Meringues can be made easily. Sweet treats like these can be used to decorate cakes, cupcakes, and other desserts as well.
Sometimes you make too many meringues though, thanks to too many egg whites.
Can you freeze meringue? Yes, Meringue can be frozen. All types of meringue can be frozen, whether they require cooking or not. When you keep meringues away from excessive moisture, you can extend their shelf life for several months.
Using this guide, you can freeze meringue. In this article, we will cover the basics of freezing meringue cookies as well as popular cake desserts.
Check out the following articles for tips on how to freeze meringue as well as a step-by-step guide.
What Is the Best Way to Store Meringue?
Egg whites and sugar are traditionally combined with a light acid, like lemon juice, to form meringue.
Depending on the variation of meringues you make, the mixture of whipped egg whites is then baked or used as is.
Many baked goods and desserts are topped with meringue. Sometimes it can even consist wholly of meringue.
There are many kinds of meringue, even if you are just a little into baking. Among the most commonly baked varieties is French meringue.
These meringues are best kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
Meringues will be protected from moisture in an airtight container, keeping them soft and airy on the inside and crunchy on the outside.
Meringues will keep for 2 to 3 weeks if they are stored in an area of the kitchen without heat sources or direct sunlight.
Can You Freeze Meringue?
When you bake meringues in multiple batches and aren’t certain if you can eat all of them within a couple of weeks, freeze them.
Using the correct freezing method, freezing works well for meringues.
If you keep frozen meringues in the refrigerator, you can take them out whenever you need them for decorations or preparation of desserts as well as snack on them as is.
Can You Freeze Meringue Cookies?
A meringue cookie is simply a baked French meringue. In the case of leftover meringue cookies, it is advised to freeze them in the same manner as meringues.
How to Freeze Meringue
If you baked more meringues than you would be able to consume in a few days, you can freeze them.
In order for baked meringues to stay crispy and not break, it is essential to freeze them carefully.
Following are instructions on freezing the most common meringue type, called French Meringue or baked meringue.
- In the case of freshly baked meringues, let them cool. Putting the warm meringues, uncovered, in the fridge will accelerate the process.
- Be sure your container has a tight-fitting lid. Take into account how many meringues you wish to freeze, as well as their size when choosing a container.
- Add the first layer of meringues to the container.
- A parchment paper layer will be placed over the first layer of meringues. Meringue layers will not stick together if parchment paper has been placed between them.
- The meringues should not be pressed down. Applied pressure to the layers can easily cause Meringue to break.
- A container must be sealed. It is important to keep the lid away from the meringues so they won’t get crushed. The last layer of meringues should always be kept apart from the lid to avoid a mess.
- The meringues should be frozen in a container labeled with the date. Consume within 1 to 3 months of freezing.
How to Defrost Meringue?
If you want to defrost meringue, the rule of thumb is to place it in the refrigerator and gradually thaw it.
Meringue can thaw at room temperature if you are pressed for time to defrost it. If you put the whipped eggs near direct sunlight or heat sources, the process of thawing will be sped up.
The French meringues are sometimes warmed up before eating. Put the meringues in the oven at the same time to defrost and warm them.
As the meringues defrost, it is essential that they do not absorb water, since this will result in softening.
For this reason, you should thaw the meringue on a plate or rack rather than in the container you stored them in.
How Does Freezing Affect Meringue?
A properly frozen and defrosted meringue will not lose its flavor or texture.
In an airtight container or bag, if the meringue is not in contact with moisture, there will be minimal texture changes.
It is easy to resolve the separation problem by mixing the uncooked meringue for a few minutes even if it separates after defrosting.
Unlike freshly baked meringue, you can’t distinguish between defrosted and reheated meringue.
Keep the meringue out of the freezer for only a few months to avoid changes in flavor.
Another important step is for the meringue to be kept in an airtight container, as if it is loosely covered, it will absorb odors from the freezer.
Tips for Freezing Meringue
Here are some tips on how to freeze meringues.
Freeze When It’s Fresh
I always recommend freezing meringue when it is still fresh, regardless of what type of meringue you are freezing.
In the freezer, fresher meringue keeps longer and better than frozen meringue.
Don’t Freeze the Meringues in Bags
If you only have a few leftover meringue cookies in the freezer, you might be tempted to flash-freeze them in a Ziploc bag to save space.
However, the meringues will be crushed by this storage method, even if it is space-efficient. Alternatively, you’ll need to constantly move the bag containing the meringues to the top of all items in your freezer, which will not be practical.
Meringues are always best frozen in separate hard-sided containers.
Freeze Egg Whites
Egg whites are the key ingredient in any sort of meringue. You can therefore freeze egg whites along with freezing meringues.
Meringues can be made by thawing egg whites frozen in the freezer, and whipping them as you normally would for meringues.
Can You Refreeze Meringue?
You should not refreeze meringue.
