Can egg noodles be frozen? - Step by Step

Egg noodles are one of those versatile foods that can be used for many things. If you name it, you can probably add egg noodles to it. Egg noodles are a variety of pasta and work pretty much the same.

Whether you’re making homemade beef stroganoff, chicken noodles, tuna casserole, or any other thin pasta dish, they’re a great tool. Also, the egg noodles usually have more flavor than the usual box pasta.

Can egg noodles be frozen?  Yes, you can freeze the egg noodles. Whether they are cooked or uncooked, there are options. They freeze best when not cooked. But don’t worry, they are also well cooked. 

In this guide, we will explain all the details you need to know about how to freeze egg noodles. We’ll cover the information on raw and cooked egg noodles so you’ll have a resource for both.

Read on to learn how to freeze egg noodles, and much more.

Your Guide to Freezing Egg Noodles

You have read in the introduction that egg noodles can be very versatile. There are tons of dishes you can make with egg noodles.

Here are some popular uses for your egg noodles. 

• Stroganoff (chicken, beef or any other meat)
• Noodle soup (Asian style)
• Taco Noodle Casserole
• tuna casserole
• chicken noodles
• Alfred
• Various casserole dishes not yet mentioned
• stew with noodles
• lasagna in skillet

It goes without saying that the uses for egg noodles are virtually limitless. You can add egg noodles to almost any dish to enhance it. Also, almost any pasta dish can use egg noodles instead of eggless pasta.

It really depends on you. Don’t let this list limit you. Another good thing about egg noodles is that you can make them at home quite easily . You can make them in bulk and then store the uncooked noodles in the freezer for quite some time.

What is the difference? Egg noodles or regular noodles?

When choosing whether to use regular noodles or egg noodles for your dish, there are some differences. Ultimately, it all comes down to your preferences. Egg noodles are hearty noodles with a more developed flavor.

Let’s see what the differences are.

Egg noodles are made with yeast-free dough.  That dough is boiled in water before cutting the noodles. The dough usually consists of a mixture of eggs and wheat or eggs and rice flour.

Egg noodles usually require a drying period before use, but can also be used fresh. 

Normal noodles are also made with yeast-free dough. This dough also goes through a cooking process. Normal noodle dough usually contains wheat or buckwheat. Eggs are not used in the regular noodle batter . However, vegetables can be added to the dough.

Both types of noodles can be cut into various shapes and sizes, depending on what you want to use them for. If you go to your local grocery store, you will see a variety of both types of noodles. You can always buy them like this or make either type of your own.

Although they can be cut into various styles, egg noodles almost always lie flat when cut. You won’t see bow shaped egg noodles like regular noodles. If you imagine the noodles used in chicken noodle or similar dishes, they are usually straight, although they may have a little twist.

Our favorite egg noodles come straight from Italy. You can find them here on Amazon.

How to make egg noodles

To give you an idea of what we’re working with here, we think it’s relevant to cover the process by which they’re made. Egg noodles are easy to make. You may make a mess doing this when you get the eggs and flour out.

If you’re going to take the time to make egg noodles, you should plan on making several batches and saving them for later.

Below is a quick tour of an egg noodle recipe. Keep in mind that the recipes may vary and that this is not the only one.

It is only used to provide you with a resource on the general composition of egg noodles. 

1. In this explanation, you will need all-purpose flour, eggs, milk, salt, and butter.
2. Start by stirring the flour and salt together in a bowl.
3. Add the beaten eggs, milk and butter and knead for about 5 minutes.
4. Let stand covered for 10-15 minutes.
5. After resting, roll out the dough and cut it into the desired shape and size.
6. Let the paste air dry by placing it on kitchen paper or cheesecloth.
7. Proceed to cook or store your egg noodles.

To cook the egg noodles, you must boil them like normal pasta.  They may take longer to cook than regular pasta, depending on the thickness of the noodle.

Freezing Egg Noodles - Raw or Cooked

Here we come to the heart of the matter. How can you freeze your egg noodles? It is actually very simple to do. There are some minor steps to take into account, but it is not a complicated process.

First of all, you should know that freezing your cooked egg noodles is not as successful as freezing them raw. If you are not adding them to a specific dish, you should leave them raw to freeze. 

The good news is that if you’ve cooked a dish that you want to freeze that includes egg noodles, this will work great! The difference is that your dish will most likely have other juices that will help keep the noodles hydrated.

The problem with freezing cooked egg noodles that don’t have any extra juice from a dish is that they tend to get sticky. So when you try to use them, they sometimes go mushy instead of holding their shape.

Keep in mind that you should either freeze them raw or freeze them as part of a complete dish for the best results.

Freeze Boiled Egg Noodles

Remember that we mentioned that boiled egg noodles should be part of a dish. However, you can freeze the cooked egg noodles.

Here are the instructions to do it: 

• If your cooked egg noodles are part of a dish, freeze the dish using these same instructions.
• Refrigerate or freeze within 2 hours of cooking the noodles.
• Place the noodles in freezer-safe containers or a heavy-duty freezer bag.
• Store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Freeze raw egg noodles

Don’t forget to let your egg noodles air dry before trying to freeze them. This way you will get much better results. Aside from remembering that nugget of information, it’s a straightforward process.

These are the instructions:

1. After air drying, place the noodles in an airtight freezer container or heavy duty freezer bag.
2. If you want to keep the noodles flat, you can layer them on parchment or freezer paper and prepare several flat layers of noodles for storage.
3. Leave approximately 2.5 cm of free space in either method of storage.
4. Store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
5. Store the egg noodles in the freezer for up to 12 months.

You will see that there is a difference in the recommended freezing time for raw vs. cooked egg noodles. Also, if you bought the egg noodles at the store, you can still freeze them using the instructions above. 

If you’re using store-bought egg noodles, you can store them in the bag they were bought in for quite some time. Dried egg noodles from the store can stay on your pantry shelf for up to 12 months. 

Related questions

We hope you find this guide to freezing egg noodles useful and informative for your purposes. You will see that the process is simple, but there are some basic things that you should know in the process.

We have compiled a question and answer section to provide additional information. We invite you to consult it to see if it can be useful to you.

Do egg noodles have health benefits?

Egg noodles have a broader nutritional value than regular noodles. The fiber content is much higher and the carbohydrate content is lower. However, the cholesterol content is slightly higher due to the eggs.

In general, egg noodles are high in protein and contain several essential amino acids for health. 

Can egg noodles go bad?

Egg noodles don’t usually go bad due to their overall creation process. If stored properly, they should last quite a while.

If you buy dried egg noodles at the store, they can sit unopened on your pantry shelf for up to 2 years after the best before date. However, if you make them fresh, you have to freeze them to preserve them. 

The most common problem with aged egg noodles is that they can lose flavor or you may notice a difference in consistency during cooking.