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Can You Freeze Scrapple? -The Best Way!

can you freeze scrapple
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Scrapple is a must-try for people who consider themselves pork lovers.

It originated in the Mid-Atlantic States and became a traditional rural food, which could have easily been brushed under the rug, but it came out quite delicious.

Scrapple is usually criticized or appreciated being a breakfast food.

Some restaurants and diners find Scrapple unpleasant due to the origin and texture of it.

On the other hand, many people just simply can’t live without it!

They have scrapple everyday as a breakfast food.

Are you one of them and looking for ways to keep it stored?

Don’t worry because you can freeze scrapple quite easily or refrigerate it.

Let’s get to know here how to freeze and store scrapple in a right way.

What is Scrapple? What is Scrapple Made of?

Taylor Pork Roll and Habbersett Scrapple (8 Pack)

 

Because of its Pennsylvanian and Dutch origins, Pannhaas or “Pan Rabbit” are other names for scrapple, which is a simple pork mush of trimmings and scraps.

Traditionally, people left the scraps and trimmings unused and threw them to waste after butchering pork.

These scraps were then combined with flour, mostly buckwheat flour, cornmeal, and certain spices to form a mush.

This mush was then converted to a semi-solid loaf and cut into slices. The slices are fried on a pan to be served.

Scrapple is the most popular in the Mid-Atlantic states like Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, etc. Along with Pennsylvanians, Dutch, Mennonites and Amish people also consider Scrapple as a popular ethnic food.

It can easily be found in these regions and you can get them fresh or in the form of frozen slices.

The scraps and trimmings usually include the offal of the hog; head, heart, liver, etc. These remnants are brought to boil with the bones attached.

Once they are cooked, bones and fat are removed and the meat is stored.

Next to make mush, cornmeal is also boiled and the chopped meat is added to this mush.

Different spices like black pepper, sage, thyme, etc. are added to the mixture.

The mush is then allowed to cool and then sliced. The spices vary from cook to cook according to their taste.

Get to know, the best way to keep pulled pork warm and moist?

How Long Can You Keep Scrapple in the Refrigerator?

Readymade, fresh slices of scrapple can be kept in a refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

If you bought ground pork, do not keep it in the refrigerator for more than 2 days.

If you want your pork to stay fresh before using it for about 3 days, you need to wrap it well and place it in the freezer.

Scrapple needs to be eaten within an hour or two after being cooked, just like sausages.

If there is remaining scrapple, you need to wrap it and then freeze it, you can preserve it for like 4-5 days.

Can You Freeze Uncooked Scrapple? How to Freeze it?

Freezing scrapple is easy, you just need to wrap it well and place it in the freezer compartment, as a whole, or in the form of slices.

Freezing scrapple not only allows it to be used later and stay preserved for longer but also helps in slicing and cooking.

Thawing the scrapple may cause it to breakdown and fall apart, a little bit of frozen and hardened scrapple would be good to make as it would result in a firmer breakfast to eat when you cook it evenly on both sides.

Follow these steps to help keep your pork fresh in the freezer:

  1. Use a freezer paper or other wrapping material to wrap the meat in. keep the waxed side of the paper against the scrapple. Aluminum foil can also be used.
  2. Organize your pork properly. Wrap paper on the whole roasting portion. If you made patties place a layer of waxed wrapping between each patty and stack them, you can do the same if you made chops.
  3. Bones might tear the paper because of their sharp edges, use extra wrapping paper on bones.
  4. The more air you can keep out of the meat the better, try to wrap the paper tightly to keep out as much air as possible.
  5. Label the meat with the type and add the date so you know when it is best to be used before.
  6. Place the meat at a temperature of 0° F or lower.

Can You Freeze Cooked Scrapple? Steps to freeze It

Scrapple can be placed simply into the freezer wrapped in a freezing paper after it has been cooked, but it is better to not store it after it has been cooked.

Scrapple is like sausages it will get soggy and lose its taste if left for long after cooking.

Try to take out the scrapple that can be finished after cooking.

Frozen cooked scrapple might not taste as good as uncooked frozen scrapple, it will not be as juicy and tasty.

There are ways to store cooked scrapple.

  1. You need to get high-quality freezer wrapping papers, these papers will keep scrapple as fresh as possible.
  2. Wrap the whole scrapple in the paper, squeeze out as much air as possible by wrapping tightly. The less air the longer it can be preserved.
  3. Place in the freezer and try not to stuff it in a congested place as it might cause leakage.
  4. Try not to keep cooked Scrapple in a freezer for more than 2 days.
  5. The temperature of the freezer should be at 0°F or lower for better preservation of scrapple.

How Do You Thaw Frozen Scrapple?

Some people prefer their Scrapple thawed before cooking it.

If you like it fully thawed don’t just place it on the counter, try to keep the slices in the fridge from the freezer overnight.

If you leave the scrapple on the counter directly out of the freezer to thaw, the Scrapple will start to melt and become mushy as it is already cooked.

Moreover, if you thaw it directly and cook it, the contents of Scrapple will start to break off and it would be very difficult to slice it without breaking it off, making it impossible to serve it whole.

How to keep ribs warm? Get to know here.

Can You Refreeze Scrapple?

As discussed above you need to thaw the Scrapple kept in the freezer, before cooking it.

If you thawed it but decided not to cook it, don’t worry you can refreeze the scrapple regardless of it being cooked or not.

Refreezing will make the scrapple drier than before due to thawing and heating for the second time, but the taste will remain the same.

One thing which needs to be kept in mind is that if you had left the Scrapple out for a significant time, do not refreeze it for using it later, it is better to discard the meat.

It is not recommended to refreeze or use meat that has been left out for more than 2 hours.

If you live in a hot area do not use the meat that was out for more than 1 hour.

These points are also included in the guidelines of the Department of Agriculture. If your scrapple was left out for more than 2 hours do not use it at all.

You might find it hard to throw the food away, but it is a lot better than having food poisoning.

Does Scrapple Go Bad?

If your scrapple is frozen, you have nothing to worry about for a few days.

It won’t go bad and will stay preserved for about 5 days.

Once it has been cooked, it needs to be consumed within a couple of hours or else it will become soggy and not eatable, just like sausages.

Do check the expiry date on the scrapple package before using it.

If there is no expiration date mentioned you can judge by the color of the meat, whether it is good to use or not.

The color of your scrapple is gray and smells normal, it is good to be cooked and eaten.

If the color is dull gray, it is not normal for scrapple, which means it is suggested not to use the meat then.

It may be dull due to pork bits present in it, but if the smell is stingy and pungent it should not be cooked.

Final Thoughts

Scrapple is not favored by many people as they find it unappetizing, but for Mid-Atlantic states, it is one of the favorite foods.

It is easily available throughout this area and can be purchased easily, fresh or frozen.

Scrapple can break away if not thawed properly or frozen too much.

You can slice it, make patties or chops if steps mentioned above are properly followed and the result would be a delicious meal.

Always remember to check for the expiration date and the meat, whether it is good to cook.

 

Sources:

https://www.eater.com/2015/9/1/9211867/scrapple-goetta-livermush-what-is-it

https://www.loavesanddishes.net/how-to-cook-scrapple/

https://www.mashed.com/188894/what-is-scrapple-actually-made-out-of/

 

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