How to store and freeze béchamel or white sauce (2024)

FAQs

How to store and freeze béchamel or white sauce? ›

CAN I FREEZE white bechamel sauce? Yes! Bechamel sauce freezes well, maintaining the same velvety texture when thawed and reheated. Transfer the sauce to a freezer-safe container or ziptop bag, leaving room for expansion, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Béchamel, a cream sauce bound by a roux of flour and butter, holds up well in the freezer, maintaining the same gooey, melty texture that the freezer too often destroys in other dairy. It's pivotal for casseroles, such as lasagna or the green bean dish that falls on so many Thanksgiving menus.

Storage Tips:

Store the béchamel sauce in an airtight container, such as a quart container, with a splash of milk on the surface to prevent a skin from forming on top (alternatively, use plastic wrap or parchment paper to cover, pressed down directly onto the sauce). Chill for up to 3 days. Or freeze for 1 month.

Refrigerate for up to 3 days. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days in advance. Reheat it in a saucepan over low heat, adding milk if needed to loosen it to a pouring consistency.

"You can freeze any unused sauce in an airtight container. Use it within six months for the best quality experience," says Birmingham.

The term “white sauce” is a more general term that is sometimes used to refer to any white-coloured sauce, while “béchamel sauce” specifically refers to the white sauce made from a roux and milk. However, the two terms are often used interchangeably. In most cases, they refer to the same sauce.

To defrost béchamel sauce, place in the fridge overnight. The thawed sauce will look watery and split. Whisk over low heat in a saucepan to return to its original consistency. Use immediately.

Make Ahead and Storage

This béchamel sauce is best used fresh, but it can be made one day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Go easy on the heat

You also run the risk of the sauce curdling or splitting, which happens when the proteins separate from the milk to form curds. For best results, cook the roux over a low heat and increase to medium when adding the milk.

What is the basic formula of béchamel sauce? ›

The basic ratio for a classic béchamel is 3 ounces of fat (butter, ghee, coconut oil) to 3 ounces of all-purpose flour for the roux. This ratio of roux will thicken up to a quart of milk, but you can use less milk for a thicker sauce, as we do below.

The five mother sauces are hollandaise, tomato (sauce tomat), bechamel, Espagnole, and veloute. French chef Auguste Escoffier identified the five mother sauces, forever associating them with French cuisine.

CAN I FREEZE white bechamel sauce? Yes! Bechamel sauce freezes well, maintaining the same velvety texture when thawed and reheated. Transfer the sauce to a freezer-safe container or ziptop bag, leaving room for expansion, and freeze for up to 3 months.

What's the quickest way to thaw it? : Empty the container of frozen sauce into a covered pan on low heat, and continuously break apart as it softens until completely thawed.

You can! Just make sure to cool the spaghetti completely before freezing, transfer properly in an airtight container or freezer bag, and label it with the date. Can you freeze cooked pasta with sauce? You can, but if possible, it is best to freeze the sauce and pasta separately for best texture.

Make Ahead and Storage

This béchamel sauce is best used fresh, but it can be made one day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Sauces or Gravies

If they've been thickened with a starch like cornstarch, Deutsch says, they may end up watery. Freezing weakens the bond between the starch and any moisture it absorbs, making your sauces and gravies much thinner.

Go easy on the heat

You also run the risk of the sauce curdling or splitting, which happens when the proteins separate from the milk to form curds. For best results, cook the roux over a low heat and increase to medium when adding the milk.