Can I freeze or store uncooked homemade wheat pasta?

15 years ago

I normally post on the appliance or KT forums but I thought I'd ask the experts here for help. My husband came home early today and decided to make chicken soup and home made whole wheat noodles. We have way too much pasta for tonight (or tomorrow for that matter). I know it will keep for 4 or 5 days in the refrigerator.

My husband thought he could cook it, cool it quickly and then freeze it in a little chicken broth. We were both worried that it might get soggy that way.

Can anyone recommend a better way to store it for longer periods?

Thanks,

mcmann

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Comments (9)

User
15 years ago
When I have extra pasta I let it dry overnight and then store in plastic storage bags or air tight containers.

Pasta does not keep well stored in liquid. It absorbs all the liquid and just gets fat and globby. Best to store dry.
lindac
15 years ago
I would not dry it....but just freeze it fresh....not in a "blob" but sort of sapread out so you could drop it frozen into boiling water.
But I have frozen cooked pasta, but not in liquid....then just drop into boiling water to thaw and quickly remove.
Linda C
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I generally use one part semolina to two parts regular flour. If made with only regular flour, it is too soft for me. Here's my recipe: Ingredients: 1/2 cup semolina flour 1 cup unbleached white flour, plus more for kneading 2 eggs 1/4 tsp salt Directions: Make the dough by combining all ingredients in a large food processor. Process until the dough forms a ball and rolls around without sticking to the sides. You may have to add small increments of flour to get to this point. If you have too much flour, you can add a few drops of water, but you will not want the dough too dry at this point. Remove the dough from the processor and knead with more flour until the dough is elastic and not sticky. Knead the dough by folding it over in half after it has been very lightly dusted with flour. Then flatten the dough and repeat folding over and flattening until it is the correct consistency. It is better to be slightly too wet than too dry, as flour can be added when you are putting it through the pasta machine. Allow the dough to rest for one hour, covered. This time is required for the moisture to be absorbed fully into the flour. Next, cut the dough into pieces making approximately 2" diameter balls and roll one piece out with a rolling pin so that it will be in a flat shape for the machine. Keep the rest of the dough covered until you are ready for it. When the dough piece is flat enough, put it through the machine at the first setting (#1) and then fold it into thirds and roll it through again at the same setting. This makes the dough into a more rectangular shape and gives it straight sides. Folding it over also allows you to get a tiny bit more flour into the dough. As you continue rolling the dough, sprinkle it with flour (I use a flour shaker.) to prevent it from sticking to the rollers. Excess flour can be dusted off but does not really hurt, since you will not be folding the dough again. When you have rolled out the dough, place the strips on a broom handle (or similar object) to dry for about an hour. Now it is ready to be cut into shapes. If you are making ravioli, there is no need to hang the strips to dry. I have tried making it with a bit of olive oil added to the dough, but the dough falls apart for me when I do that. Lars
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grainlady_ks
15 years ago
I normally dry homemade noodles or pasta in the dehydrator and store in a canning jar vacuum-sealed with a FoodSaver.

How to: Spread in a thin (single) layer over trays and dry at 145Â°F (65Â°C) until crisp, stirring occasionally. Noodles will dry in 4-6 hours.

You can also dry them in your oven in a thin layer on cookie sheets. 150Â°F (65Â°C) until crisp, stirring occasionally.

-Grainlady
mcmann
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you for the suggestions. I knew this forum would have answers.

I didn't even think of my Food Saver - I usually use it for solid items like steaks or individual portions of casseroles that I've already frozen. But I did buy a few canisters to keep crackers in - after the noodles dry I could vacuum seal some in one of those.

And I'll also try drying some and then freezing them too.

Thank you all again.

mcmann
BackGarden
11 years ago
Did this work when you attempted to vacuum seal them with your food saver?
grainlady_ks
11 years ago
BackGarden-

I make large batches of (egg-free) sourdough noodles AND dehydrate them --- then vacuum-seal them in jars using my FoodSaver and the jar attachment. You wouldn't want to vacuum-seal them in the bags or they would be crushed. Using this method I only have to make the mess in the kitchen a couple times a year and always have dried noodles in the pantry.

Something I should have mentioned in the post above from 4 years ago -- if your recipe includes egg/s and you are going to dehydrate them, you MUST use a pasteurized egg product such as Egg Beaters, commercially pasteurized eggs, or pasteurize your own whole in-shell eggs before using them in the dough destined for dehydrating as a food safety issue.

To pasteurize eggs:
Place room temperature eggs in a pan of water. Bring the water temperature to 140-degrees F and maintain the temperature for 3-1/2 minutes. This is enough to kill bacteria, but not "cook" the egg.

I also think egg-less noodles store better than those with eggs or egg yolks in them. Both homemade or commercial.

-Grainlady
dgkritch
11 years ago
grainlady, would you share your recipe for eggless noodles?
I'd like to grind my own wheat and make pasta.

Also, could I make egg noodles, air dry overnight, then freeze without the pasturization? Seems like it would be fine....if frozen within 12-18 hours.

Thanks,
Deanna
grainlady_ks
11 years ago
EGGLESS SOURDOUGH PASTA

(makes 2-3 servings)

1 c. freshly-milled durum wheat flour (or other whole grain flour of choice - including spelt, kamut, einkorn, etc.)
1/8 t. salt
2 t. coconut oil or lard
1/4 c. active sourdough starter
water or whey (I use whey from homemade kefir)

Mix flour and salt. Cut in fat with a pastry blender or fork (Helpful Hint: If you are making a large batch, it is easier and faster to use an electric hand-held mixer to blend in the fat). Add the starter and enough other liquid to make a stiff dough. Knead for a few minutes. Wrap in a sheet of parchment paper and set aside at room temperature for 8-24 hours to ferment (this is a traditional method for making pasta/noodle dough that has been all but forgotten). When ready, knead the dough while in the paper a bit and then roll out. Cut or extrude. You can now use it immediately or dry it on a pasta drying rack to cook later. For longer storage you can dehydrate it until completely dry. The link below gives information about how to freeze whole wheat pasta.

FYI: The preferred grain to use for pasta and noodles is durum wheat (which is the type of wheat noted on most commercial pasta). Use durum flour for making noodles and a coarser grind similar to semolina for making pasta - especially if you are extruding pasta shapes. Semolina is a coarse grind of durum wheat which has the bran and germ removed, so you are essentially milling a wholegrain version. If you have a Nutrimill, use the coarse setting used for cornmeal to make a grind similar to semolina.

Durum wheat has a high protein content, but it is higher in the protein gliadin than glutenin (these are proteins from the gluten group we often reference as "gluten"). Bread flour is higher in glutenins for that elastic quality that allows bread dough to expand and lower amounts of gliadins. Gliadins contribute to the viscosity and extensibility and are important in pasta and are in higher amounts in durum wheat.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Freeze Whole-Wheat Pasta
dgkritch
11 years ago
Thank you!!

I would normally use eggs from my chickens, but you never know when you might want to make something different!

Deanna

Can I freeze or store uncooked homemade wheat pasta?

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Can I freeze or store uncooked homemade wheat pasta?

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