freezing pasta

Discussion in 'Back to Basics' started by jreb357, Feb 21, 2012.


  1. jreb357

    jreb357 Monkey+

    I bought 100 lb of pasta last Sunday to store in mylar bags and buckets. I am concerned that when I remove it from the freezer to put into the mylar bags, moisture from condensation will make it soggy and eventually ruin it. Do you think this will be a problem?

    jreb357
     
  2. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

    More info required.

    Was the pasta cooked or dry??? If dry....am not sure why you would have frozen it, but....allow the pasta to dry out completely before bagging or bucketing...

    It helps to know what kind of pasta we are dealing with here....if it is pasta that is filled with meat or spinach and ricotta...you are probably better off just defrosting it a chunk at a time and consuming straight away. Refreezing already cooked pasta that has been defrosted, is probably not going to be a vary good thing to do.
     
  3. weegrannymush

    weegrannymush Monkey+

    jreb...I am a bit confused....you mean you bought pasta just this weekend but put it in the freezer? Was this DRY uncooked pasta or was it the pasta meals that you can buy? I don't know why you would want to freeze the dry uncooked pasta at all since it keeps for a long time in its dry state but if you have frozen it, I think you probably will find that you might have the problem of moisture.....you could try an experimental sample first?

    As for the cooked prepared pasta, if that is what you froze, you are up the creek as it would be perishable when it thawed.

    I have cartons of dry pasta stored all around the house and which I bought a year and a half ago.....it is all still perfectly good in its original packaging. I had intended to use it up and not really store it but I was over-eager and didn't think about the fact that we don't actually eat a whole lot of the stuff, lol, however, I have given quite a lot away and we are gradually using it up. I found it to be a bit too bulky for storing large quantities.

    If I have misunderstood your problem, I apologize....maybe someone else will have a clearer understanding about it all!
     
  4. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

  5. weegrannymush

    weegrannymush Monkey+

    Lol! I was thinking....two minds with but a single thought!!! But I prefer your line....great minds sounds good.
     
  6. jreb357

    jreb357 Monkey+

    The purpose of freezing dry uncooked pasta (rice and beans as well) is to kill insect larvae that can hatch out later and ruin the food. Letting the food resume room temperature before sealing in the mylar bags should solve the problem of condensation. I just thought I would ask for opinions on the subject.

    jreb357
     
    Tracy likes this.
  7. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

    You can kill insects, larvae and eggs by heat as well

    I thought that that might have been the case...but one can't make assumptions on incomplete data. The same ojective of killing eggs and lavae may possibly be achieved by spreading the pasta on a tray and heating the pasta in an electric or gas oven set at a low temperature for a while....you may have to do some internenet research to find the optimal temperature for killing bugs but not affecting the keeping qualities of the pasta. Allow heated pasta to cool to ambient temperature before bagging.
     
  8. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker

    package the pasta first then freeze and you won't have this issue... YMMV
     
  9. jreb357

    jreb357 Monkey+


    Thank you for your help. Sometimes it is hard to get a sane rational reply. (LOL)
     
  10. Seawolf1090

    Seawolf1090 Retired Curmudgeonly IT Monkey Founding Member

    On the other hand, flooding with an inert gas (CO2 or Nitrogen) or using Oxygen Absorbers in the sealed bag or can, will itself kill the larvae.
     
  11. Tracy

    Tracy Insatiably Curious Moderator Founding Member

    ...But (if you're like me) you never want to take a chance where bugs are concerned!
     
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