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Can you freeze spaghetti sauce? The answer is, “Yes! And you should!”
Whether you make a batch of homemade spaghetti sauce or have leftover sauce in a jar from the store, freezing spaghetti sauce is a great way to avoid food waste, save money, and have a yummy pasta sauce ready and waiting for your next craving.
Learn these quick and simple ways to freeze pasta sauce.
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Jump to:
- How freezing spaghetti sauce can help you
- Ingredients
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- FAQs
- Best Recipes for Using Spaghetti Sauce
- Tell us what you think!
- How to Freeze Spaghetti Sauce
It’s happened before. You open the fridge and see jars of half-used pasta sauces in the door, waiting to be used, but you forgot about them. Oops.
This happened to us a lot in the past. The food waste wasembarassing, and the cost certainly added up.
Raisingchildren and getting out of debt — either simultaneously or as separate seasons of life can teach you a thing or two. One being that anytime you can freeze leftover food for another time, you’re buying yourself some precious minutes. Another being anytime you can save food, you’re saving money!
Even if it’s just a half-used jar of sauce.
How freezing spaghetti sauce can help you
1. You avoid wasting perfectly good food.
2. You save money because you don’t have to buy more to replace what you wasted.
3. You enjoy great meals because you can easily grab what you need from the freezer. comes together in a flash!
4. You can make a bulk batch of your favorite sauce recipe, like our Marinara Sauce Simple Enough for Everyday, and know what to do with it.
Ingredients
You can do this with homemade spaghetti sauce as well as jarred sauce, but we’ll use a big batch of homemade Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce because it’s easy and cheap to make! (Cheaper than the jar, ahem.)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Having written Not Your Mother’s Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook, I know my way around the freezer. Lots of what-to-do’s and what-not-to-do’s
Here’s how to freeze spaghetti sauce:
- If the sauce is hot or even warm, allow it to chill completely. Cold food freezes more quickly eliminating the risk of freezer burn or large ice crystals.
- Divide the sauce into usable portions. This will vary by household and how you plan to use it after thawing. If you want to use the sauce for pizza, you’ll want ½ cup portions. For a lasagna, you’ll need 3 to 4 cups.
- Use freezer-safe containers. This could be Souper Cubes, plastic containers with lids, or even ziptop freezer bags.
- Label the containers with the content’s name and the date you’re freezing it. This wayyou can easily grab what you need from the freezer without having to inspect things too closely and waste valuable time.
- Store the containers in the freezer until ready to use. While frozen food is safe indefinitely if stored under 0 degrees, it can lose taste and texture over time.Frozen sauce should be good in a home freezer for about 2 to 3 months.
When ready to serve: thaw in the fridge and reheat to serve.
FAQs
Can you freeze spaghetti sauce in glass jars?
You can freeze in glass jars, however there are several things to do to prevent the jar from cracking. Do not fill it all the way full;instead leave about an inch headspace. Chill completely, then transfer the jars without lids to the freezer. Set them level in the freezer with space around them, so they don’t touch anything. Once frozen, gently twist on the lids, but not too tightly.
Can you freeze spaghettis sauce in ziploc bags?
You can freeze sauce in ziploc bags, however you will want to use the higher quality bags designed for the freezer. Label them prior to filling. Once you’ve filled the bag, remove as much air as possible and seal it carefully. Lay the bags carefully on a tray in the freezer. Once firm, you can remove the tray and line the bags up in a bin or on a shelf.
Can you freeze spaghetti sauce after 5 days?
Per the USDA, prepped food is good for up to 4 days when refrigerated properly. It should be frozen prior to the 4th day to ensure freshness and safety.
Best Recipes for Using Spaghetti Sauce
Having frozen spaghetti sauce on hand makes it so easy to make an impromptu Chicken Parmesan or simply add some ground beef for an easy pasta dinner. Check out these other ways to use the sauce you freeze:
- Mexican Lasagna to Spice Up Your Night
- Meatball Sub Recipe (with a Freezer Option)
- Pizzawiches
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Tell us what you think!
How to Freeze Spaghetti Sauce
Freezing spaghetti sauce is a great way to save money and avoid food waste, whether you make a bulk batch of homemade sauce or just have a half-used jar to save.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Sauces
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 59kcal
Author: Jessica Fisher
Cost: $2
Equipment
freezer-safe containers such as Souper Cubes, plastic containers with lids, or freezer ziptop bags
Ingredients
- 4 cup your favorite spaghetti sauce
Instructions
If the sauce is hot or even warm, allow it to chill completely. Cold food freezes more quickly eliminating the risk of freezer burn or large ice crystals.
4 cup your favorite spaghetti sauce
Divide the sauce into usable portions. This will vary by household and how you plan to use it after thawing. If you want to use the sauce for pizza, you'll want ½ cup portions. For a lasagna, you'll need 3 to 4 cups.
Use freezer-safe containers. This could be Souper Cubes, plastic containers with lids, or even ziptop freezer bags.
Label the containers with the content's name and the date you're freezing it. This wayyou can easily grab what you need from the freezer without having to inspect things too closely and waste valuable time.
Store the containers in the freezer until ready to use. While frozen food is safe indefinitely if stored under 0 degrees, it can lose taste and texture over taime.Frozen sauce should be good in a home freezer for about 2 to 3 months.
When ready to serve: thaw in the fridge and reheat to serve.
Notes
Nutritional values are approximate and will vary based on the sauce used. Per the USDA, prepped food is good for up to 4 days when refrigerated properly. Spaghetti sauce should be frozen prior to the 4th day to ensure freshness and safety.
To freeze in glass jars:there are several things to do to prevent the jar from cracking. Do not fill it all the way full;instead leave about an inch headspace. Chill completely, then transfer the jars without lids to the freezer. Set them level in the freezer with space around them, so they don’t touch anything. Once frozen, gently twist on the lids, but not too tightly.
To freeze sauce in ziploc bags: you will want to use the higher quality bags designed for the freezer. Label them prior to filling. Once you’ve filled the bag, remove as much air as possible and seal it carefully. Lay the bags carefully on a tray in the freezer. Once firm, you can remove the tray and line the bags up in a bin or on a shelf.
Nutrition
Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1161mg | Potassium: 728mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1061IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Tell us what you think! Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.
This post was originally published on October 3, 2012. It has been updated for content and clarity.
