How to Freeze Pierogi? (With This Guide, it’s So Easy!)
Making a small batch of pierogi from scratch is hardly worth the time required. It’s better to mass-produce them with some help from family and friends, over the course of a few convivial hours. Yes, it’s a big job, but as they say: ‘many hands make light work’. And nothing bonds better than cooking together.
Luckily, pierogi are freezer-friendly. Here’s the guide on how to freeze pierogi, so that they’re delicious every time you defrost them.
Can you freeze pierogi dough?
Yes, you can. If you have some dough left over and you’re out of filling, it’s best to freeze it.
Form the dough into a ball and roll it tightly with a cling film. Label it with the date and place in the freezer.
To defrost, take it out the day before and leave it in the fridge overnight to thaw slowly. If the dough gets too sticky to handle, just sprinkle it with more flour and knead.
If you’re planning on making the dough with an intention to freeze it – it’s not worth it. Making pierogi dough takes literally 10 minutes, it’s better to make it fresh. Also, once dough was frozen once before, it shouldn’t be frozen again.
Can you freeze pierogi filling
Yes, you can freeze most types of the pierogi fillings. Just place it in a container, cover with a lid and stick a label on top (so you remember what’s inside and when did you freeze it).
When you want to use it again, simply allow it to thaw at room temperature.
Note: I wouldn’t recommend freezing fillings predominantly based on Twaróg (such as Sweet Cheese Pierogi or Kuyavian Pierogi). Once defrosted, the texture changes – the mass gets hard, lumpy, sometimes even watery.
But you can reuse a leftover twaróg-based filling in another dish, for example Naleśniki (Polish-style crêpes) or Krokiety (Polish-style croquettes).
Can you freeze raw pierogi
Yes, you can freeze raw pierogi. But if you blanch them in boiling water first, they’re less likely to crack. Avoid freezing raw pierogi with raw meat, they can be tricky to reheat.
Step 1
Assemble all pierogi and line them up, ready to go. Fill a decent-sized pan with water, cover with a lid, set on a medium heat. While waiting for the water to boil, prepare some trays: it could be a plastic cutting board, a cookie sheet, or even a piece of cardboard lined with some cling film. Just make sure it’s small enough to fit into your freezer. Grease the tray with some oil.
Step 2
Once the water is boiling, drop in a few dumplings at the time, for 30 seconds. Remove them carefully with a slotted spoon. Repeat until there’s no pierogi left.
Step 3
Spread blanched pierogi onto a tray and wait for them to cool completely. Next, place them in a freezer for 2 hours. After that time you can move them into a freezer-friendly bag. Remember to label it with today’s date. They can be stored for up to 3 months.
Step 4
Once you’re ready to eat pierogi again, drop them into a pot of boiling salted water. Once they start to float, add half a glass of cold water. When the water starts to boil again, remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon.
And that’s it! They’re ready to eat: top them with something nice (butter always works best in my humble opinion).
Do you prefer a crispier texture? Fry, bake or grill them next – there’s more about that in this post on how to cook pierogi.
Can you freeze cooked pierogi?
Yes, you can freeze cooked pierogi, that’s a good way to save leftover dumplings for later.
But if you’re making pierogi with an intention to freeze them – don’t cook them fully, just blanch them for 30 seconds in boiling water. I’ve outlined this process above.
For detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
How to Freeze Pierogi?
You can freeze pierogi raw or cooked, but there’s a better way - blanch them instead. That way they’re less likely to crack and fall apart while reheating.
Ingredients
- Assembled pierogi
Instructions
- First, make some homemade pierogi!
- Once all the pierogi are assembled, line them up. Find a tray that would fit into your freezer and grease it with some oil.
- In a large pot, bring water into a boil. Once boiling, drop a few pierogi in and cook for 30 seconds. Then remove them with a slotted spoon and place onto a tray. Make sure that pierogi are not touching. Continue blanching until you’re out of dumplings.
- Wait for pierogi to cool. Place them in the freezer. After 2 hours you can move them into a freezer-friendly bag. Label it with the product’s description and today’s date. Store for up to 3 months.
- To reheat frozen pierogi, bring a large pot into a boil. Drop some dumplings in and wait for them to float. Once floating, reduce the heat slightly and add half a glass of cold water. Cook until the water starts boiling again.
- Remove pierogi from the pot one by one with a slotted spoon. Serve immediately with a touch of butter and toppings of your choice. you can crisp them up by frying, baking or grilling (more about it in the post on how to cook pierogi)