Baking meringues and refreezing them will result in brittle, overly dry meringues. The consistency of an unbaked meringue will be heavily influenced by refreezing.
Can You Freeze Meringue Before Baking?
You should not freeze French meringue before baking, since the whipped egg white mixture is unstable.
If kept in the freezer, unbaked French meringue will undergo significant changes once it’s defrosted and will likely not work for baking.
Swiss and Italian Meringue – Can You Freeze Them?
Despite using just a few basic ingredients, meringue has a wide variety of styles. All of these meringues consist of egg whites and sugar; however, the techniques used to make them differ.
Meringue comes in two popular varieties: Swiss meringue and Italian meringue.
This article covered another variety of meringue. A stiff peak is what is formed when egg whites are whipped with sugar.
A French meringue must always be baked, while Swiss meringue and Italian meringue do not need to be baked. It is recommended to add French meringue to batters if they are not baked so they will be lighter.
In order to make Swiss meringue, egg whites and sugar are heated to approximately 160 degrees.
Ensure that the sugar is thoroughly incorporated into the mixture by blending it thoroughly. When the egg white and sugar mixture is cooled to room temperature, it is mixed again.
When you see peaks forming in the egg whites, you need to whip them. The main difference between Swiss meringue and French meringue is that you need to add butter pieces piece by piece to the beaten egg whites while whipping.
A silky smooth mixture should result, which is perfect for topping baking items and desserts.
Making Italian meringue requires making hot sugar syrup. Whip egg whites until stiff peaks are required. Add the heated syrup to the mixture after it has cooled to 240 degrees.
It is important to whip the mixture over and over until it reaches room temperature for the perfect Italian meringue.
There are several meringue varieties, but Italian meringue requires no baking. For recipes requiring only torching of the meringue, it is ideal.
Can You Freeze Italian Meringue?
Italian meringue can also be frozen, just like Swiss meringue. Italian meringue leftovers are better stored in the freezer than in the fridge if you have leftovers.
It’s common for meringue to ‘weep’ when stored in the refrigerator. Weeping is the process of meringue releasing water droplets.
Uncooked meringue variations are prone to weeping. If it contains too much moisture, your meringue can also start to ‘weep’ after a few days.
Here are step-by-step instructions for freezing Italian meringue.
- Meringue should be allowed to cool down.
- Make smaller portions of the meringue.
- Fill the bags with the mixture and seal them.
- Freeze the bag after removing the excess air.
- The Italian meringue bags should be put in the freezer.
Can You Freeze Swiss Meringue?
You can leave the Swiss meringue in a cool place away from light and heat for around 2 days. The Swiss meringue will keep for five days in the refrigerator.
Meringue freezes well, but unfortunately, Swiss meringue does not. Frozen like Italian meringue, it can be thawed or frozen. It is possible to freeze Italian and Swiss meringue for 10 months.
Can You Freeze Meringue Frosting?
Egg whites and sugar are whipped into meringue frosting. Making cakes and cupcakes look beautiful and taste better with this fluffy topping is very simple. The question is, what do you do with the leftover meringue frosting? Can it be frozen?
Meringue frosting should not be frozen because it isn’t stable enough to resist freezing and thawing.
It is best to use Meringue frosting fresh from the oven. If meringue frosting is applied to baked goods, they may be stored refrigerated for a couple of days.
Can You Freeze Meringue Roulade?
Finished meringue roulades can be frozen. In addition to chilling it before serving, it is also possible to freeze it. To prevent the roulade from getting soggy, wrap it properly before freezing.
A layer of baking paper or wax should be placed over the roulade. To keep the meringue roulade from getting freezer burns and absorbing odors, wrap it in cling wrap.
Put the roulade into the freezer in an area that won’t crush it after wrapping.
You should let the roulade defrost at room temperature for two hours before serving it.
Can You Freeze a Meringue Pie?
As opposed to meringue roulade, we do not recommend freezing meringue pie.
Lemon meringue pies, which suffer from a relatively high degree of meringue distortion due to freezing and thawing processes, don’t freeze well.
Meringue is inherently unstable due to the egg whites in it. Pies should therefore be frozen apart from their meringue layers.
The meringue layer of store-bought meringue pie should be removed with a knife and only then frozen.
You need only a couple of minutes to make meringue to top defrosted pie. Meringue will transform the dessert, giving it a more vibrant appearance and taste.
Can You Freeze Pavlova with Meringue?
Meringues are widely used to make pavlovas, which are a popular dessert. If you have the components already, assembling it is easy. Pavlova looks exquisite and is the perfect way to end any meal.
The pavlova won’t look as nice after it has been defrosted if it has been frozen fully-assembled.
For quick dessert preparation, freeze the meringue, cream, and berries separately. Once thawed, assemble the dessert separately.
Making the meringues in advance can save you time on the pavlova after you assemble it as the cream does not freeze well.
