I've made too much beef stew, and I'd love to be able to freeze it instead of letting it go bad.
It's a stew with cooked vegetables and chunks of beef.
Will this freeze and defrost well?
(If it matters, I bought the beef frozen, not fresh — but I think the "don't refreeze" guideline is before cooking.)
Best Answer
Yes, you can freeze stew. You may find that the vegetables are a bit softer or broken into smaller pieces after thawing. If you used a thickening agent (flour, cornstarch), it may separate as it thaws in the refrigerator overnight. To remedy that, remove a bit of the liquid, simmer with a bit more thickener and whisk so that it stabilizes. Then, gently stir into the stew as you reheat it.
And, you're correct, 'don't refreeze' applies to the raw meat, not to when it has been cooked.