Can You Freeze Cornbread?

Can you freeze cornbread? The answer is yes, you can freeze pre-made cornbread to store and eat later. Not only can you freeze cornbread, but there are many reasons that freezing it might be the best option for you. The answer is yes! Not only can you freeze cornbread, but thawing it before serving will allow it to stay fresher for longer.

If you are not planning on eating your cornbread right away and thinking can you freeze cornbread? Homemade or store-bought cornmeal in the freezer to avoid wasting food and money. Some varieties of pre-made cornbread do better than others when frozen; check each package’s label for specific storage instructions.

BENEFITS OF FREEZING CORNBREAD

1. Great tasting food
2. Healthier than frying, baking or cooking it the traditional way
3. It’s fast and easy to prepare foods using freezer bags instead of metal tins or oven trays: simply add in your mixture, solidify in a freezer for around 12 hours and pop it in your toaster later – no mess!
4. You will not have to worry about food going well beyond its sell-by date as it will be frozen for a maximum of three months
5. Although a little more expensive than an ordinary loaf, you can make a packet of mix last longer by doubling up the ingredients and freezing one batch while using the other – saving time and money!
   Freezing cornbread is one of those things that most people do not think to try out. In fact, I personally never even gave it much though until my dad reminded me about this fun trick he tried years ago, but had forgotten all about after moving on to new recipes over the years.
   

Freezing Cornbread – Why?

When you think about it, there are many benefits to freezing cornbread instead of just leaving it in the oven or pan to cool down before taking it off for safekeeping. Sure, you may not want your bread sitting out for this period of time because it will likely get stale much quicker than if you were to freeze it. Even so, I’d recommend trying this method at least once because although there are many benefits, even more, can be achieved when you discover what unlimited possibilities are available due to being able to stock up on freezable.

Can You Freeze Cornbread?

You should not freeze un-fried or un-baked cornbread. Uncooked batter will become clumpy and watery after thawing due to the release of moisture from the ingredients in the recipe. If you do not want to make a full batch of baked cornbread at once, bake your bread in smaller batches instead of baking all of it and then freezing any leftovers.

Freezing Cornbread Muffins

Corn muffins are a great option for freezing because they are easy to thaw and heat, require little planning ahead and have a relatively short shelf life. Cornbread that is baked into muffins will keep well in the freezer for up to six months. Once you are ready to eat your cornbread, simply remove it from the freezer, let it thaw at room temperature, then warm it in an oven or microwave.

Freezing Unbaked Cornmeal

Unbaked store-bought store cornmeal has a shorter shelf life than frozen cornbread or canned corn do due to its lack of preservatives. However, if you want to freeze your own homemade cornmeal mix before baking, make sure your recipe contains enough sugar or salt so that the finished product will not spoil.

Freezing Fried Cornbread

Cornbread that is fried in oil or lard can be frozen, but it will become dry and crumbly after thawing because of its low moisture content. A better option for freezing cornbread with high-fat content is to cook it as you normally would, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap before storing it in the freezer. To reheat your frozen bread, cut off slices and toast them on a baking sheet at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until crispy again. If you prefer to oven bake instead of using a frying pan, place individual pieces on an oven-safe tray and put them into the oven until heated through (about minutes). Remember to increase your oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

DOES CORNBREAD FREEZE WELL?

Cornbread freezes well because it is composed of thick, dense batter that doesn’t have the tendency to form air pockets or large ice crystals. The moisture in cornbread can be absorbed into the pores of other food items also being frozen and thawed, thus distributing the water evenly.
Freezing cornbread takes little time and preparation.

TO FREEZE CORNBREAD: Cornbread may be frozen whole or sliced before freezing. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn or place in a sealed container for best results. To use after freezing, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before unwrapping or slicing if frozen whole.

SUGGESTIONS FOR USE: Thawed cornbread goes great as a side dish at any meal. It also is wonderful in stuffing, bread pudding, muffins (for a quick dessert), dressing, or crumbs. Whole frozen cornbread may be baked for approximately one additional hour at 300° F. to compensate for the moisture loss that occurs when bread thaws and begins to rise.

How To Thaw Frozen Cornbread

Step 1. Remove cornbread from the freezer and place it on a flat surface in your kitchen.
Step 2. Allow thawing for approximately 15 minutes.
(Note: Once the cornbread is partially thawed, you may eat it right away or continue with step 3)
Step 3. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 Celsius).
Step 4. Place cornbread back in the freezer until completely frozen through – approximately 2 hours or longer.
(Note: You may place wrapped cornbread in the refrigerator instead of using the steps mentioned above.)

The reason why this works is that when frozen, moisture inside of the bread forms ice crystals which tear apart bread cells as heat tries to melt them. This damage prevents the bread from holding its original, intended shape even after it’s thawed.

As you let the bread thaw, heat softens the frozen structure of the cells enough so that they swell and fill out their proper spaces again, but gentle enough to not tear apart cell walls. The end result is cornbread with its proper crumb structure – evenly moist throughout, giving off steam as it heats up in your oven.

This method may be used for all kinds of quick bread (i.e., muffins, pumpkin bread), provided that they are wrapped tightly in plastic wrap before being placed back into the freezer for safe storage until you wish to use them again.