Store and reconstitute sauces

Sauces are generally highly perishable as they contain water, proteins

and carbohydrates, which favour the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and
moulds.

The danger zone for sauces is between 5°C - 60°C. The total time in the
danger zone, including cooling and re-heating times, must be less than
two hours.

Storage

All sauces, with the exception of the butter based emulsion sauces, should be stored below
4°C and covered. Storage time should be less than one week.

Storage times of frozen sauces should not exceed six months and ideally should be used
under three months.

Sauces should be stored in sanitised containers. It is better to use several smaller sealed
containers than a single large one. If sauces are to be frozen, then they can be packed in
sealed plastic bags under vacuum, or placed in sealed metal or plastic containers.

All containers must be labelled and dated and a record kept separately of what is stored.

As with the storage of stocks, a cartouche may be used to cover sauces although plastic cling
wrap and containers with lids are acceptable.

Roux based sauces will form a skin on the top and a cartouche assists in keeping this soft
and minimal.

Béchamel Sauce may have dabs of butter placed over the surface whilst hot to stop skinning
but a cartouche is best.

Reconstituting sauces

Often sauces are made before service and stored. They

can be reheated and used when needed provided certain
precautions are taken:

 reheating should be carried out as quickly as possible,

stirring frequently
 do not overheat as this can cause burning
 sauces can be reheated in covered shallow trays in a hot
oven to minimise the likelihood of burning, and when
stovetops are in use.
 during service, hot sauces must be held above 60°C
 at the end of service the reheated sauce should be
discarded, as should any sauce brought out of bulk
storage.

Flour and roux based sauces will reconstitute but may require some adjustment when
reheated. If possible, modified starch should be substituted for flour.

There are some differences between reconstituting soups and sauces:

  soups are adjusted for consistency and flavour only when the entire soup has been
fully reheated to at least 80°C
 a soup can be thinned by adding water, milk, or stock
 consommé generally has its nutritive value and flavour increased during clarifying.

Storing Stocks, Soups and Sauces

The advance preparation and freezing of stocks, soups and sauces is a valuable aid to kitchen
economy; vegetables can be preserved in a useful form when they are cheap, stock can be
kept safely, and much time can be saved in the final preparation of cheap meals. Read about
such dishes: stock and bouillon, thick soups, basic sauces, meat sauce, tomato sauce and
puree, fruit sauces.

Stocks and soups

All stock and soup for freezing should be cooled quickly, and all
surplus fat should be removed as this separates during storage.
Pack in watertight containers allowing 1/2 inch headspace for
wide-topped containers and 3/4 inch headspace for narrow-
topped containers.

Soup may also be stored in blocks if freezer space is limited.

These blocks should be prepared by freezing the liquid in loaf
tins or freezer boxes lined with foil, the solid blocks being
wrapped in foil for storage.

Sauces

Sweet and savoury sauces may be frozen, either in a basic form such as white sauce to be
used later with other ingredients, or in complete form ready for immediate use. Mayonnaise
and custard sauces do not freeze well; the ingredients freeze at different rates and give
unsatisfactory results.

Sauces may be stored in ice cube form, or in 'bricks', using the same method as for stock and
soups.

Stock and bouillon

Preparation and packing Prepare stock or bouillon from meat,

poultry, bones and/or vegetables. Strain, cool and remove fat. To
save freezer space, concentrate until liquid is reduced by half.
Pack in brick or ice cube form, or in containers leaving 1 inch
head-space.

Thawing and serving Heat gently over direct heat and use as
required.

Storage time 1 month.

Thick soups

Preparation and packing Prepare soup to basic recipes, but use cornflour if a thickening
agent is required. Porridge oats may be used for meat soups. But rice flour gives a glutinous
result. Do not add rice, pasta, barley or potatoes. Milk and cream are better added when soup
is reheated.

Pack in brick form, or in containers, leaving 1 inch headspace.

Thawing and serving Heat in a double boiler if curdling is likely to occur, otherwise over
direct heat, stirring well for smoothness.

Storage time 2 months.

