Meringue comes out of the freezer soft, tough, rubbery and spongy, according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation at the University of Georgia. It heads a list of six holiday baking items drawn from that organization’s chart of foods that do not freeze well.
November is when many kitchens start baking ahead, and the freezer is the usual tool. Plenty of holiday baking does hold up there, which is why the six exceptions are worth knowing before a tray goes in. The list below follows the National Center’s guidance, checked against freezer charts from Illinois Extension and Penn State Extension.
1. Meringue
The National Center lists meringue, which is used in desserts, among the foods that turn soft, tough, rubbery and spongy after freezing. The chart gives desserts as the usual use for it.
Wikipedia explains that the key to a good meringue is forming stiff peaks by denaturing the protein ovalbumin in the egg whites through mechanical shear. Freezing, by the National Center’s account, undoes the airy texture that work creates. Wikipedia lists baked Alaska, key lime pie, lemon meringue pie, macarons and pavlova among the desserts built on meringue, so the warning reaches well beyond a single recipe. Frenz Hub has a post titled “Free Up the Oven This Thanksgiving: COSORI vs Ninja Air Fryer vs Ninja Flip Toaster Oven.”
2. Icings Made From Egg Whites
Icings made from egg whites, the kind spread on cakes and cookies, turn frothy and weep after freezing, according to the National Center. The list names cakes and cookies as the usual uses.
That makes a decorated cookie a poor candidate for the freezer if the icing is egg-white based. A craftingyourhome.com list titled 10 Christmas Cookies Families Bake Every December shows how many cookie traditions the season brings. Illinois Extension’s chart, for comparison, lists frosted baked cake at just 1 month in the freezer.
3. Cream or Custard Fillings
Cream or custard fillings in pies and baked goods separate, turn watery and become lumpy after freezing, the National Center says. Wikipedia defines custard as a culinary preparation based on sweetened milk, cheese or cream cooked with egg or egg yolk to thicken it, and notes that crème pâtissière is a key ingredient in many French desserts, including mille-feuille and filled tarts, and is sometimes used in Boston cream pie.
Illinois Extension’s chart does list cream pies and pastries at 3 months for top quality, so the extension sources do not agree on every dessert. The National Center’s warning is specifically about the filling itself.
4. Cheese or Crumb Toppings
Cheese or crumb toppings, the kind that finish a baked casserole, turn soggy after freezing, according to the National Center. The chart gives casseroles as the usual place for them. The casserole underneath is not what the chart flags; the topping is, since it is the part that relies on a dry, crisp texture.
Toppings are a matter of texture, and the same chart flags other texture casualties, from cream fillings that go lumpy to icing that weeps. Frenz Hub has a post titled “Best Practices for Seasonal Storage.”
5. Gelatin Desserts
Gelatin, used in salads or desserts, weeps after freezing, the National Center says. A gelatin dessert that is made ahead is better kept in the refrigerator than the freezer.
Fruit jelly used in sandwiches is on the same list for a different reason, since it may soak the bread. Next to it on the National Center’s list, fried foods, with the exception of French fried potatoes and onion rings, lose their crispness and turn soggy, which covers anything crisp that comes out of a fryer.
6. Cloves and Imitation Vanilla
Seasonings change in the freezer, and the National Center says pepper, cloves, garlic, green pepper, imitation vanilla and some herbs tend to get strong and bitter. Cloves and vanilla are staples of holiday baking, which makes the warning relevant to batters and doughs.
The same list says onion and paprika change flavor during freezing, celery seasonings become stronger, curry develops a musty off-flavor, and salt loses flavor. The advice is to season lightly before freezing and add more when reheating or serving. For foods that suit the freezer better, Frenz Hub has a post titled “How to Freeze Fresh Green Beans to Enjoy All Year.”
What Holds Up Better
Illinois Extension’s chart shows plenty of baking that freezes well. Cookies baked at home keep 8 to 12 months for top quality, fruit cake 6 to 12 months and angel food cake 6 to 12 months, while baked quick bread and muffins keep 2 to 3 months. Unfrosted baked cake keeps 2 to 4 months, frosted cake 1 month and cookie dough 3 months. Baked fruit pies and pastries keep 1 to 2 months, unbaked ones 2 to 4 months, and baked yeast bread and rolls 2 to 3 months, while unbaked yeast dough keeps 1 month and cake batter 1 month.
Penn State’s list adds practical freezer habits: seal foods tightly to keep air out, write the date and the name of the food on the package, and cool foods in the refrigerator before freezing to reduce ice crystals. Illinois Extension also notes that freezing does not refresh baked goods, because it can only maintain whatever quality the food had beforehand. A craftingyourhome.com list titled 9 Pies That Show Up on Thanksgiving Tables Across America rounds out the holiday baking picture.
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: claralieu – CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons
