the crackling several times around to keep for added protection.

Step 3: Bag it Up

After wrapping them with cling film, place the crackling into a freezer bag or an airtight container. The container or bag will help provide extra protection from the freezing temperature.

If using an airtight container, make sure the lid doesn’t have any leaks. If they do, it will cause air to leak into the container and damage the pork crackling.

For the freezer bag, you’ll want to make sure there are no leaks in the bag too. To test for leaks, blow air into the bag and seal it. Then press on the bag to see if it deflates. If it does, the bag has a leak, and you should use another bag instead.

Once you’ve put the pork crackling into the freezer bag, gently press on the bag to remove any excess air from it. Then seal the bag and label it with the date of freezing.

Step 4: Freezing

After the pork crackling is in a container or freezer bag, label them with the date of freezing. Place them into the freezer.

How Long Can You Freeze Pork Crackling?

Pork crackling can be frozen for up to two months. This particular food isn’t something that’s recommended for freezing. Keeping them in the freezer could cause them to become moist. This will cause the texture and taste to deteriorate.

After 2 months, pork crackling is still safe to eat, but you won’t enjoy eating it much. Due to the crackling has greatly deteriorated, it will not be crisp and full of flavor when you thaw and reheat them.

Therefore, it’s best to try to eat them well before the end of the second month.

How Do You Defrost Pork Crackling?

Pork crackling can be thawed in the fridge. After removing them from the freezer, place them onto a plate with plastic wrap covering it. Then place them into the fridge and let them thaw overnight.

It’s important to never thaw pork crackling at room temperature. Doing so will increase the chances of the crackling getting contaminated by bacteria.

How To Reheat Pork Crackling

When it comes to reheating pork crackling, you have several options. You can either reheat them in an oven or air fryer. These 2 methods will give them that crispy texture.

One other option is using the microwave, but I highly recommend you not use it to reheat pork crackling. Doing so will the crackling to become chewy.

Below are the 2 methods to reheating pork crackling:

Reheat Pork Crackling Using an Oven

Once the pork crackling has completely defrosted, take them out from the fridge.
Place the crackling on parchment or baking paper.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Once the oven reached the correct temperature, put the pork crackling in.
Heat the crackling for 15 minutes, but check them every 5 minutes or so to see if it’s warmed enough.

Reheat Pork Crackling Using an Air Fryer

Let the pork crackling thaw completely first.
Place the crackling onto parchment paper keeping them separated from each other. This will allow them to cook evenly throughout.
Heat the air fryer to 400F and place the pork crackling in there.
Close the fryer and reheat it for about 10-15 minutes.

If the pork crackling has soft meat, wrap aluminum foil around it. This will prevent them from burning.

Can You Refreeze Pork Crackling?

It’s not recommended refreezing pork crackling. Once the crackling has thawed completely, it will become soft. Once it’s frozen and thawed again, it will become mushy, and it will not taste as good as it should.

Also, since pork crackling is made from pork, it allows a lot of opportunities for bacteria to grow on it that can make you sick.

Therefore, it’s best to use pork crackling right away after it thaws. If you can’t, leave the thawed crackling in the fridge and use it within a day or so.

If it’s been more than 2 days sitting in the fridge, you should throw it away rather than taking the risk of getting sick.