If you enjoy making pizza at home, you’ll probably buy some pizza sauce or even make some at home. Either way, pizza sauce will need to be stored properly if you’re not planning to use it right away. When it comes to storing pizza sauce, would freezing the sauce be an option?
Can you freeze pizza sauce? Yes, you can freeze pizza sauce. Since pizza sauce is tomato-based, it will freeze very well. By properly storing the sauce, you can store it for up to 6 months without losing its texture or taste. Pizza sauce can either be stored in large batches or in a small portion.
Do Pizza Sauce Freeze Well?
Pizza sauce freezes very well due to it being tomato-based. Tomatoes have a very high content of water and water is an element that freezes well.
If you’re storing pizza sauce in a proper storage container at a constant temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, it can last for quite a long time.
When it comes time to use the sauce, you won’t be able to tell the difference between a fresh and a frozen pizza sauce.
How To Freeze Pizza Sauce
Freezing pizza sauce is simple and doesn’t require a lot of time. However, to ensure that the pizza sauce doesn’t lose its texture and taste, you’ll need to know how to store the sauce properly.
There are several different methods you can use to freeze pizza sauce. It will depend largely on how much you want to freeze at a time and the container you have.
Freezing Pizza Sauce in a Jar
If you bought pizza sauce at the store, it will usually come in a jar. It’s already prepped with ingredients and ready to be used to make pizza. If you’re not ready to use it and need to store it, you can do so.
However, placing the unopened jar of pizza sauce into the freezer is not recommended. You’ll need to remove some of the sauce first before storing it in the freezer.
Since it contains liquid, the pizza sauce will expand when it freezes. If the jar is full of sauce, it could break or explode in the freezer. The result will be a lot of mess in the freezer to clean up.
To freeze a jar of pizza sauce, do the following:
- Remove the cover of the pizza sauce jar.
- Scoop or pour some of the sauce out from the jar. Leave about half an inch of space at the top for the sauce to expand when frozen.
- With a cling wrapper, cover the top of the jar. This will help prevent moisture and air from leaking into the jar.
- Seal the lid on the jar tightly.
- Place the jar of pizza sauce into a freezer bag.
- Squeeze the bag to remove any excess air and seal the bag tightly.
- Label the bag with the date of freezing.
- Place the jar of pizza sauce into the freezer.
Freezing Pizza Sauce In Plastic Freezer Bags
This method is for those who don’t want to use a jar to freeze pizza sauce or prefer to portion it out into smaller servings. If that’s the cause, you can freeze pizza sauce using freezer bags.
Using a freezer bag will allow you to control how much of the pizza sauce to be frozen. Since freezer bags come in many different sizes, you’ll want to use the one that’s right for the amount you want to freeze. It’s always a good idea to use smaller bags so then you won’t have to deal with any leftover pizza sauce.
Follow the steps below to freeze pizza sauce in freezer bags:
- Portion out the pizza sauce into the freezer bags.
- Leave about an inch of space at the top of the bag. This will allow the sauce to expand when it’s frozen.
- Holding the bag upright, try to squeeze out as much air as you can from the bag and seal it tight.
- Label the bag with the freezer date.
- Place the bag of pizza sauce into the freeze laying it flat.
If you have a lot of pizza sauce, to save space, you can stack them upon each other. First, make sure the pizza sauce is completely frozen.
Freezing Pizza Sauce In Ice Cube Trays
If you just need to freeze a small portion of pizza sauce, this is another great method. For small portions, you can freeze them in ice cube trays.
This method is perfect when you only need a small amount of pizza at a time. Also, it will prevent any leftover sauce since it’s packaged in a small amount.
Below are steps to freeze pizza sauce in ice cube trays:
- Start by cleaning the ice cube tray.
- Pour the pizza sauce into the slots of the tray. Pour it about halfway full. The sauce will expand when it freezes so you’ll want to give it some room.
- Using a cling wrapper, cover the entire tray with it.
- Place the tray into the freezer for 2-3 hours or until the sauce is completely frozen.
- Once it’s frozen, remove it from the freezer.
- Immediately transfer the pizza sauce cubes into an airtight container or freezer bag.
- If using a freezer bag, press on the bag to remove excess air before sealing it.
- For an airtight container, make sure there are no leaks in the lid. Then seal it tight.
- Label the container with the date of freezing and place it back into the freezer.
Can You Freeze Homemade Pizza Sauce?
Yes, you can freeze homemade pizza sauce. Some people enjoy making pizza sauce at home. This gives you a chance to add the ingredients you want to suit your tastes.
Also, this is a great way to save money on pizza sauce, especially if you’re planning to make a lot of sauces.
When making homemade pizza sauce, you’ll need to be carefully preparing it. This will ensure that the pizza sauce will stay fresh and safe in the freezer.
Below are tips for prepping and freezing homemade sauce:
- Once the pizza sauce is cooked, allow it to cool down at room temperature before freezing. If you need to cool them down faster, you can place the pan of pizza sauce in an ice bath.
- Avoid leaving the sauce longer than 2 hours at room temperature to prevent bacteria growth. For best practice, you should immediately store the pizza sauce once it’s cooled down.
- Homemade pizza sauce can be frozen in mason jars, ice cube trays, or freezer bags. This will depend on how much you’re planning to freeze.
How Long Can You Freeze Pizza Sauce?
If the pizza sauce is store properly, it can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months. The sauce needs to be kept frozen at a constant temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. If the temperature fluctuates a lot, it will not last very long.
If you have pizza sauce that is stored longer than 3 months, the sauce will still be safe to consume. However, the quality of it will deteriorate and it will not taste as when it was fresh.
How Do You Defrost Pizza Sauce?
The recommended method to thawing frozen pizza sauce is to leave it in the fridge overnight. This is the safest way as it limits the chance of bacteria contaminating it.
Bacteria thrive at warm temperatures so you should never thaw pizza sauce at room temperature.
If you freeze pizza sauce in an ice cube tray, there’s no need to thaw them in the fridge. Simply pop out as many cubes of sauce you need and place them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to defrost.
Can You Refreeze Pizza Sauce?
While you can refreeze pizza sauce, it’s generally not a good idea to do so. Once the pizza sauce has thawed completely, it will lose some of its texture and flavor.
By freezing it again, the texture of the pizza sauce will deteriorate even more. The sauce will freeze just fine, but the problem will be when it thaw. As it thaws, the pizza sauce will have no flavor and it will not taste very good.
Related Questions
Can you freeze Boboli pizza sauce?
Yes, you can freeze Boboli pizza sauce and it freezes quite well. Usually, the sauce will come in packets. Since the packet isn’t designed for storage in the freezer, you should use a freezer approved storage container instead.
Can you freeze white pizza sauce?
Yes, you can freeze white pizza sauce and they freeze very well too. They can either be frozen in mason jars, freezer bags, or ice cube trays. If it’s properly stored, white pizza sauce can last for up to 6 months. However, for the best result, you should try to use it within 4 months.