Can the passata be frozen?

Passata is one of those ingredients that we buy in bulk almost every month for the simple reason that we cook a lot of pasta. Passata is one of the best tomato-based ingredients for pasta sauce and all kinds of food in general.

Now, the truth is, there are plenty of alternatives to passata that work miracles, but when it comes to pasta sauce, we want the ingredient that requires the least amount of effort to cook.

Although it may not be as popular as tomato paste, for example, we recommend trying passata as an alternative and it just might become your new favorite thing in the kitchen.

Although some of us burn through our passata too quickly to worry about any long-term storage solution, there are plenty of people who buy in bulk whenever they see a sale. And this often leaves them with more ingredients than they can consume within the given expiration date.

That’s when you think about different storage methods, like freezing, and whether it’s possible.

So can passata be frozen? Yes, you can freeze the passata. Tomato-based foods, such as passata, usually freeze well. You can freeze open or unopened passata in a batch in a tightly closed, airtight container or in smaller portions using freezer trays. It will last up to three months.

It’s good to know that all tomato based foods and ingredients freeze very well and this includes passata. There are several methods of freezing the passata, depending on the original container and whether you want to freeze the unopened passata or leftovers.

In the following article, you will learn all about passata and how to use it, freeze it, and thaw it correctly.

The Ultimate Guide to Freezing Passata

In its entirety, the passata is actually nothing more than natural tomato. Therefore, we can consider it simply the base of all the other more complicated tomato-based sauces and condiments.

Unlike most tomato-based seasonings and ingredients of its kind, it comes uncooked. It may not look like a puree, but the puree is the first part of the process of creating the passata. The second includes passing through a sieve to achieve this consistency.

Depending on the brand, the consistency of the passata will be different. Some brands offer a smooth passata, while others prefer to leave chunks of tomato. It is often said that the passata can be cooked, but in most cases, the one you buy will be uncooked.

Passata Best Storage Practices

Passata best storage practices should be divided based on whether or not the container has been opened.

unopened passata

An unopened jar/bottle of passata will probably last for over a year, but it must be stored properly.

There is no better place than your pantry or, if that is not possible, any dry and cool place. But in no case can you leave the passata or any other tomato-based sauce in direct sunlight.

Open Passata/Easter Passata

An open jar/bottle of passata should be moved to the fridge as soon as you finish using it. If you leave it out at room temperature for too long after opening it, you can expect it to become a home for unwanted bacteria. The sauce will spoil and it will not be safe to eat.

An open passata can be kept for up to 10 days in the refrigerator. We recommend that you use the leftovers as soon as you can.

If you need to store it for a longer time, consider freezing it. You can find all the necessary information about freezing the passata in the following sections of this article.

Can the passata be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze both unopened passata and leftover passata. The freezing processes are identical in both cases and include the transfer of the passata to another more suitable container.

There is an alternative that more and more people are trying and that includes freezing in ice trays, which we will also talk about in the next section.

In general, whichever method you choose to freeze the passata, it should be consumed within 3 months. It will remain safe for longer, but you can forget about the original quality.

How to freeze the passata

In both cases, you will use the unopened passata or the leftovers.

Method 1: Freeze the passata in an airtight container

1. Find a suitable container 

Most stores sell the passata in glass bottles or cans. In both cases, the original container will not be suitable, especially if you want to freeze an entire unopened bottle.

Liquids expand when frozen, and unless glass containers are freezer-safe, they’re not always a good idea, as they could explode. Even if it hasn’t happened before, we recommend that you avoid freezing food in any glass container that you are unsure about.

Whatever you choose, make sure it’s freezer safe and has an airtight seal to keep air out.

2. transfer and freeze

Remember not to overfill the container, regardless of what you plan to freeze. Once again, you have to leave some space at the top for the runny passata to expand.

Put the well-packaged passata in the freezer and try to consume it within 3 months.

Method 2: Freeze the passata in a freezer tray

Nowadays, people try freezing everything in freezer trays, and in most cases, it works great! Surprisingly, passata is one of the foods that you can safely freeze using this method.

1. Fill your ice trays with passata

Our recommendation is that you fill the separate compartments just below the rim, just as you would with a normal size container. In this case, however, it has as much to do with being able to scoop out portions of passata as it does with expanding the liquids.

2. Pre-freeze the passata cubes

Once you’ve filled the trays, pop them into the freezer uncovered. Wait a few hours, or until the passata is completely frozen.

3. Transfer to a larger container

Once the passata has frozen completely, take out all the pieces and put them in an airtight container. Heavy duty freezer bags will also do the job perfectly and are a convenient option as well.

Seal the bag and put it back in the freezer. As with the other method, you can expect the passata to last at least 3 months in the freezer. As always, you’ll probably want to label the passata with the date to be sure.

How to thaw frozen passata

To defrost the frozen passata, just put it in the fridge so that it thaws slowly and safely. If you have used the second method of freezing in freezer trays and need to use the passata soon, you can thaw it at room temperature or cook with it as a frozen ingredient.

If you thaw it in the fridge, give it enough time overnight. Last but not least, it is recommended to use it within 24 hours of thawing.

Related questions

We hope that this guide on freezing the passata has been useful to you. We’ve also included these related questions, just in case more thoughts about the passata are on your mind.

What can you use instead of the passata?

People often consider all tomato-based sauces and condiments to be interchangeable, and this is generally true, but for us it all depends on the situation.

We’ve mentioned in a previous section that passata is essentially the base for all alternative tomato sauces and ingredients, which generally means you can potentially use any other similar base, if you know how to make up for the differences.

However, we wouldn’t recommend it if your recipe specifically calls for passata. For simple pasta dishes it might be fine, but for a more complicated dish that relies on more than just the flavor of the passata, substituting it could be tricky.

What can you use the passata for besides for pasta sauce?

Having an unopened bottle of passata can be beneficial in much more than just making sauces. Such a simple ingredient can help you prepare a wide variety of dishes and even drinks, if you understand what we mean.

Homemade Ketchup - For many recipes we try, homemade ketchup doesn’t have the addictive taste of store-bought. We all know store-bought ketchup isn’t healthy at all, which is why many of us turn to homemade substitutes.

Most homemade ketchup recipes use tomato sauce or puree, simply because of their consistency and because they are so popular. But we suggest you try the passata the next time you make homemade ketchup. The sauce won’t be as thick, but the flavor will make up for it.

Substitute it in a Bloody Mary recipe - The Bloody Mary cocktail is an acquired taste. Not everyone is looking for that spicy tomato flavor when ordering a cocktail, but if you’re a fan, you might consider substituting the tomato juice for passata.

When you see it, it may not seem like you change much, but believe us, the results will be delicious. You only have to make two cocktails, one with tomato sauce and one with passata, and you will quickly notice the difference in taste.

What is the difference between passata and other similar tomato products?

The main difference between the many tomato-based seasonings has to do with the ingredients involved in making them. If we look at it with the eyes of “Italian food law”, the passata cannot contain more than tomatoes .

If you check the label and see other ingredients besides tomato, it shouldn’t be considered a passata even though it says so on the packaging, strictly speaking.

Ketchup - As you can probably guess from the name, the tomato sauce is already cooked and ready to use. All you have to do with the tomato sauce is heat it up and add it to pasta or another dish.

Tomato paste - Tomato paste is a reduced tomato sauce, so it has a much thicker consistency and stronger flavor than the others. Tomato paste adds a lot of flavor and color to your dish. We also have an article on the differences between tomato paste and tomato sauce.