Preparation and packing Basic sauces such as White Sauce and Brown Sauce can be frozen
in their simplest form, to be finished when thawed, or may have flavouring additions made
before freezing.

Corn flour should be used instead of flour when thickening is required to avoid curdling on
reheating. Sauces of this type are best packed into waxed or rigid plastic containers in 1/2-
pint and 1-pint quantities.

Thawing and serving Reheat in a double boiler, stirring well for smoothness, and make
required additions.

Storage time 1 month.

Meat sauce

Preparation and packing Sauces for serving with pasta, such as Spaghetti Sauce containing
meat, freeze very well. After cooking, cool thoroughly, pack into containers in useable
quantities.

Thawing and serving Heat gently in a double boiler, adjusting seasonings.

Storage time 1 month.

Tomato sauce and puree

Preparation and packing Tomato Sauce and concentrated puree are best frozen in small
waxed or rigid plastic containers, or in ice cube trays, each cube being wrapped in foil for
storage.

Thawing and serving Heat gently in a double boiler, stirring well. Small cubes of sauce or
puree can be put into soups or stews while still frozen and gently stirred to blend into other
ingredients.

Storage time 12 months.

Fruit sauces

Preparation and packing Fruit sauces can be made from sieved fresh fruit, or fruit stewed
in a little water, sieved and sweetened to taste. Sauces can also be made from fruit juice,
sweetened and thickened with cornflour. These should be packed into small containers or ice
cube trays, the cubes being wrapped in foil for storage.

Thawing and serving Thaw in the container in the refrigerator for 2 hours, to serve cold.
Alternatively, heat in double boiler, stirring gently.
Storage time 12 months.

Preparing stock for storage

Follow these steps to make sure your stock is properly prepared for storage.

Step 1:

Cool down the soup or stock to cool room temperature. To hurry up the process, you can
place the pot of freshly prepared stock in a sink with drain stopped, filled with ice water.
Stirring the soup every few minutes can help cool everything down evenly.

Step 2:

Once cool, place the stock in a heavy duty plastic container, or several smaller ones, if you'd
like to divide the stock for multiple uses. Leave a about an inch of empty space at the top of
the container. This is important -- liquids will expand when stored at cold temperatures, so
you want to leave a little room for this expansion.

Step 3:

Seal the containers, and place in the refrigerator or freezer. Stock will keep for about a week
in the refrigerator, or 6-8 months in the freezer.

Tips for storing stock

Containers

When we say "heavy duty plastic container," you should think

of the type that you'd get for a to-go order of wonton soup at a
Chinese restaurant. In fact, you can save those containers to
use for when you'd like to store soup or stock.

However, this is not your only option. For stocks that are highly
concentrated in flavor, you can even consider pouring the stock
into an ice cube tray. Once frozen, these small cubes can be
transferred to a heavy duty freezer bag to further preserve
freshness. Quick to thaw, these cubes can add a burst of flavor
to dishes, almost like bouillon.

Once cooled, stock can also be poured into heavy duty freezer bags. Just make sure that you
have a steady hand while pouring and plenty of room in the bag to seal it tightly, because
things can get messy if you spill.

Clever measuring

Measuring out commonly used quantities can make recipes easier later. For instance, storing
the stock in 1-cup portions can make measuring easier later, giving you more time to think
about the ingredients you'll use to transform the stock into a hearty stracciatella soup , for
instance.

Be sure to write the quantity on a label the outside of the container, or directly on the outside
of the freezer bag. This will be helpful if you stored your stock weeks ago and have since
forgotten how much you pre-measured in each container.
Thawing your stock

If using stock that's stored in the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature before
incorporating into a recipe unless otherwise specified.

If your stock has been stored in the freezer, you can thaw the stock gradually by placing it in
the refrigerator overnight and letting it come to room temperature before using it in your
cooking. For quicker results, you can place the container of stock in a vessel full of hot (but
not boiling) water to thaw it out quicker.

Re-seasoning

Freezing the stock may dull the flavour. Taste before serving or incorporating into a recipe;
you may want to add a bit more seasoning to make up for the flavour loss.